Shaka Zulu

Impressive decor but food is very average. We ate from the Virgin Experience menu which was a limited selection I believe however the food served was not what was written on the menu and the staff were not knowledgeable about the dishes either. Venue is very big and reminded me of themed restaurants in theme parks. Overall, maybe a bit gimmicky - definitely fo not go if you are expecting authentic South African cuisine. Favourite dish was the spring rolls starter but everything else was nothing to write home about.

I had high expectations but left highly disappointed. The interior of the restaurant is great and the venue is spacious and filled with vibes from music to design however the food is absolutely awful. To be brief, food was definitely average, lacked flavour & as we experienced some underrepresented dishes, overall food is a 3/10.

Had an absolutely awesome time on 30/04/2022. We were seated and wanted tk change tables ao the lovely Jodie helped with this. She consistently had a smile on her face and made the whole experience enjoyable. The other members of staff were also lovely. The service was great- no long wait for any drinks or anything. The food was well cooked and very tasty- all 3 courses! The atmosphere was buzzing and all in all we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We didn't get a chance to stay for the club part so will come back for sure! Thank you to everyone at Shaka for a fabulous evening!

Place was lovely. Good tasting food tasty cocktails, but most of the the setting in which you dine in is incredible! Reason for 4 star is the service charge added on at the end. I find it rude. If we want to tip the waiter we will. But we would not tip the company

Very nice venue spacious situated over two floors. Each floor has a bar area. The decor was fantastic. We were part of large hen party. The food was very nice but the customer service was terrible. I don't know if it was because we were a part of largely group not enough staff. it's a set menu for larger groups. We had to order ahead of the time and we still had to wait a while for our food. Round about 10pm the music is turned up and a saxophone starts playing, it dance time now. It a good atmosphere worth going.

Although the starters were delicious, I felt the portion sizes were small for the price i.e. £12 spring rolls but you only got 3. The main menu was very varied - my son having zebra, my daughter having lobster. The food and drinks came quickly and our waiter was very good. The ambience was amazing with the zulu heritage showing out in force. The statues were beautifully carved with a lot of details.

Had crocodile and zebra, which was delicious. Friendly and helpful service. Interesting decor. Stick lacks attention to detail with a drinks menu which was in deplorable condition, and entrance needs refurbishment. Good dancers and sound quality. Had to wonder around and ask staff for the front desk as nobody was at the front desk. I would recommend if you don't mind little things.

Great service and excellent food. Everything we had was fantastic. The waitress very attentive and the music and atmosphere were great. There was a magician entertaining tables near us (sadly he didn't make a stop at our table) but the diners really enjoyed him (I asked ;) We spent about 212 pounds for 5 adults and a child. We had some main dishes, some appetizers and desserts.

There's a lot to be said about Shaka Zulu and if you read any of the reviews then one of the words that 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.

Hey guys, Its me back with another - KEEP-IT-REAL-REVIEW. DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER PAYING FOR THIS! I honestly should have listened to the prior reviews that I read about this place! Don't get me wrong the place is beautiful and the people are nice but that is about it! I paid 16 pounds for a watered down rum and coke smdh so not worth it. On top of that, the music was basic af. I'm in my twenties and everyone in this club was 40plus! There's nothing wrong with that but I prefer not to party with people close to my parents age. All night, there was annoying ass men trying to talk to my friends and I all night. We couldn't even enjoy the music because the DJ was absolute trash! He literally played three good songs all night! I regret paying for this honestly.... and If I didn't pay I probably would left as soon as I saw the company inside. However, It's a great vibe for someone to rent the place out, it just gets too much with all of the creepy older strangers walking in.

First walking in it's got a great atmosphere, you really feel like you have been transported to Africa. However, food was a slight disappointment - mainly just overcooked and hard to chew meat which was getting cold a little bit too. Also, if you are looking for a place to catch up with friends, this is not the place to be - the music was so loud you can hardly hear each other across the table. Judging by the food, I would only rate this place 2*, but added in the whole decorations and atmosphere maybe this is a 3* experience - still not worth going a long way out to go again tho.

There comes a point, for those unfortunate of us to have experienced it, where service at a restaurant 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.

I checked in to Shaka Zulu about five minutes after my friends, as I was on a later train. The reception manager told me that he had not heard of the name on the reservation. I told him he just checked them in for 815. Finally, after making me wait for several minutes, he used the excuse that our first name was misspelled in order to cover the fact that he was racially profiling us, saying that we matched the aesthetic of a group of people who dined with them in the past and did not pay for their meal. I let them know that I am on holiday for the first time in the country and my friends had an invoice to prove that they paid for their meal, which they should not have had to show in the first place. It was extremely degrading and rude, and I was further insulted by Stefan, a rogue small frame manager with low english acquisition, who forced me to repeat my story several times before telling me I am a liar, that I am wasting his time, and jumped up like he was on drugs and screamed at me, a black woman, threatening to "call security on me and throw me out of there." I have never been threatened to be thrown out of a restaurant in my life. Prior to that, I complained about a booth not having enough room for me to fit my legs through, and his response was literally " What do you want me to do?" Racist bastards! The type of overt racism, violence and gaslighting I faced in this establishment will never be forgotten, as this is a SOUTH AFRICAN inspired restaurant, and yet this was the experience we still faced. They will gladly appropriate African culture and take black money, but will treat the African clientele who support their business with total disrespect and feel as justified and emboldened to enact RACIST policies and policing against POC and get away with it. AVOID!

