Inn on Rupurara: Well worth a visit

Wining & Dining
Getting to the Inn on the Rupurara in Nyanga requires taking a very rough dirt road off the Nyanga Road in Juliasdale.

Getting to the Inn on the Rupurara in Nyanga requires taking a very rough dirt road off the Nyanga Road in Juliasdale.

Le Connoisseur

Along the way we passed two “Hotel Residents Only” signboards but continued nonetheless. We were staying at a self-catering cottage nearby and fancied treating ourselves to a special lunch which, best of all, we didn’t have to cook ourselves — or clean up afterwards. Arriving at the resplendently grand gates, the guard wanted to know into which room we were booked. After our explanation that we were just there for lunch, he let us through — possibly a little reluctantly!

The challenging road and sli-ghtly suspicious guard were however, soon forgotten following our arrival. For those of you who haven’t been lucky enough to visit before, Inn on Rupurara is one of the most beautiful settings in the whole of our beautiful country and the views are beyond spectacular. The resort has a central area set up with the formal dining room and lounge, a well-stocked bar and a cosy reading room upstairs and the accommodation is scattered around close by but separate from the main complex. As it was such a glorious day and the views were so breathtaking, we decided to have a light lunch outside on the balcony to enjoy the magnificent scenery and the peace and tranquillity of being in the unspoilt wilderness.

The tables and umbrellas outside reminded us of an exclusive European resort. The staff was friendly and welcoming and we soon had our drinks order in front of us. The menu isn’t huge, but rather elegant and sophisticated in its simplicity. There were two starters available — my partner chose the soup of the day, minestrone served with freshly made bread rolls, which he said was excellent. I ordered the chicken and litchi cocktail. It turned out to be a rather exotic variation on the old shrimp cocktail so well loved in the 80s, but far more tasty and tantalising. Both portions were just the right size to whet our appetites for the main course without overwhelming us.

There was a selection of sandwiches and rolls on offer but I couldn’t resist sampling the pan-fried trout which was so fresh it could have been in the river a few minutes earlier. It was served with a generous helping of tomato, onion and garlic sauce, potato wedges and a crispy, fresh salad. It was the perfect light meal for a warm day and satisfied my appetite without leaving me feeling over heavy or over full. My partner had the steak pot pie, also with potato wedges and salad. The pastry on the top of the “pot” was light and fluffy and he described the filling as splendid. Again, it was just the right size without being too heavy.  The presentation of the food was plain, no frills or fuss, and could perhaps have been a bit more creative.

Limited desserts

For dessert there was a choice of an ice-cream sundae or a waffle with a fresh apple topping and drizzled in citrus juice. The topping was great but I found the waffle itself a bit dreary and tired, but the delicious filter coffee to round off the meal made up for this slight disappointment. Overall, I thought the service was great and the prices very reasonable — well worth the trip!

Deluxe Restaurant 5 Plates Expect to spend US$20 to US$30 per head Off the Nyanga Road, Juliasdale (clearly sign posted)