Chef Nick Mandeya heads up culinary journey around the world at Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Bar.

LEAVING the bustling town of Rusape and heading along the A14, it’s not long before you find yourself travelling through a forest of beautiful Umbrella Acacia trees. These iconic trees are not only the gateway to Nyanga national park, they also show the way to Mandeya Village, in the Nyamhuka district. Forty years ago, Nick Mandeya left his rural home in this scenic area, and enrolled at the Bulawayo Hotel School.

On graduating, Nick hit the ground running when he joined Attilio Vigoriti (former doyen of the hospitality industry) to run l’Escargot, an upmarket restaurant at the Courtney Hotel in Harare’s Avenues. Sixteen years later, Chef Nick took his expertise to Adrienne’s in Belgravia. In this popular glass and steel restaurant resembling a conservatory, patrons shared space with rubber plants, peace lilies and monsteras, while looking out on busy Sam Nujoma Street. It was here that Nick’s signature oxtail dish, best accompanied by a glass of Robertson’s Shiraz, achieved celebrity status.

Chef Nick Mandeya at Cosmopolitan Restaurant

When Adrienne’s closed in 2015 (the space now re-invented as a car park), Chef Nick served as a consultant for several prestigious restaurants, including Organikks in Chisipite, Imba Matombo in Glen Lorne, and the ever-popular Chop Chop in the CBD. Eventually the time came to put all his experience to good purpose and a personal investment. At this point Nick partnered with two entrepreneurial ladies from China, Vicky Cao and Jessie Zhang, in the newly-opened Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Bar at the corner of Fleetwood Road and Churchill Avenue, in Alexandra Park.

Some structures in and around Harare may take years to reach completion, while others take shape in the twinkling of an eye. The bustling Corner Peak Complex including Cosmopolitan Restaurant, bordering on the leafy suburb of Alexandra Park, was up and running in no time at all, and already has a well-established garden with green lawns, flourishing shrubs and rose bushes in full bloom. The entrance to The Cosmopolitan is through a floral archway to a patio. Potted plants create a bright, beautiful garden, while the high tech interior has attractive lighting and quality tables and chairs.

Accompanied by two friends, George and I arrived unannounced at The Cosmopolitan for a recent mid-week lunch date. As we passed through the archway, we were welcomed by a smiling waiter, who offered us an indoor table, or seating on the patio. Comfortably seated on arm chairs on the patio, we could admire the flowering plants, or look across at the blazing pizza oven, where the executive pizzaiolo was putting the finishing touches to a large Hawaiian. It was clear that considerable thought and expense had gone into the planning and establishing of this restaurant. Would Cosmopolitan Restaurant be the equivalent of a one night fling, or a favourite destination to return to time and time again?

Holding his left hand to his chest in a respectful way, our genial waiter proffered the menu, and described the specials of the day. There were almost one hundred meal choices on the vast menu, offering a culinary journey around the world. An efficient food writer, to provide useful information for readers, should probably taste every dish on the menu. Required to eat out several times in a month, this practise could lead to obesity and high levels of bad cholesterol. Intermittent fasting, however, can compensate for a tomahawk steak or a pizza too far, and most food writers consider that they have the best job in the world.

It took a while to peruse the multi ethnic menu, with its many enticing choices. When you’re hungry enough to eat a horse, who doesn’t love a plate of Hifiridzi (beef short ribs cooked with leafy greens), meaty beef bones or a traditional goat stew redolent with tomatoes, onions and chilli peppers? Although tempted by these local dishes listed in the Comfort Food section, I contemplated ordering Madras lamb curry, grilled Mozambique prawns, or Asian sweet and sour pork. Grilled lamb chops from the Pride of Zimbabwe grill section, served with French fries, was an excellent choice. The chops were tender and perfectly cooked, the fries crispy and golden, and the accompanying home made mint sauce fragrant.

Grilled lamb chops at Cosmopolitan Restaurant

George has tasted crumbed calamari rings at numerous restaurants in Harare and elsewhere, and declared those served at The Cosmopolitan to be bang on the money. Crumbed fish and chips and Chicken Schnitzel were also declared excellent by our companions. The zesty, flinty flavours from a bottle of Spring from Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2023 from Cosmopolitan’s vast wine cellar paired well with the fish dishes and schnitzel, less well with the lamb chops.

The Cosmopolitan prides itself on its well-stocked bar, and expertise in mixing cocktails. The dessert menu, however, was limited to two choices – ice cream or cake. But who doesn’t love a slice of velvety-textured sponge cake and cream? The fact that it was a red velvet cake, instead of the Black Forest gateau requested, paled into insignificance. This was the most delicious slice of cake I’ve eaten all year.

Live music is also a feature at The Cosmopolitan, creating a lively and positive atmosphere for customers who enjoy being entertained while they eat. You can also release your inner songstress with karaoke on certain evenings, or enjoy rockers from the locker with DJ Deenice, and other well known artistes.

There are ways around the power cuts and shortages bedevilling restaurateurs in Zimbabwe, and Nick Mandeya is more than capable of handling any difficult situation in the hospitality industry. ‘Forty years in the industry makes you tough’, he said, at a recent interview. Descended from the Mutasa dynasty, from strong, competitive people with the Shumba as their totem, Chef Nick has the skills to ensure a successful future for the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Bar.

A Matter of Taste with Charlotte Malakoff