When I first moved to London I had an extensive list of big name restaurants I wanted to try but like most Londoners, I discovered and came to rely on smaller, more local options. So years later, I'd still not been to Shaka Zulu and my constantly dwindling finances meant that wasn't likely to change. However, my friend Tasha has a Taste Card so we decided to go this past Thursday. Tasha is late for everything so although I was running behind schedule, I didn't think it would matter. Tasha was already there and seated by the bar however, with two Cape Towner cocktails ready. Earlier in the day, I'd been on the Shaka Zulu website and there was a voucher for a 2-4-1 cocktail deal before 8pm so we both signed up - there's four cocktails to choose from and at £11 each, it's a good deal! Don't forget to show your confirmation email at reception as they have to print you a ticket to exchange at the bar. We had two lots of the Cape Towners (gin based) and they were delicious. Our table was for 7pm and at 7:30, we were still waiting with our buzzer. My friend went to quiz the hostess and discovered that we'd basically been forgotten about. However, we were showed to a table shortly after. The restaurant itself is absolutely huge so can handle a big capacity, although it was relatively quiet on this occasion. When we had arrived there was a bit of a din as there was an event - the pre Christmas party showcase (complete with Christmas tree in June!) which was odd! The Taste Card will get you 50% off mains and starters (not any of the large sharing platters) so we decided to push the boat out. I knew exactly what I was going to order, having decided a week before hand. I wanted crocodile and I wanted zebra and nothing would stand in my way. For starters, we both opted for the harissa crocodile (I'd been put off the croc cigars from having read Yelp reviews of them not being very crocodiley). This dish was served cold with a iceberg lettuce garnish. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to being served iceberg at restaurants and dinner parties but the croc was so flipping lovely that I didn't care! It was my first ever crocodile meal and it tasted just like I thought - sort of... Fresh watery? Hard to describe but truthfully very, very nice! Next came the main - my zebra! I love pigs as pets and also as food and definitely now file zebra under the list of animals that cause happiness whether dead or alive! The waitress asked how I wanted this cooked and I wasn't sure, having never had this particular meat. She recommend medium rare and it was perfect this way. I didn't particularly care for the thinly shredded potato that came as the accompaniment (we ordered some kale and peri peri fries to share which were yum) but the zebra was amazing! It had a light, creamy taste and I'd had been happy paying full price (£28) for this dish. We finished up with some chocolate tart which was nice but not particularly special or interesting. When the bill arrived, we saved about £80 with the Taste Card - it came to £50 each, with the puds being full price. We also had one glass of house red which really suited all the food. We then decided to do the rest of our drinking round the corner at 55. The atmosphere in the restaurant was generally quite good but I would have preferred some more obviously African music. The music itself felt quite generic in comparison to the amazing decoration in the place and all the beautiful carving detail (including in the seats, which are heavy and pretty). Shaka Zula definitely didn't disappoint. Although for the full price, it's definitely going to remain a rarity for me. The general exotic feel and grandeur is quite exciting and very much encapsulates the sort of events you think you'll attend all the time before realising the expense of London as an adult. I'd love to go back again soon (maybe with my parents who might splash out for one of those platters...) but on the advice of the bank manager, I'll still be relying on those cheaper local options....

This place is totally empty tonight and they won't let you make a reservation. Yet they require a reservation and say they are booked. Both their website and open table are open, but once you come here, if you are middle eastern, they refuse to seat you. Racist, and rude. And about to go bankrupt. Avoid at all cost this ghostly place. View the photo of their embarrassingly empty restaurant. They must be so humiliated

Went for my mum and dads wedding anniversary! Food and atmosphere was incredible! I had crocodile rolls for starter and I could not fault it at all. Can't remember exactly what I had for main but it was also amazing. Dessert I had the chocolate tart, I would recommend to all chocolate lovers. I will definitely be returning.

I've been meaning to sample the delights of Shaka Zulu for a while, although it's proximity to the excellent Gilgamesh has always been it's downfall, until today. We arrived with no booking and were seated immediately. I'm talking about lunchtime on Christmas Eve so this probably isn't a good bellwether but the place is huge so I'm guessing it has to get pretty busy before you have to book. We kicked off with a couple of servings of biltong. The portion size wasn't huge but the three varieties (droëwors, sliced biltong and chili snaps) were tasty and well presented. For me the whole point of visiting a restaurant like this is to try the indigenous cuisine, having dabbled quite heavily in South African meat dishes in the past I went for the Mouflon Haunch Steak as it was the only variety of may I hadn't previously tried, and very good it was too. I had buttered kale and piri piri fries as sides. The kale was to die for and the fries really hit the spot. Chloe had opted for fat chips and she was green with envy. It's not the cheapest, but the atmosphere and decor are really good and the food was up to a good standard. I'm not sure if I would choose this over Gilgamesh if I was only passing once, but I would certainly alternate between the two if I was in the area regularly.

On the positive side, this place has the novelty factor. If you want to be daring to impress a date (or some mates) then take them here and show off about how you are brave enough to try ostrich, springbok or even zebra. The decor is incredible. There are two floors of carved wooden tables and pillars and it feels like you're eating in an African Palace. For the decor alone this place is worth a visit and if I went again I would go for drinks rather than food. The cocktail menu is pricey but the drinks are satisfyingly strong and there's a Champagne and oyster bar if you're feeling flash. However, if you are at all fussy when it comes to food then you should stay away from Shaka Zulu. Also, it's not ideal if you are an animal lover as all types of zoo animals are on the menu and some would say they're better alive than dead. In fact, the cooking was not the best. Crocodile straws had more pastry than crocodile while the biltong made from some wild beast was hard and salty. Zebra was really really chewy, which made me upset that a zebra had died for this. Take my advice - go to the bar, have a cocktail, look at the food menu and then decide if you're brave enough to stay or whether you want to finish your night in another of Camden Town's fabulous dining establishments. In Camden Town, there are better options for food than Shaka Zulu.

If Disney created a theme restaurant it would look like this. Service operated at glacial speed and the food wasn't worth the wait. If you're unfortunate enough to find yourself here please don't think that you're having an authentic South African experience. London has many very good African restaurants, this isn't one of them.

Great decor, but the compliments stop there. This place has received rave reviews from many people, but it's near enough the worse restaurant I've ever been in. Upon arriving, we handed in our Timeout voucher, and expected things to run smoothly from there. We were given menus and the staff took our orders. 10 minutes later, there was apparently a confusion and we were told that we were given the wrong menu for our deal. Convinced we were on the "lastminute.com" deal, there was no real choice, and we had to opt for 4 cocktails (which was correct), but instead of the two course menu, we could only get a sharing board. After some negotiation, we were told we could get two sharing boards. The food itself was not even average. The seafood had a fish that was too salty. The smoked salmon was decent enough, but requires no work on their part. The crab very fishy and not that great. The meat board was very boring. Just lamb samosas and some crocodile spring rolls. There was no real flavour to this. The cocktails that arrived were okay, but nothing special, and definitely not worth the £11. Basically when you dine here, you're essentially paying for the decor. The staff were perfectly pleasant but there seemed to be all too much confusion. Honestly, if you going to offer multiple voucher deals, make sure you understand YOURSELF how these work. The real icing on the cake was the 12.5% service charge at the end. The voucher clearly stated that this was only applicable on any ADDITIONAL items ordered to the voucher deal. Since we hadn't ordered anything additional, and DIDNT get our expected two course meal, but some cheap sharing boards it left a bad after-taste. One of the waitresses noted our unhappiness and went to get the manager. However it appeared that they seemed to be understanding that they were in the wrong, and we quite rightly were spared the service charge. Honestly, even without the confusion and inability to honour the advertised TIMEOUT deal, the food and drink was nothing special. I will never be back, and would suggest if you want to experience the decor, which is quite stunning, just head to the bar for a quick drink. The food is disappointing to the max and at full price, terrible value for money. One to avoid. Seriously.

