Himeville Restaurant Tips by CatherineReichardt

Himeville Arms: A fantastically retro place to eat!

Years ago, I stayed in the Himeville Hotel, but I can't for the life of me recall exactly when or why I was there, as it's not really on the way anywhere.

I can't remember any specific detail from my stay other than the fact that the food was excellent, so when it came to choosing a lunch stop after our nerve jarring descent of the Sani Pass, I was curious to discover whether my memory was still justified.

I am happy to report that all these years later, the food is still wonderful.

The Himeville Hotel is one of those timewarp places that you still occasionally stumble across in the corners of the former British Empire: if you've travelled to the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (which still has an air of only reluctantly now being Zimbabwe), then you'll instantly recognise the ambience. Sitting on the terrace perusing the menu, there is a sense that it has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s - better still, the prices are reminiscent of Johannesburg in the 90s!

Favorite Dish: We were a group of eight eating from the pub lunch menu, and everything we had was excellent.

The kids chicken nuggets were freshly prepared morsels of crumbed chicken (not the prefab frozen affairs served by most establishments), and the menu also included seldom seen child pleasers such as bacon and banana toasted sandwiches which may also appeal to adults yearning for 'nursery food'.

The rest of the group opted for more conventional burgers and toasted sandwiches, which were also excellent - in particular, my bacon, brie and chicken burger was excellent. Just be warned that the ham appears to be of the tinned (as opposed to the thinly sliced deli variety) variety, which may or may not be to your taste.

It's worth noting that despite the apparent sleepiness of the establishment, the service was speedy.

Highly recommended - and next time I'm stopping for supper!

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Pub/Brewery