Bizzy Bistro

Lunch along the outside veranda of the Alliance Francaise is a perfect choice almost any time of the year. Mariam and Pamela started up their restaurant service over ten years ago to meet the challenge of the varying demands from a regular private and corporate clientele. This keeps both ladies on their feet from six to six and sometimes later. This home grown Zambian food and catering business has provided an excellent training ground for Le Bistro’s staff.Their exemplary service has earned them a five star reputation for simply ‘leisurely’ to ‘on-the-go buffet’ lunches.

It must have helped for the ladies to have had a background in the ‘fast moving’ ‘heady paced’ atmosphere of the air line industry. Pamela insists that they do their best work “under pressure”. The food is garden fresh,full of authentic colour and very tasty. The regular three course meal provides hot and cold options alongside a full bar service and a rich selection of salads. Work only stops on Sunday’s, public holidays and over the short Christmas/ New Year break. Any other time of the day light meals, notably their signature baguette, home made cake and percolated coffee are served. By arrangement an outside catering option has the facility for cutlery,waiter service, full cocktails, snacks and even wedding menu’s can be put together for up to five hundred people.

These two hard-working women met years before they set up business together. They both went to primary school in Ndola at Fatima Girls and then worked the aisles of our since R.I.P.’d flag-carrier. They were unceremoniously liquidated not only once but a second time by Aero Zambia and it was probably then that they decided that enough was enough as far as aviation was concerned and decided to head into business.

It was a bold decision having no previous business experience, no external finance, but with a sink or swim philosophy which continues to motivate them till today. Pamela is not a woman of many words, and her comment about the Zambia Airways closure in December 1994 was that the story is yet to be written. She was prepared to share a few business secrets though,three of them in fact: 1. PLAN 2. PLAN 3.PLAN.

Mariam’s daily tour often finds her wandering into the ongoing cultural events at the centre that add to the general atmosphere of Le Bistro even when it is not her staff serving the cocktails! On a good day, you could chance an art exhibition or even a music, film or speaking event going on as well as your hearty meal! A very good reason to cross town into the relative quiet of Longacres, the restaurant shares its premises with Ecole Francaise and is opposite the UN Building on Alick Nkata Road. Le Bistro is definitely a great venue for meeting old and making new friends.

Enquiries and Bookings: 0966 264-683 (Pamela) and 0977 760-467 (Mariam).