You say it's overly indulgent but I think tasty done. Shaka Zulu is one of the biggest south African restaurant, bar & night club in London. Hosting live music and floor shows nightly. Also a souvenirs shop just before go down the escalators. Gratify tribute to King Shaka Zulu covering two large floors. As you go down the escalators your welcome by beautiful wooden carved murals wrap around the wall & ceiling, detail upholstery armchairs & tribal masks. Down stair the escalators again you are marvelled by a cavernous bar, great giant warrior statues, large mosaics table & one wall of selected wines. Top chef cooking "exotic meats" (zebra, ostrich, springbok) fill its premium South African menu which i haven't try yet but will do for my next visit.. BUT... It's all about the drinks or me i had a shark alley cocktail very nice A good selections of wines and also meat cocktails yes... you read right. If you go to the web site like did a pop up page will appeal if you join them you will get a complimentary cocktail, just print and go it's free......

I recently visited South Africa with my wife, to meet the majority of my family for the first time. It was such an amazing experience! So when we got invited to Shaka Zulu - a South African restaurant, with some friends we were really excited to give it a try. The first thing to note is it's size. Split over 2 (possibly 3?) floors, it is vast. It is also part restaurant, part nightclub, so don't be surprised if it ends up being a late night! The menu is quite exciting. From my experience 'braai-ing' with my Cape Town, South Africans do steak exceptionally, and there are 5 steaks available to order here. Ranging from run of the mill sirloin, through to the beastly T-bone; a proper South African steak! We were however, more tempted to try something a bit more exotic. We opted for Wildebeast Ham Hock and Snoek paté to start us off, with Zebra and Crocodile for our mains! We then rounded things off with a trio of African desserts, one of which was Koeksisters, a new favourite of mine. The food was all presented superbly and tasted very nice. So why only 3 stars you ask? Well... Our table was booked for 9pm, pretty late as it is, but we didnt actually get seated until 9.45pm. Our waiter was terse and impatient when we tried to navigate the exotic menu, at one time actually telling me to "just pick something". When we did choose what to eat, it tasted very nice, but we had to take their word for it that we were in fact eating what we ordered. The snoek paté could have easily been smoked mackerel, the zebra was great, but could have easily been beef. You get the picture. You also had to choose your side dishes separately, and pay about £8 each for the privilege! Then there is the price in general. The final meal ended up being £60 per head + drinks! That's a lot of money in my book, but considering how cheap everything seemed in South Africa because of the exchange rate, it was particularly difficult to swallow.

HORRIBLE !!!!! It is my first time in London and my family and I were treated very unfair. The bathroom attendants were rude and money hungry. My cousin was attacked by one of the bathroom attendants because he didn't tip him £2.00. The drinks are over priced !!! £5.00 FOR 1/2 OF A SHOT YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME !!!! They played afro beats alll night long. Like who wants to listen to one genre of music all night long. I do not recommend anyone to come here.

I came here for a corporate event and just yes! It is themed with super cool African prints and tribal decorations... So much so you have bongo drums for seats.. Man this place is da bomb!!!! Literally a case of love at first sight. The entertainment is crazy from break dancing to dancing with flames to girls doing acrobats with hoops.. This place has it all! I didn't really get a chance to sample the food, as we only had standard canapés but I'm so ready to book my return visit.. Ladies, I think I need a girlies night out, who is in?

If you want to impress someone then Shaka Zulu will do just that. The decor is stunning and after a talk by the owner we found out the tiles were moulded from statues in the British museum and some from the Louvre in Paris too! Every detail has been considered, from the handmade fabric on the seating to the tied together straw that you so often see in Africa. They even have a wall made entirely of shells! Can you tell I've been to a lot of galleries and this was one that served food too, an added bonus all round! The food left you wanting more and we were give quite a range. I'd recommend the salmon and biltong for starters and they even have an African version of our Shepherds pie and instead of potato there's a cream mixture, which they cover with mango chutney. Yum! If you're more of a meat lover then they have a really large selection of 'tropical' meats, Ostrich, Kudu and Springbok. I feel pretty bad having seen these animals for the first time on a plate rather than in the wild, but I hate to say it, they were very tasty. The Shaka Zulu invents all it's own cocktails too and make sure you get them to bring you the flaming brandy with berries, it's delicious! I felt the service was good, but on a quiet night they seem to just focus on certain tables, so be careful. There's a cloakroom there, which is useful and a party night on Saturdays. It's a mini Gilgamesh, but I loved it there and this was a great experience all round too. Would definitely go again.

Random place, African theme, quite expensive. Ate in here tonight, the food was good. I had mixed meat to start and spit roast of the day (lamb) for main. The lamb was immense, lovely taste and texture. Drinks were £10 for single JD and Coke and £40 for any bottle of wine. So expensive. Overall the place was nice, staff were helpful and friendly. Think you pay a bit too much for what you get. Wouldn't recommend bit wouldn't deter either.

Interesting place. I would have to agree with the general tenor of some of the other reviews: 1) The place itself is pure eye-candy and a sight to behold; but 2) The cuisine itself is lackluster for the price. Regarding the venue: Carved wood, high ceilings and dramatic lighting all combine to make this restaurant an "African-theme-on-steroids". It's definitely worth dropping by for drinks, or to show a friend something new. Regarding the food: The cocktails are fruity and fun. And the crocodile appetizer was the best thing we ordered. But the other items...basically gazelle and wild bison...were both relatively flavorless, and both accompanied with the same slightly-sweet meat-sauce. To be perfectly honest, I could barely tell the difference between one meat and the other. They could have just as well been steak and lamb, for all I could detect. There was definitely nothing particularly unique about either of their flavor, texture or preparation. I assume it's because it's likely difficult to get 'fresh' game meat from Africa all the way in London. So, that's the basic score. Good location and vibe, but mediocre food that is considerably overpriced. Recommendation: Go for happy hour, order some drinks and appetizers at the bar, and take in the setting. You'll get 90% of the dinner-experience at 20% of the price. And if you want to really try some authentic, well-prepared game-food, use the money you saved to head over to "Rules" in Covent Garden.

