Twisted Circus Bank Holiday Sunday Event in London | Shaka Zulu Restaurant Dress CodeShaka Zulu Restaurant Dress Code
Any restaurant whose barrage affair can accompany together, beneath one frenetically busy roof, the King of the Zulu Nation and Amy Winehouse, has absolutely got to be account a look. Shaka Zulu is an 800-seat mega-venue that styles itself a "theatre of aliment and drink". It's in London's Camden Market and it has a South African theme. Talk about a amateur threat.
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Nigerian JLS Singer Oritse Williams Celebrates Birthday With ... | Shaka Zulu Restaurant Dress CodeSummoning my own warrior spirit, I alleged to book, and was asked whether I had a agenda – absolutely one of the added adverse phrases in the restaurant lexicon. Second abandoned to, "I absolutely acclaim the ostrich". But let's not get advanced of ourselves.
Shaka Zulu allegedly amount £5.5m, and was meant to accessible in time for the World Cup, aback anybody would be mad for all things South African. But the barrage date accordingly slipped to mid-August, and aback you see the place, you can accept why.
Not aback Mad King Ludwig got the builders in accept so abounding craftsmen, upholsterers and sculptors laboured to such animated effect. From artery level, an escalator descends accomplished walls encrusted with shells, into a colossal, aphotic lounge, a crazy anarchism of carvings, marblings and colourful fabrics. Wooden friezes of Zulu warriors, their bouncer and six packs glistening, band every wall. If a Las Vegas auberge were to affair itself afterwards Liberace's big-game hunting lodge, it ability attending article like this, abandoned abundant smaller. A added escalator leads to the bottomless restaurant below, anniversary breadth so all-inclusive it may able-bodied accept its own microclimate.
Perched on a annular banquette in the bar, like guests on an African adaptation of GMTV, we fruitlessly approved to bolt the eye of a waitress. In a abroad corner, a accumulation of African musicians drummed gamely forth to the complete system, unheeded. Burly, besuited men with coiled earpieces barrelled around, blubbering into accessory mics; that touch, at least, acquainted authentic.
The cocktail card is subdivided into categories like "Zulu classics" and "Zulu innovations" – who knew Zulu warriors were so addicted of cocktails? – and offers themed gems like Prosecutor's Passion and, at £25 for two to share, Mandela's Guests, a brew of raspberry vodka, argument jam and lychee puree. We approved the Zealaway (£9.50), a peach-flavoured vodka martini which tasted hardly camphorated.
After again bootless attempts to locate our booking, a administrator led us bottomward to our table, through a barmy allowance abounding with groups of six, eight and 12, mostly adolescent and dressed for a big night out. The card swam afore our eyes in the gloom. Phrases like "springbok fillet", "pan-fried kingklip" and "seared ostrich carpaccio" loomed out alarmingly. Broiled meats, adapted over charcoal on the acceptable braai grill, are the capital allure here, forth with Cape-influenced angle and seafood and alien South African game.
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Shaka Zulu - Launch Party Photos and Images | Getty Images | Shaka Zulu Restaurant Dress CodeIgnoring our waitress's advocacy of the broiled ostrich rump, we chose a brace of Cape Malay-influenced dishes, the bequest of South Africa's Indonesian settlers. Cape Malay pickled sea bass tasted mainly of back-scratch powder, as did a capital advance of bobotie – curried chip and sultanas broiled with a buttery egg topping – which supplied the missing articulation amid Coronation craven and lasagne.
From the braai grill, bandage of Red Poll beef, from the Sandringham estate, was breakable but tasteless, assuming no assurance of accepting been adapted over charcoal, and amount a boss £32 (though the card listed it at £28). My acquaintance declared the accompanying monkey gland booze as "Branston with balls" (though it's allegedly gland-free).
For the echt bushtucker balloon experience, we activated ourselves to baldheaded biltong, jaw-achingly chewy strips of broiled meat evoking the capacity of a chiropodist's Hoover bag. Truly a bowl abandoned an expat could love. As was a ambrosia alleged Koeksisters, plaited doughnuts, shellacked in amoroso syrup, which should accept been served with their own ability tool.
Just why the aliment should be so hit and miss, aback so abundant money and adroitness accept been lavished on the place, is puzzling; admitting with 370 covers in the restaurant and several sittings a night, maybe it's inevitable. It's expensive, too. We paid £45 a arch for aliment alone, which added than angled with the admittance of cocktails, a £42 canteen of Southern Right Pinotage 2007 from the heavily marked-up list, and service.
Still, the attenuate white band of restaurant critics bleating about the aliment apparently won't authority aback the hordes of fun-lovers who will alight on Shaka Zulu. Like near-neighbour Gilgamesh, addition massive temple of bling, it is finer critic-proof; a glamorous, escapist experience, area girls can dress skimpily, big parties can bless birthdays, and couples can appear to smooch in the gloom. It may not be the way of the Zulu, but it's the way of the Winehouse.
Shaka Zulu, Stables Market, London NW1 (020-3376 9911)
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Around £45 a arch afore wine and service
Tipping policy: "Service allegation is 12.5 per cent discretionary, of which 100 per cent goes to the staff; all tips go to the staff"
Side Orders: Out of Africa
Jabula
South Pier Rd, Manchester (0151-355 1163)
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Dress Code DSTRKT - London Lux Guestlist | Shaka Zulu Restaurant Dress CodeThe acceptable and affordable aliment on action actuality includes bobotie (£8.95) and acreage bold springbok (£14.95).
Chakalaka
136 Upper Richmond Road, London SW15 (020-8789-5696)
This south-west London eaterie serves dishes including chargrilled ostrich on a potato rosti with chilli jam (£17.95).
Golden Hunter
Northend, Halstead (01787 238331)
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Shaka Zulu nightclub London Camden Guest list Events | Shaka Zulu Restaurant Dress CodeThe reasonably-priced dishes at this family-run alehouse accommodate Peri Peri craven livers (£4.50) and Namaqua red wine lasagne (£9.95).
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