The restaurant layout is simple: a huge braai at the back of the restaurant with tables and chairs…read moreset up at the front, a bar downstairs and a separate area in the basement that is dedicated for groups to about 22 people. I started off with a glass of wine from South Africa. Their wine list and cocktails have South African influence. Price was £7 - £9 for a glass of medium level wines. I was recommended the prawn skewers, cous cous salad and a lamb with apricot skewer. My personal favourite was the prawn skewers. The chefs have peeled the bodies beforehand but left it's head and tail shell intact. It was served with some rocket salad and two difference sauces (in a separate sauce plate) to complement the heat and spice from the prawns. I did not think the separate sauces were that important as I did enjoy the prawns and rockets together. I do like sucking prawn heads, and oh boy, it was juicy. The prawn was well cooked. Loved the combination of chilli in it. It was very tasty and spicy. I must say that £12 for 4 pieces of prawns might be a little steep for a lunch meal. The lamb skewer I had apparently was something new they are about to add their list of sosaties. It definitely smelled good as it was served. On the skewers were about 8 chunks of lamb meat, 6 pieces of apricot and 5 pieces of onions. Juices from the apricot burst into your mouth as you chewed on the fruit. The lamb was also juicy, well seasoned and succulent. It didn't have any bad smell to it, so I thought it was a dish well done. Cous cous salad was refreshing. It came with generous serving of rocket leaves, raisins, pine nuts, cheese and some slices of freshly baked crusty bread. The dessert was fantastic although I must admit I did not see the South African influence in it. I had the dark chocolate mousse served with blackberry compote, yogurt and pumpkin seeds. I spoke to Mark, person in charge when I visited, about this and was told the dessert will be taken off the menu. So the restaurant is definitely taking some positive steps to serving better food and improving the menu. Overall happy with my food here

We really enjoyed Hammer & Tongs. Tried all three appetizers (curried fish, biltong, bread); had…read morethe Baby Braai (chicken, pork belly, lamb, chips, couscous salad, and braaibroodje, all great except the pork belly which was just fair), and chased with the Malva pudding (sponge cake with apricot syrup and a scoop of ice cream, really good). Was good and would definitely come back again. Was dead on a Tuesday night: no problem getting a seat. Server was helpful and friendly. Only bad point: clothes now smell like a bonfire--but totally worth it!

This was such a great dinner experience. My brother and I were able to sit and eat at the chefs…read moretable. As we watched them cook and prepare our meals, we were able to have a conversation with the chefs and it was greatly appreciated. Aside from that the food was delicious. I can't say that I really enjoyed the butter appetizer, but the bread was good. Also, our entrees were delicious.

I went to Kudu with a group of friends for my birthday. The service and food are incredible. We…read morewere fully taken care of and catered to by the staff. The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and warm. The table size and seating were great for four people. The food was absolutely delightful. The flavors were lovely, portions were good. We left full and happy!

Came here as a small group on a friend's suggestion…read more It wasn't very full when we visited during Friday lunchtime. It's a modern diner and the decor is welcoming. We weren't sure whether to take a seat or wait to be seated. They had jungle animal background sounds (instead of music), which was quite funny. There's a lot of meat (halal) on the the menu, and generous portions too. I can only say that on view it looked good (see pics) and went down well with friends. I went for the prawn salad. It was delicious and served warm in a barbeque/mayo sauce. The desserts aren't worth writing about to be honest, as this really isn't their strong point - it didn't resemble anything close to homemade - but don't let this stop you from paying a visit.

I'd been planning to come here for a couple years but I hadn't gotten around to it until recently…read more The decor inside the restaurant is cute with a jungle theme. The "jungle noises" (an audio file with quiet rainforest-type noises) can get a bit annoying after a while but I guess it's all part of the experience. The food was pretty good. I really liked the lamb ribs - the meat comes right off the bone. Wasn't a huge fan of my beef burger though. Our waiter was extremely nice and friendly to us the entire time we were there. When he came over with the bill we even got a complimentary bottle of non-alcoholic cocktail/drink. I'll definitely be back again in the future!