Amazing decor!l I am only able to dine here if I purchase a Groupon Voucher (quite expensive but a nice treat). Good service but the only downfall was when I declined to pay the service charge (as it is not compulsory) - the server was constantly asking me why I am not paying for it etc (slightly annoying). Other than the annoying beggar (server) - I enjoyed my food & amazing cocktails!

Took my mum here & had a great time!! The place is awesome. The detail that went into this restaurant is really fantastic. 10 ft statues, African carvings & furniture. Makes for a wonderful night out. Took tons of pics. Bought the groupon deal which is a really good offer & the food was super tasty. Great portions considering it was a deal. My mum was very pleased. Would recommend it 100%!

Huge subterranean exotic meat emporium restaurant.

We went for a groupon meal, the food is amazing I'd say! From starter to desert, as well as the cocktail. And the decor is lovely and exotic, I didn't find anything i don't like about this restaurant so I gave a 5! £46 for 2 with 3 courses and a drink

it took me awhile to figure out what this restaurant reminded me of... Then it came to me - Disneyworld! It is literally like walking in to the South African section of the Epcot center, circa 1988. Every inch is covered in shells, or carvings, or wild prints. And sadly, the commercialization is the main thing that stands out, apart from the poor quality of the food. The staff clearly have a script, and are under a lot of pressure from management to get the script right. The end result was about 20 staff staring at 8 diners, making you feel like a lab rat being studied. Despite the fact that the restaurant, which can seat 800 when full, was almost completely empty, it still took ages to get a menu, and even bread and olives took forever to arrive. On to the food. And no, it doesn't get better. Before we could even finish it, the flat bread was hard enough to use as a lethal weapon. It was served with tasty olives, and a teeny tiny amount of cheese dip. Next was an overpriced, and teeny tiny square of pork belly, in a sweet sauce. It wasn't that bad until you remembered the price. The "7-hour" lamb was a huge disappointment. I have never seen any meat that was cooked on a rotisserie for 7 hours that did not just fall off the bone. We had to saw the meat. The only bright spot was our bottle of wine, and one very nice young bus boy, who may have been the only thing in the restaurant that was authentically south african. All that was missing was the annoying hum of the vuvuzela.

In an ongoing battle to compete with the central London big boys the warrior king Shaka has invaded North London with his warriors in true African style. I came with some friends for my birthday and it is obvious as soon as you enter that no expense was spared, with elaborate décor, carvings and 20ft zulu warrior statues. We had reserved a table and were all very impressed with the look and feel of the restaurant as you are immersed into the surroundings. It immerses you in the same was as The Rainforest Café but with a more raw and adult feel. The venue is set over two floors with the main restaurant area on the lower level. We started off with some Biltong selection, which included salty and spicy dried meat such as smoked buffalo droewors, sliced beef biltong and chilli bite sticks. They were very different to most things i've tried before. Imagine pepperami's with a bit more of a kick! For main course, in order to sample a wider variety of the menu, we all decided to share the King Shaka Game Board. A selection of springbok, chilli boerwors, boerwors, Waterbuck and Zebra with piri piri potato wedges, chakalaka and sheba sauce. The aromas and flavours of the meat were each unique with everyone enjoying what was on offer and having a preference for future visits. My favourite was Zebra so if I come again I'll probably try a Zebra fillet. To wash down the safari we all went with the Cape Town Share, Santa Teresa Claro, Bacardi oakeheart rum, watermelon liqueur, coconut syrup, pineapple and fresh lime juice. All this with a flaming passion fruit skin. Imagine an exotically made fish bowl drink, served in a giant Elephant jug and you've got the right idea! After dinner we headed to the bar area for champagne and dancing. Make sure you've paid your rent as just one round of regular cocktails will set you back over £40. If you love people watching this place is great as both floors are accessed by escalators with bars and dancing areas on both floors. Whoever designed this place seemed to think alcohol and escalators would be an ingenious mix, and it was! Watching people get off the escalators is entertainment in itself with everyone enjoying the show! Overall, I was very impressed with Shaka Zulu, our bank balances weren't, but this is yet another excellent venue making Camden one of the best places to go for a night out with sacrificing your high standards when you don't fancy travelling into Central London.

