20th August 2008 - Manjar Dos Deuses

Manjar Dos Deuses doesn't look like much from the outside but this restaurant is probably the most local you get in Maputo. It is centrally situated, small and has a basic interior with clean table linen. The interior of the restaurant reminded one of our diners of Austria with its pine bar and ceilings. The restaurant was fairly full for early evening and by the time we left it was packed to the brim with both locals and expats alike. The menu was fairly simple but it was clear when we walked in that the 'Cavoador' was a must, there were several already served to tables. We placed our order of 2 'Cavoadors' to share between 4 of us, a Steak on a Hot Rock and a Frango. The 'Cavoador' can be likened to a mini 'braai' which is placed onto the table top. It has hot coals inside it to cook your prawns, steak or chicken or you can have a combo of ingredients. The steak for both the Hot Rock and 'Cavoador' turned out to be the most delicious fillet steak, it was so tasty and tender - 'deliciosa'! We were also served a plate of fruit: banana, papaya and pineapple to cook on the 'Cavoador' which was very interesting. The side dishes were salad and chips and were of the quality normally served in Maputo. This experience is definately a must, what a wonderful way to share a meal. True social eating! Prices were run of the mill for wines, food and beer at about 700mtns p/head. Manjar Dos Deuses can be found at 162 Julius Nyerere, between Mia Casa and the Polana Shopping Centre but on the opposite side of the road. Its easily seen by the neighbouring building which has a lit up blue and yellow sign and says Teixere ..... or something along those lines!!

11th June '08 - Cristal

We had a wonderful evening laden with surprises! As we arrived at Cristal Restaurant we noticed that they were inundated with crowds on their patio and pavement area. Initially we thought there was no way we would be able to get inside and started to feel disappointment rise, but as we got closer we realised that Cristal has 2 massive screens and were showing the Portugal vs. Czech Republic game of the Euro 2008 and with a 3-1 victory there were lots of victory shouts. This created the most wonderful ambience inside, it was great fun. When we walked into the restaurant it wasn't anything like we expected. It wasn't the typical cafe style restaurant, it was classy with linen table cloths and an upmarket feel. We were served delicious hot bread rolls with butter (which we were billed for, thought this was a little cheeky) and ordered our meal. Only one starter was order - rissois and chamussa, which were really good and for mains we had an interesting selection of meals. We had exotic prawn curries that were different but very tasty, it was a sweet curry. We also had a seafood rice dish which could be described as a Mozambican gumbo. It was made for 2 but was a huge pot of food and our other 2 diners had meat - 1 had a fillet steak and the other a prego steak and both enjoyed their meals. The only item missing from the menu was Mozambique's famous whole/half chicken. Service was good initially but faded away until we had to demand attention. The average price of our main courses was 260MTn. The girls enjoyed a Boschendal Lanoy which was not listed on the menu but available when we asked if they stocked any South African wines. Cristal is well known for its pastelaria which stocks a wonderful selection of breads and delicious pastries, my favourite being the Pasteis de Nata and the bakery stays open until late at night. This was a great opportunity to buy fresh bread for breakfast the next morning.

Cristal is situated on 24 Julho, no. 554 and is easily recognisable by its large bright blue awning. Cristal also has a coffee shop within its pastelaria which makes it a great place to connect for a quick coffee.

12 March 2008 - Escorpiao Restaurant

This is a portuguese restaurant with a large, open dining area, white table cloths and a constant buzz. It is very popular among the local portuguese, which is always a good sign. We had a good meal there: a couple of the guys had a steak on a hotrock that was very good and distinctly different. The seafood was good as always and the wine and beer flowed. Prices were average for Maputo. Escorpiao is situated on Av. 25 Septembro