Lovely place! Tasty food, friendly and welcoming service!…read moreConveniently located near by Buckingham Palace.

Great service and stuff. Very nice ambiance and great distance from touristic areas. Highly…read morerecommended. Food was very good and also tea! If I come back to Uk and I am this area I will definitely stop by again! Thanks

There's a lot to be said about Shaka Zulu and if you read any of the reviews then one of the words…read morethat come to mind is "ORDINARY". It's kinda contradictory when you think about it because we have a South African Inspired restaurant in the middle of London. It should be a STANDOUT, yet this restaurant will make you want to Stand IN another restaurant line. That's not to say this place doesn't have some redeeming qualities and interesting food choices. In the interest of time, if you're wondering if you should eat here I would have to recommend you should eat here if you're looking for a nice ambiance feel or a nice change of pace from the typical meals in the surrounding areas. If you're looking for good drinks, spectacular food, or a place that's truly African inspired you may want to try to find other places that handle these situations better. I'm something of a story guy myself, which is why I thought it would be slightly romantic/nice to take my friend who is West African to a South African Restaurant. I understand that the cultures, including food however the idea of African inspired meal while she visited me sounded like a great idea. Indeed, it SEEMED like a great idea and that's where the problems began. I started by trying to reserve a table during Christmas week on the website. Unfortunately due to some unknown error I wasn't able to and had to call them manually. This isn't a problem and I'm not one to complain as long as what I needed to do, reserve a table, gets done. the problem seems resolved until they don't confirm the reservation through email or phone. This also wouldn't be a problem, as I called to confirm, but the confirmation text that I received was the wrong date from when I called to confirm. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate us due to the mishap. I guess in the end we were able to get a table but it just seemed like a lot for a simple reservation. If you didn't care to hear the story about my reservation troubles then this part of the review is for you. When I first walked into the restraint I was struck by the general aesthetic of Shaka Zulu. The pictures online of the restaurant don't it justice. Every corner of the place is littered with African-inspired decor. African Warriors, Nguni shields, IKlwa spears, etc. The lights also portray an " At home feel". In name, it does the place justice. Soo, the part of the review that most would have been waiting for. I would honestly be surprised if someone, anyone, was still reading at this point but if you're trying to get a true review of Shaka Zulu then this is it. I'll start with the menu as it seems they rotate the menu items quite fairly. Looking at other reviews and reading what they order it seemed as though they've changed a lot of the menu. I think that's a great way to have a lot of items without bloating the menu. It gives Londoners or people who love your restaurant to come back. That would be the case IF the food wasn't subpar. I'll start by saying that the water isn't free which isn't a critique of anything. I would have bought the water, either way, I just wish they informed me. Due to the unique palette, I decided to have the Crocodile Steak, with my friend having the Marinated Spicy Pork Chops. We also ordered Lamb Samosas and a side of Mashed Potatoes. The hype and amazement o the decor and friendlessness of the staff led me to believe that we were in for a treat. The hype, would have to wait as it took ages just to get our appetizer let alone our meal. Once again I'm not picky and waiting isn't a problem when the wait is worthy of the service/product but it was abnormally long. I'll chalk it up to be a busy night and when the Lamb Samosas did arrive they were the highlight of the meal. I'm not a connoisseur of meat, but the way the Samosas tasted, left nothing to be desired. The outer shell complimented the flavourful meat/peas on the inside. It was a very unique tasting food that I've never tried before. After a good appetizer, I had high hopes for the Crocodile Steak. It didn't meet the expectations or anything of the sort. It tasted very bitter and the meat was slightly tough without it having a distinct flavor. Once again maybe it was supposed to taste like that but it didn't taste good. I also had my friend pork chops which tasted even worse than the crocodile. I have had a few Pork chops and this one had to be the worst. There was a bitter flavor to the meat. It wasn't particularly rough but it tasted plain. Nothing standout about the pork chops that would make me want to continue eating. the mashed potatoes were just dry and I only had two spoonfuls. TLDR; All in all I would have recommended the restaurant if you want to indulge yourself in a fancy place to eat with atmosphere, music, and fancy drinks but if you are looking for a place to eat, I would try to find another restaurant. Overall I would rate this place three stars.