I feel really bad when people come back from a restaurant I've been to where I personally had a great dining experience and they had a really bad one. It seems Shaka Zulu is one of those places. Reading through previous reviews most of them are either really good or really bad and it is a combination of food and service. It seems to be a place that lacks consistency depending on what day you go and what you order. However this was my second dining experience using a Gourmet Society card and I can honestly say on both visits I had an amazing experience with lovely, attentive service and delicious food. We went there on a Wednesday night and found it to be pretty empty. It didn't bother us at all as we enjoyed the company of the statues and was too 'wowed' by the African carving on the walls of African warriors and animals, beautifully crafted tables and the rest of the luxurious decor. It was a two storey restaurant connected by indoor escalators and big enough to hold two groups of Kizomba dance lessons downstairs which we enjoyed watching as we ate. Although there did seem a shortage of staff, the one waiter guy we kept seeing was awesomely fast paced at getting round to everyone and making sure our needs were met. Couldn't fault on his service either as he was approachable and friendly. We started our meal with Crocodile cigars and Ham Hock and Wildebeest. Our intention on visiting was to try out exotic meats and although that is what we ordered, the starters did not allow us to explore it's original flavour and texture. They were great as they were though. For example the Crocodile cigars came as spring rolls, light pastry and lightly spiced and if they were just originally spring rolls I would have been very pleased. But knowing we're paying double to taste crocodile meat it did fail us as there wasn't enough in there to taste what crocodile is or get the texture. The curry spices also hid it's original flavours. Wish they could find another way of serving the meat. Ham Hock and Wildebeest was more successful as it was more meaty, coarse and generously portioned. The meat was juicy, lean and well seasoned But I still had trouble distinguishing what was pork and what was wildebeest. But if I was judging on the flavour of these starters rather than my intentions they were very decent and tasty and it is only fair to review them that way. For mains we shared a zebra fillet and springbok loin both cooked medium rare as requested. All the steaks were served with shoestring fries and a little side of salad although they were more for decor and texture rather to fill you up as the portion was teeny. As lovely and crunchy the fries were it was just the crisp end. But it was all about the main event and I can honestly say it was one of the best steaks I've had. The zebra was incredibly tender and soft, more spongy in texture compared to beef and sweeter tasting. For a fillet it wasn't very gamey but more delicate in flavour and sweet. Springbok was more firmer probably because it was the loin but I preferred the texture. It was still incredibly tender, effortless to cut with the knife and had a richer deeper meaty taste compared to the zebra. Both were very succulent and cooked perfectly pink inside. I highly recommend both. For those with a big appetite like us it definitely wasn't filling and so for sides we ordered celeriac mash and roast cinnamon butternut. Both were amazing with the butternut beautifully grilled till soft so some of the sugar caramalised. The celeriac mash was also seasoned nicely and creamed till smooth. It had more taste than the usual potato and I much preferred it. For dessert we decided to take the full advantage of trying African cuisine so we ordered the trio of South African dessert. It consisted of a African milk tart but the filling with not as creamy and milky as I would have liked it. It was quite actually dense and rubbery. More successful was the koeksisters which resembled very much like a Turkish doughnut with it being coated in syrup, spongy, sticky and sweet. The last dessert was more a African cocktail made from icecream mixed in Kahlua to give that coconut essence. The alchohol could have been stronger but that's my personal preference. I do love coconut and ice cream so enjoyed it nevertheless. Altogether the dessert platter was average but it was nice to get a taste of what African dessert is. I would highly recommend Shaka Zulu as a place everyone must visit at least one. Of course I do hope everyone experiences the same level of quality of food and service as we did that evening but just for the amazing eye catching decor it has to be visited. I would advise everyone to stick to the steaks as they did not disappoint. There is usually a 50% offer on Toptable across mains made available to everyone because without it the damage can be quite bad. But this is no ordinary restaurant and definitely one I put on the 'romantic' and 'birthday' venue list.

Food was good - personally I would say 8/10, a bit on the pricey side but it's central London so what do you expect!! The service was excellent, we had a lovely tattooed lady who was super helpful and very friendly. Cocktails were massively overpriced and very weak. They tasted like Capri sun. £11 each and they are 80% ice!!! The décor is AMAZING, and they had African singers/drummers/dancers which was really entertaining. Overall better experience than Gilgamesh which is next door and even more pricey! Chocolate tart desert was OUT OF THIS WORLD and was worth every penny - about 850 of them I seem to recall!

I don't understand the negative reviews here. Yes, it has a kitschy decor, but, what do you expect from a place named "Shaka-Zulu"? I mean, come on. If it were named "Space Rocket Cosmos Diner" you'd expect an overindulgent spaceship theme. It's the same thing. Much more important: the food. We ordered the soft shell crab appetizer, which was fairly large and quite tasty, and one of the massive King of Something Or Other platters: two kinds of sausage, and zebra, waterbuck, and springbok steaks. The meat was all really good -- and not gamey in the way you might expect. The flavors were distinct, but surprisingly mild. The zebra was probably a bit overdone (not that I would know - I'm not a lion; I don't eat zebra on a daily basis), but I could eat springbok all day the way they cooked it. It's expensive, no doubt. But not more so than one should expect, given the menu. And we carnivored it down with a really interesting rhubarb martini and a nice merlot. We went on a Wednesday night: the place was almost empty. But this is a feature, not a bug. We were 20 minutes late for our reservation, and they couldn't care less. There were plenty of people in our small section of the restaurant, and it was quiet enough to talk comfortably. This restaurant would make a good spot for a fancy, mid-week date.

I've always been hesitant with restaurants that have so many Groupon deals or even simulataneous Groupon, KGBdeals, TimeOut deals, etc, etc. I had £50 Red Letter day voucher which was meant to be a credit towards my bill. Instead I got some lame 3-course set menu. Firstly, they "lost" my reservation. Then we got pestered by 2 waiters to select our courses. We were happily enjoying our pre-dinner drinks, until the one waiter must've gotten fed up and said we HAD to place our order because it'll get busy later. Isn't a restaurant meant to get busy? Our starters came within 5 minutes of the waiter taking our order. It felt as if the chef just wanted to clear the food off a conveyor belt. The rest of the food came just after my last bite making me think that 'voucher-customers' have food sitting on warming racks in the kitchen. As a South Aftrican, there was nothing South African about the set menu. I didn't even want the set menu...I was meant to go ala carte!!! Very disappointing. Shame on you for being unproudly south african!

They say it's the biggest African-themed restaurant in the world... Well, I have to say it's probably true ! One of the most amazing venues I've ever been to, set in that crazy location that is Camden. There is not one single wall that is spared here, it's nothing but carved wood, shells arranged in nice patterns, and 4 meter high statues of Zulu warriors. I had not had that feeling since I was in Carnivore, the famous restaurant in Nairobi. The food itself was delicious, starting with crocodile fingers (much like elongated nems) served with very tasty sauces. We then had great mains, with beef Popotie (almost as good as my Zimbabwean's line manager makes it...) served with Malay rice and some chutney, and a springbok fillet. That wild meat was simply delicious, cooked to perfection, with a very delicate liver texture, yet a distinctly different yet subtle "African" taste to it. It blended nicely with the peppercorn sauce, along with a side dish of Morogo (kind of spinach), and peri-peri fries. I have to say, the only let-down is the service. Even though they were all very nice and professional, the fact that we had four waiters probably made our dinner unnecessarily lengthy, and the communication between them was not really great. Anyway, I'll be back there, it's simply a unique atmosphere !

Verdict: A decent restaurant when longing to be in Masai Mara while you are in London's Camden Town! Pros: - What amazing venue and ambiance largely due the elegant and lavish décor and design. - Spacious and grand. - Unusual and exotic and imho opinion exciting menu or meat on the menu. - The lounge. Cons: - I for one expected more gamey-taste. As Scandinavian I am quite used to moose, venison and wild boar tasting gamey! - Price. But I guess a big chunk of it goes to cover the cost of this grand decor. - Separate and overpriced sides!

