Lusaka’s residents are being inundated with places to eat.  Four new restaurants opened in Lusaka during November, and an old one, Danny’s & Memories of China has reopened.  We will be reviewing these restaurants over the next few months.

If you drive along Katima Mulilo Road in Roma, past Zambezi Road, you will find La Dolce Vita on your right hand side, just before you reach the Irish Embassy.

As you walk through the gates, leaving your vehicle to be guarded by a crew of security men, you enter a tea garden –  an outside refreshment area –  which leads to two entrances.

To your right is the health club, which is  geared towards women and children. Ladies, if you have never joined a fitness gym, because the men made you self- conscious, this is the club for you and your children.  Apart from the exercise machines and weights, there are also different classes including aerobics and karate for different age- groups. A sauna is located in an adjoining room.

The other entrance of La Dolce Vita will take you directly into the main restaurant- L’ Archeologia, whose atmosphere will take you back the Roman days. One can order from the main menu of delicious, traditional, home made Italian dishes, or you can order from the Pizza and Light Meals menu. The latter you can enjoy whilst relaxing in the more casual bar and eating area or on the patio and pool area.

The Pizza menu provides meals for the family which are cooked in a traditional Pizza oven; and for those who have just used the health club or are inclined to health food, there are plenty of fruit and vegetable extracts, smoothies, shakes and healthy snacks to choose from.

Now, after you have enjoyed such outstanding Italian cuisine, you may be ready to take some home with you. The Italian Delicatessen, which is on the same premises, is fully stocked with all sorts of cheeses, meats, pastas and condiments imported from Italy.  La Dolce Vita is open all day. Come and sample “The Sweet Life”.  For reservations and enquiries or bookings for special functions, call  297-856.

Along Suez Road is the London Bus Restaurant – the name says it all.  The Pool Bar and Bus Stop Bar sells snacks, whilst the restaurant has an al a carte menu.

The next new one is St Elmo’s, at Tukunka Mall in Chindo Road, Kabulonga.  This is a franchise pizzeria, but they also serve pasta dishes as well as grills.  The pizzas are cooked in woodfired ovens.  When we had a chat with the manager she told us that the wood being used in the ovens does come from commercially planted trees, but she is not sure how long the supply will last from her current supplier.  They also do takeaways and we selected two varieties which were excellent.  But if you are like me and believe that a pizza is not a pizza unless it has anchovies, you will be disappointed at St Elmo’s.

Voodoo Lounge in Mzee Kenyatta Road serves Lebanese and Creole meals.  Operating from a house, there is a large garden area and swimming pool so children are welcome at Voodoo Lounge.