There comes a point, for those unfortunate of us to have experienced it, where service at a…read morerestaurant is so bad that it leaves an appalling aftertaste to the dining experience. The service here was almost non-existent, and gets progressively worse as the evening goes on, such that by the end of the meal your waitress may have forgotten to clear your plates, your dessert may take another 1hr to present itself and you need a near miracle to get your bill.  The food itself was permissible but forgettable and in somewhat smaller portions; you can tell that effort is put into presentation but it tastes average. The cocktails look nice on paper but are at least a third filled with chunks of ice. In essence, Shaka Zulu is somewhere unique to go to for a drink whilst admiring the fake yet impressive African-inspired interior decoration but it you want a meal, prepare to be left alone to your own devices and have your patience well and truly tested.

So I came to London with almost everyone I talked to saying that London had terrible food, cut and…read moredry. It was bizarre. I was determined to prove them wrong. So I fired up my algorithm, ranked every restaurant in London in a top 100 list, and started picking and choosing. My first dinner of my trip ended me up here, at Archipelago. The vibe of Archipelago from head to toe is exploring exotic cultures and cuisines, big game hunting, and adventure. It's interesting. Reminds me of Sean Connery from A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I got in, got seated at one of the very eclectic table and chair combination, and started browsing this overwhelming menu. A lot of the things on the menu, I didn't know what they were. I ordered and ate them, and I still don't know what they were. So, cards on the table, you definitely need a sense of adventure when you come here. It's exhilarating, honestly. We started off with sharing an app, the Serengeti Strut (crispy zebra "jerky", smoked onions, pickled garlic, carrot & ginger fluid gel and biltong soil). The zebra was crispy, but not quite jerky-like. Indescribable in flavor, but I liked it. It was a little smokey. A good pop from the garlic slices, and some nice earthiness from the gels. A solid app. There was also that soil on the plate that was like pork floss, if you've ever had that. Bizarre texture, but definitely added to the adventurousness. For my main, I ordered the Hot Marsupial (zhug marinated kangaroo skewers, candy beetroot & guindilla salad and red onion farofa). I also ordered two sides, because I'm a hungry guy, the Thai rice (sticky coconut milk rice) and a potato salad I can no longer find on the menu. This is the second time I've had kangaroo, and it's official, I love kangaroo. It's so soft, like a filet, but it also has some good flavoring in it, almost like a tamer wild boar. So, so good. The salad was pretty meh, but it was pretty. And the sides were needed. The rice had a nice sweetness and I just love carbs. Solid main. I also got to try the Oudtshoom Patram (ostrich tenderloin steak, peppercorn sphere, twice baked blue potato with cheese & bacon, Asian Caesar salad). This was excellent. My first time having ostrich, and it was amazing. It was a little spicy, almost like pepperoni or salami, but much deeper. Don't know how to describe it, because it's it's own thing. It was the best thing I ate this night, though, so if you're coming here, you have to have this. I mean it. I also had a nice dessert that I can't find online, but it was a curry spiced ice cream with a dark chocolate cake. And man, it was very good. Never through of curry and ice cream together, but know I do. Lovely lovely. Overall, this was a wild ride. I have no complaints, and you should come here if you wanna get a little wild.

Great food and atmosphere! Has the kangaroo, zebra and worm. All were absolutely fabulous and…read moretotally recommend it!