I think it was a good attempt on making a big themed restaurant like this but it was way too gimicky. I'm surprised they didn't sell t-shirts and other things you'd expect at a theme restaurant similar to the hard rock cafe/ planet hollywood/ rain forest cafe. I think it was a good attempt but it definitely felt like you were at Disney and waiting for a stage show to come on. The food wasn't terrible but it tasted like it was mass produced, frozen and microwaved on your plate. The lamb samosas were okay but given all the places around London this was nothing special. I ordered lamb and it wasn't bad but it came out luke warm and very underwhelmed. The donuts were the biggest disappointment. I was expecting it hot but it turned out to be cold and gooey which made me wish I had gone to Krispy Kreme instead. Overall, wouldn't recommend it unless you have a toptable or groupon type of discount. It is however a decent place to go with a large group as they can accommodate groups 8+ easily.

Hey guys, why only 1 or 2 stars? Maybe my notorious good fortune on culinary expeditions has struck again, but I actually very much enjoyed my two experiences of Shaka Zulu. Yes, its themed and gimmicky but done so in a rather stylish way. If you like your restaurants and food understated however, Shaka Zulu is definately not for you :-) Call me shallow but I was rather impressed when the waiter told me they spent 5 million pounds just on the interior decoration. The prices are a little hefty, but with a special deal (I had the groupon deal) it was definately worth it. Maybe I m a little biased because I m always deliriously happy to see some exotic meat on the menu? I had a try of the venison tartar and the ostrich carpaccio, which were lovely, followed by a taste of the springbok filet (lovely) and the zebra which my friend ordered which however was a little like any odd schnitzel and thus a little disappointing. We finished the evening with a roibush creme brulee which was unexpectedly cold but delicious and the dessert milkshake (which is a novel idea but somehow a little weird). Staff was attentive and the restaurant was rather empty. On my return visit I just tried the ostrich burger from the bar menu which was nice enough, whilst my friend ordered the fish bar platter (for 15£ which seemed rather reasonably priced) which however was nothing special. So if you are looking for a cool location with a bit of an exotic feel and like to try some food thats a little bit different, then Shaka Zulu might be right up your street.

This place is fun times. It's kitschy as hell, but that's kind of the point. Disneyland? Yeah sorta. It would be weirder if the clientele wasn't super-diverse. We came on a Wednesday night and it was pretty dead, but quiet and with attentive, unpretentious service. I had three meats I hadn't had before: zebra, springbok and waterbuck. They were surprisingly mild and tender. I'm not sure I'd wait in a long line to get in, but it's a great date spot. There's tons to talk about, good food and reasonable prices -- especially given how expensive the weird meat must be. Plus, you can say you ate zebra.

I love the atmosphere here. The decor is lovely and its a great place to have an event that does not involve the food. Besides that theres nothing else to it. The food is just not good. Came for bday party and had to pay to get in even though we were on the guest list. Overrated! The end.

Rainforest Cafe has more authenticity than this place. The decor was clearly stolen from the mind of someone who has no idea what Shaka Zulu, Africa, or food is. The service was so extremely bad. I sat 40 minutes before the server came over. They didn't have water. So a cocktail it was. When I started drinking my cocktail, I found out they in fact had water. The bartender either forgot to add alcohol or used his own urine to dilute my drink. It was awful. The food. Didnt have it. At this point I just left - hungry and disturbed. Want to flush your money down the toilet? COME HERE!!!!

This place represents the worst in prefabricated pseudo-African tat. Amme is spot on with her comparison to a Epcot Center restaurant. My BF and I thought it felt like something out of Las Vegas. Either description meant that we were too old and not young enough to enjoy this ambiance and it was clearly out of place in Camden. The restaurant is way too large for the number of diners booked, making it feel especially cavernous. Despite there being less than 50 people in peak dinner hour, it took ages to be seated and wrong dishes were brought to the table at least twice. The food itself was horrible and unbelievably overpriced. The staff manipulated us into getting an extremely expensive "Taste of Africa" menu that was advertised as having four courses but only really seemed like three, as the restaurant had the nerve to count the dried beef jerky snack known as biltong as an actual course. Pathetic. Similar to Amme, I was also disappointed in the overdone 7-hour lamb as main course. It was so chewy I actually couldn't tell what type of meat it was. I finally worked out that the 7 hours referred to the amount of time the meat had been left out to dry on the warming plate, not the length of time it had been cooked. My BF was also aghast that the small portion of lamb was served without a side - another shameless way this restaurant baits its dinners into adding to the already overpriced meal. I was told during my unusually long wait for our table that the restaurant has been open for only a month. I would be surprised if this tourist trap in a non-touristy area is open for more than a year.

Shaka Zulu tries to be a restaurant and club and as a result, both elements suffer. I had an office party here and I think we went for a fairly budget set menu so perhaps the a-la-carte menu offers better quality. Nonetheless, food wise everything was average. I had a three course meal and opted for smoked salmon to start, lamb for the main and a chocolate tart for dessert. The smoked salmon tasted like it was just from a supermarket. the lamb was very decent but unspectacular, likewise for the dark chocolate tart. Towards the end of the meal (2230ish maybe?) they cranked the music up and it essentially turned into a club. It was completely the wrong crowd level for the volume of music though (and continued to be throughout the night). Music was, like the food, decent - generally popular electronic songs from the last 10-15 years with the odd bit of rap/pop thrown in and a weird christmas mash-up for the last 30 minutes. All that being said, I had a really fun night. The decor is gaudy and ott but definitely interesting and certainly a talking point. Our night started with a drinks reception at the upstairs bar which had a chill vibe. I wouldn't ever be brave enough to suggest this as an option for fear of others not enjoying it but if you find yourself here, you'll probably have a good time.

