A Taste of Windhoek

Windhoek's flagship in terms of gastronomy is the Gathemann Restaurant, which offers very special, if not inexpensive Namibian dishes like game, oysters from the coast and truffles from the Kalahari. The Restaurant in the city centre (175 Independence Avenue) is open Mondays till Saturdays from 12:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 22:00.
Joe's Beerhouse is a true Windhoek institution, which offers tourists a magnificent palette of zebra and antelope dishes in Namibian fashion. Situated in Nelson Mandela Drive, near the Eros Shopping Centre, it is open Mondays to Thursdays from 17:00 till late and from Friday to Sunday from 11:00 till late.
If you're looking for something even more exotic, try the La Marmite (383 Indepen-
dence Avenue), which specialises in West African cooking. It is open Mondays till Saturdays from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 23:00, during weekends, their doors are open from 17:00 until 23:00.
You will find specialities from Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria and Namibia at the Restaurant Africa situated in the Alte Feste in Robert Mugabe Avenue. Here you can also brave the infamous Mopaneworm from the North, daily from 18:00 till 21:00.
Another region of Africa is represented by the Restaurant Abyssinia (3 Lossen St, close to the US embassy). Traditional Ethiopian dishes are served Mondays till Saturdays from 12:00 till 14:00 and 18:00 till 22:00.Bars and Clubs Although the bar and club scene in Windhoek cannot be compared with those of European capitals or even Cape Town, a small selection is available to the party-hungry. The bars are usually well frequented from 22:00 onwards.
One of the most popular clubs in Windhoek is Club Thriller in Katutura (212 Samuel Shikoma St). South African, Namibian and West African traditional music offer a wonderful blend to the African cuisine on offer, for instance goat's head.
As the name suggests, the El Cubano offers a hint of Havana flair. The tastefully decorated bar, dedicated to the memory of 'El Commandante', can be found in the newly refurbished Old Brewery Building in the city centre (40 Tal St) and occasionally hosts live music performances.
A bit further on, in Klein Windhoek, you will find Luigi & The Fish (Sam Nujoma Drive), a popular meeting place of Windhoek's youth. The adjoining restaurant also offers spectacular grill and fish dishes.
AccommodationWindhoek sports a variety of accommodation in various price classes. Accommodation and breakfast are usually included in the room rate.
The Windhoek Country Club Resort & Casino is in the higher price range. With the casino, pool and splendid gardens, an 18-hole golf course situated on the Western Bypass, near Pioneerspark. tel.: +264(0)61-2055911, email:
[email protected].
More centrally located is the majestic Hotel
Heinitzburg (22 Heinitzburg St, Windhoek Central) in a historic castle, which sports a magnificent view over Windhoek with beautiful rooms
(tel.: +264(0)61-249597,
email: [email protected]).
There's also the Kalahari Sands Hotel and Casino in 129 Independence Avenue, Gustav Voigts Centre, which is currently going through a complete refurbishment (tel.: +264(0)61-2800000,
email: [email protected]).
The Hotel Pension Steiner (11 Wecke St) falls into the medium price range. (tel.: +264(0)61-222898, email: [email protected]).
For backpacker-style accommodation, try the Chameleon City Backpacker Lodge, which is centrally located, on 5 Voigt St (tel.: +264(0)61-244347, email: [email protected]), or The Cardboard Box also offers camping places (15 Johann Albrecht St., Windhoek West, tel.: +264(0)61-228994,
email: [email protected]).
For further information and bookings:
NATH (Namibian Academy for Tourism
and Hospitality)
www.nathnamibia.com
Air Namibia
www.airnamibia.com.na
B & B Association
www.bed-breakfast-namibia.com
Namibia Holiday & Travel
www.namibiaholidaytravel.com.na
Desert Express Luxury Train
www.desertexpress.com.na
Hospitality Association of Namibia
www.HANnamibia.com
Tour and Safari Operators Association
www.tasa.na
Namibia Wildlife Resorts
www.nwr.com.na
Namibia 1 on 1, Namibian information site
www.namibia-1on1.com