Absolutely pathetic, dreadful, run down, with a yobbo mentality within the same working space, this…read morehalf pub half restaurant just does not work, the area is run down and depressing as was the food and the general mentality of the kitchen. When something doesn't work, close it down do not embarrass yourself. There was no fresh produce to be found, everything was frozen and much was made off the premises or bought in from Iceland, utter crappy prebreaded frozen calamari, outrageously overcooked rice, an utter sham. There was however one saving grace, an Aussie girl far too good to be working there, with no back up whatsoever. Snap her up for your business and you shall thrive, she is deserving of being rescued. STAY WELL AWAY UKGeoff36@yahoo.co.uk

I am really confused. Just prior to posting this review I…read moredid a little research on this chain, read some other reviews, and then sat back and marvelled at how utterly inconsistent these South African eateries have managed to become. Either praises or curses, no real middle ground, either full-on or badly off. That said I dearly wish I could have been giving 5 stars, but sadly cannot, with a good conscience give it any, well OK only one. A friend took me there for a treat on Saturday 27th Aug 11. It was awful. I'm no foodie and have a high tolerance to most things but this place took the biscuit. Don't think Wimbledon Village when you go there if indeed you do after this review. This place is in the dodgy neck of the woods parked up on the left hand side of a pub called the Horse & Groom. It was more than a little raucous that night detracting from any 'potential' atmosphere. The lighting inside was way too low - maybe for a good reason? Starters on offer were three for just under £10 which is pretty good value if the food is OK - it wasn't. I had Couscous, with Pita, that rather than being nicely sliced into strips was just hacked into three lumps, Prawns in filo with sweet chilli sauce (possible from ASDA's) and Olives - something that thankfully can't really be messed up. These were OK but the Seafood Platter I ordered for a main was a total disaster. Consisting of white fish, not sure what it was but it tasted bland, Char Grilled Prawns (with traces of charcoal to add to the flavour) deep fried Calamari in batter (these were appalling, the batter falling off instead of golden and crispy and the Calamari chewy) (roast?) potatoes which were cooked as if the chef couldn't make his/her mind up either to roast or boil them, and finally sticky rice that was overcooked, and then just to inflict a mortal culinary wound warmed up again. My friend didn't fare much better with his starter which was meant to have a dressing on it but didn't. The salad being dry and stale, so it really needed it. We didn't bother with desert. The sad thing about this place if that it seems on other review sites to get mixed reviews either very good or very crap. And if you're wondering why we went to an SA restaurant and didn't eat any of their classic dishes it's because a large section of the traditional menu wasn't available. The only redeeming feature were the waitresses (long suffering by the sound of it) who were quite embarrassed by the whole thing and who informed us that from 28th Aug (11) there would be a couple of new chefs. Let's hope they inject some life and good cooking into this dismal operation or it'll be out of business in less than a month. On the way out my friend polled a few people to see what their opinion was, included a couple of girls from Cape Town who grudgingly gave it 1 and 2 out of 10. This was probably my worst meal ever - very sad. I really hope this place has its gastronomic bottom kicked hard (and fast).

The South African BBQ operates all year round in the large courtyard of the Vibe Bar…read more You can take your food away or sit and eat at one of outside picnic tables. Aside from the South African Boerewors sausage the menu is fairly typical BBQ food; burgers, chips etc. It is cooked well and the meat is of a high quality. Additionally, the prices are pretty reasonable. Although it is open all year it is undoubtedly best on a late summer afternoon, between bar stops.

These guys aren't selling food at the Stables Market anymore. This is bad news for South Africans…read morelooking to taste good quick food that reminds them of home. Seems they are only catering now.

Nando's -- I honestly can't say enough good things…read more I went in a bit cautious because the quality back in Pakistan has really gone downhill, but this completely changed my expectations. I ended up going twice during my trip. The chicken was exactly how it should be -- moist, succulent, and properly spicy. The spicy rice was fresh with great flavor, the chips were solid, and the halloumi fries were a standout. Tried the burgers too -- really good. This was one of those meals that just makes you genuinely happy. Consistent, flavorful, and worth going back for (clearly).

Nando's always delivers consistently. I enjoy the process even. Get a table, use your phone to…read moreorder and pay, they deliver. Always good. Food is good.