This restaurant came highly recommended by South African and they passed on a Groupon offer on the set menu. Tucked away in the bustling stables market in Camden there is a small entrance where an escalator takes you down to an extravagant African themed restaurant that covers 2 floors. The staff are all eager to tell you the interior is all imported from Africa and predominantly hand carved etc, it was really surreal being surrounded by so much detail. When we ordered our food the waitress kindly explained some of the dishes and she seemed polite enough. We asked for a jug of tap water about 3 times during the meal and finally the 4th time we were lucky. The food was tasty, our starter of soft shell crabs was delicious but served on the smallest dishes imaginable for what reason I have no idea. For mains I had steak and chips and by boyfriend had the Bobotie which from the description scared me (mince meat with custard topping), but when I tried it I had food envy! Dessert was ok, I had a doughnut thing which I was really excited about but it was stodgy and I wasn't keen on the lime drizzle on it. Overall it wasn't bad considering the saving we made with the Groupon. However I felt a bit rushed through our food, as soon as my boyfriend finished his plate was taken away regardless of the fact I was still eating which I think is rude and makes you feel like they want you to hurry up and leave. Then when we had finally finished everything we waited for ages to get someone's attention to settle the bill because usually with a Groupon you still have to pay for service charge. Once we did speak to someone they said we could just leave. You'd think leaving a restaurant would be easy, here it's not! Leave where you came in? No. We did however find the gents loo for my boyfriend. While I was waiting for him looking for the exit sign, a manager came up to me to tell me I needed to pay the service charge. Good job we could find our way out. Not sure I'd pick to come here again, but I won't mind if someone suggested it.

I was part of a group of 10 Qypers who were invited for a evening meal at Shaka Zulu, and the restaurant lived up to my expectations in terms of the splendid decor inside! It seems like no expense was spared to make it a destination, with intricate carvings decorating almost every wall and even a row of floor-to-ceiling warrior statues. Inside, the restaurant is split over two massive floors, with bar and restaurant areas on both. We were treated to an assortment of starters and mains. Particularly recommended is the Cape Malay pickled fish, which was a mouthwatering mixture of fresh sea bass with lots of spices for flavour and tantalising sweet-sour combination that was a great starter. From the mains, do try the meat sample board, if you can afford it! At £70, its not cheap, but you do get 900g of meat (enough for 2-3 people), with a selection of springbok, kudu, and ostrich meat as well as boerewor sausage. Shaka Zulu is not just about food however - we tried a sampling of cocktails from one of their mixologists - and the unique concoctions were refreshingly good. However, we decided to fool around and playfully mixed two of the cocktails into one - and found that we had created a punchy new number! Shaka Zulu is a great destination if you're looking for an exciting night out of great food, drinks, and an amazing theme dining experience. Reviewed by The London Insider http://www.london-insider.co.uk/2010/12/review-shaka-zulu-south-african-restaurant-camden/

Having only opened a year and a half ago, Shaka Zulu is creating all kinds of impressive names for itself after winning Best Interior Design Award at the London Bar and Club Awards 2012, and being named Prestige Events Coolest Events Venue in 2011. But this simply wasn't enough for those at Shaka Zulu, and they've decided to go one step further with a new offering uncannily entitled The Meat Bar, serving, among other delights, some very taste bud tickling Meat Cocktails! London's meatiest tipples look set to become the newest and hottest trend of the year. The first of the bizarrely amazing concoctions is a modern twist on a classic - The Bloody Bacon, which is made from a 24 hour mature Bloody Mary mix (a Shaka Zulu speciality) and bacon vodka, garnished with celery, crispy smoked bacon and a skewer of soft cheese and cherry tomatoes. Another totally unique cocktail featured is the Meatequita, a blend of tequila reposado infused with chorizo, vegetable juice, balsamic vinegar, smoked sea salt pepper and port, which is then served either straight up or, for the real meat lovers, with beef biltong strips and chorizo. Fish lovers in attendance can sample the Wheeling Salmon, made with smoked salmon-infused vodka with lemon pepper and ice, and served with a host of traditional martini accompaniments including smoked salmon, stuffed baby red peppers and olives. Each of these delicious drinks has been lovingly crafted by Bar Manager extraordinaire, Tony Safqi. The interior of this unique nightspot transports you straight to the heart of South Africa, with its 20ft Zulu Warriors and carved wooden murals that cover every inch of Shaka Zulu's walls and ceilings. If you mix this with the enthralling taste of meat cocktails, you quickly enter a surreal world of flavours, senses and sights. Who said meat was just for eating?

I visited this place along with many others as part of a corporate 'showcase' event. Having never been before I was a bit taken aback by the decor and the entertainment. The 'Africanness' of the place was so over exaggerated and gimmicky, like if the film King Kong decided to open a theme park restaurant this would be it! The canapes were average, as were the bland cocktails, and when a South African drum group (for want of a better description) came on and told us to grab a drum and start beating on it... one, two...one, two...I was done! I get the African tribal looking dancers they were pretty cool and impressive. I kind of get why they got people to dress up as wild life, they looked like they just walked off the set of The Lion King production....who doesn't love The Lion King...positive associations to help you spend more money. But people banging on drums...waaay too whack for me! Verdict: Overpriced tourist attraction. If you like that kind of thing, knock yourself out!

Firstly, we arrived and were only 1 of 3 parties there, yet were asked for our drinks 20 minutes after sitting down. They messed up the order. Then we ordered our food, the starters took just over 1 hour to come out, the chicken wings were cold and tasted cheap and awful. There were 7 workers all stood at the bar at one point when we were waiting to be served, and when you try and talk to them, they are hard to understand or they dont understand you. One woman walked away whilst my mum was talking to her which was so rude. The chicken main made my mum unwell for the following few days whereas I had the steak which tasted off. The worst service and food I have ever experienced and considering I paid an £80 bill, I was disgusted. I asked the waitress to take the service charge of just under £20 off and she threw the receipt at me! I am gobsmacked at the restaurant and will be telling many people about the disgusting customer service my family received.

