Shaka Zulu | Review

Shaka Zulu, London’s largest South African restaurant, is notoriously known for its lavish interior, live music and exotic meat. So when Russell and I were invited down to the two floor restaurant and bar, located at The Stables Market Camden, and were both pretty excited. 

 

Having never eaten at Shaka Zulu before we wasn't sure what to expect, however rave reviews from my sister put our minds at ease - she's a picky vegetarian, so hearing praise from her doesn't happen very often.

After going down an escalator from the main road we were greeted with floor to ceiling carved wooden murals and a collection of 20ft high warrior statues. To say the decor is impressive is an understatement - there really isn't anywhere else in the city that can compare. 

We were seated near the main bar and could easily see the busy open kitchen downstairs churning out food. The soft blue lighting gave the place a relaxed vibe - sitting at our table with a cocktail listening to upbeat music and admiring the South African woodwork made us completely forget we were in the middle of busy Camden. For the evening, we were on holiday!

We chose off the Warrior Menu, which was reasonably priced at £29.95. Alongside options such as beef sirloin steak and red snapper the restaurant also offers game meats such as Kudu, Ostrich, Springbok and Zebra all from Namibia.

 

As we tucked into a sharing starter board of Chermoula poached salmon, wild boar & ostrich terrine, mini lamb samosas and garlic flat breads, a live singer started performing well known hits. Usually Russell and I aren't a fan of being sung to whilst eating, however the singer was really laid back and filled our evening with laughs and jokes. The atmosphere in the restaurant is hard to explain, but we both felt uplifted and relaxed (which could be down to our cocktails and the bottle of red we ordered to accompany our main course).



Russell then enjoyed the beef steak, which was cooked to absolute perfection, whilst I opted for the Ostrich fillet with red wine jus. Surprisingly, the meat was extremely tender and the rich jus added much needed moisture to the dish. 

 

It's worth noting there was a supplement for both dishes, and sides were needed at an additional price- I'd recommend the roast cinnamon butternut squash as a sweet accompaniment to meat dishes.



For dessert we enjoyed sharing mini dark chocolate tart, coconut panna cotta and melktert (similar to a strawberry cheesecake). By the end of the meal we were absolutely stuffed!

If you're looking for an evening full of fun then this is the place for you. We could have spent a few more hours at our table drinking cocktails, listening to the live entertainment and admiring the artwork. Unfortunately as it was a Thursday we had work the next day so couldn't get too merry - I'd suggest visiting on a Friday or Saturday evening and making the most of the bar downstairs.