Like its Babylonian cousin upstairs, Shaka Zulu aims to be the least-subtle of experiences, and it succeeds delightfully! Upon entering (past the drumming chap standing in the doorway - what the hell was the interview process for that gig?) we were treated to an odd little dance of being seated in a waiting area before immediately being sent to the cloakroom, and then following what you could only describe as a table guide down the escalator and to our table. Any bewilderment at the complicated procedure though gets forced from your brain amid the rich visual tapestry in front of you - carved wood panelling on the walls, interspersed with tapestries, bronze scupltures of warriors and animals, and various other stuff to make you go "wow". We'd booked in with the Taste of Africa menu: a 4-course affair which served well to circumvent any indecision, whilst providing a nice wide-spectrum of the restaurant's capabilites. Whilst nibbling on the supremely tasty Shraak bread & goreme, and quite a decent shaved biltong with Masai Mara style sauce, we pondered the authenticity of the place, and came quickly to the conclusion that it wasn't striving for any sense of authenticity but rather going for the mediated experience. And with the Ladysmith Black Mambazo soundtrack, the phrase "Lion King Disneyland" seemed to apply quite nicely. As the waitress brought out the Cape Malay pickled fish, we half expected her to be followed by a line of tapdancing warthogs singing Hakuna Matata, however the sarcasm soon gave way to lots of "Mmmm"ing - far more than anything with the words "pickle" and "fish" in the title have ever elicited from my lips. Fingers. Whatever. We accompanied our very tasty 7 Hour Spitroast Dorper Lamb with a Very nice bottle of South African Bordeaux blend: the temptation was there to go with one of the many Graham Beck wines or the fairly stiffly priced but yummy Kanonkop Pinotage, but it turned out perfectly as it was. We'd ordered some Piri Piri Fries to go with the lamb in a small gesture of semi-smug ridiculance, but as it turned out it was a good idea. And they were bloody tasty. The music by now had inexplicably journeyed through clichee country, via some South African RnB nonsense, and come back to Ladysmith Black Mambazo again. Finishing off, I had difficulty picking the subtle flavour change of the Rooibos Brulee, but that was possibly because I'd been drawn into the dessert cocktail option of the Rum Blazer: a visually impressive taste explosion, which featured blazing cinnamon and rum-infused berries. I know this place only opened in August, and I briefly wondered how many Rum Blazers had been served in the downstairs part of the restaurant as I saw the barman's assistant nervously eyeing the flames from the cocktail licking towards the ceiling. It seems unfair to downgrade the place for its "facadeyness", when it makes no pretensions about being other than what it is. And it was very nice indeed. But I can't give it full marks because it didn't install itself in my brain as an "oh my god, I've GOT to come back here" place. And, I guess, just that Disneyland feel made it a bit discomforting (as if to ram that particular point home, a group of girls sitting near us had elected to walk around and have their photos taken with all of the statues, which prompted me to wonder what time the choreographed wildebeeste stampede might mercifully take place). One final thing: Shaka Zulu is similar to Gilgamesh in many ways, and many of those ways are excellent, but inevitably one of those is that they're similarly pricey. Definitely one to do your research on, rather than rocking up for a casual meal.

Well, many people have heard of the newest and largest African restaurant in London. Opened amid much fanfare the venue holds up to 850 diners and cost £5.5 million to create. The first time I went here there were a few teething problems, mainly the card readers didn't work and staff seemed a little out of their depth. On revisiting last week I was pleased to note that there was a huge improvement! The decor is the first thing you notice on descending the escalators into the basement venue. Tiny shells cover the walls and wooden statues stand sentry over many areas. The legend of Shaka Zulu is one of a great Zulu chief and lends gravitas to the quirky decor and theme. The upper level comprises two bars and casual seating areas for drinks at the Oyster bar or bar food. Downstairs the full menu is served in the Braai Restaurant, with an open kitchen window letting you see the buzz of chefs in action. My friend and I had already tried some mixed Biltong pieces upstairs before deciding to stay for dinner. Blitong always put me off, but this was ok, if not a taste sensation. Once ensconsed at a table for two on thrones to make a chieftain jealous, we perused the extensive menu. We both chose the 7 hour spit roast lamb with cumin salt on a bed of chakalaka and amasi (grated vegetables ) with a type of tasty jus (£16.50). This was great, the lamb was flavoursome and loved the gravy. We added a side of Msamba for £4.75 ( spinach, tomato, onion and peanut salad)and peri peri fries for £2.95 - delicious! For dessert I ordered a type of twisted doughnut with two dishes of syrup and sugar but I found it a little stogier than I would have liked. A windhoek beer was light and different to go with dinner. Next time I'd like to try a tasting dish with ostrich and springbok. The menu is a bit pricey, so it's best for a romantic date or for a special occasion. Best bits: the patchwork colourful chairs in the upstairs bar, the coloured lights on warrior statues and vast array of bottles around the lower floor bar. Worst bits: not good for tight budgets, takes a lot of people to get really crowded, not all food to my liking. Basically, it's adventurous, brash and totally different, you will either love it or hate it, but make sure you try it!

Going down under the market I was unsure what to expect from Shaka Zulu. I was pleasantly surprised at how warm the restaurant felt for such a large space, and more surprised to learn there was a second floor down. The upstairs seems to have a feel of a more casual meet up area and the downstairs with the large circular tables a great space for dinner with many friends. It found it very reminiscent of the carving extravagance found upstairs at Gilgamesh but with an African theme, though the 2 restaurants are not owned by the same people. I was unsure what to expect from food that was South African as I have never been. I found to my surprise it can be spicy, which makes me happy, and is very flavourful. It seems the restaurant has taken in all of the influences that make up cuisine in South Africa, which means the menu contains some unexpected options such as pickled fish. As others have said vegetarians my not appreciate the menu but as a meat eater there will defiantly be lots to consider. No matter which meat you order you can expect it to arrive perfectly cooked, this is something the Shaka Zulu excels at. I couldn't decide which was better the ostrich or the spiringbok, both tender and full of flavour with not a bit of toughness to them, add a side of the tasty peri peri fries - Fantastic! Staff were very welcoming and service was friendly. I look forward to visiting again and trying some more new dishes!

Shaka Zulu is a fairly new South African restaurant located in Camden Market and I was one of the lucky Qypers invited to sample their menu. It was the first time that I had tried South African cuisine and I was not disappointed. The tasting menu was a journey through the different flavours that define SA cuisine not that I know much about SA food but there were several SA Qypers who attended the event and confirmed that the dishes were indeed genuine SA grub. We were treated to several starters and then a grand finale of Braai meat board featuring ostrich, springbok, kudu and boerewors, my personal favourite being the kudu. Althogether a great evening and I enjoyed the different flavours and types of meat I was introduced to. Sadly, I had to leave early so I missed dessert and, judging from what I heard the next day, a quite spectacular round of cocktails. I would be happy to go back to Shaka Zulu; the interior is stunning, they have a large bar area and the food is well suited for either those who would like to try South African cuisine or expats who are pining for a bit of springbok.

This is slice of Las Vegas in Camden market. Yes, they are trying to be authentic but the over-the-top decor and scale of everything does add to a certain unique experience that isn't possible to create elsewhere. If it was more tasteful and toned down it just would be a themed restaurant. However, this place is big and bold. I first went on my birthday after being won over by 'sleb-dropping with the obligatory Amy Winehouse visit PR and such awful reviews that warranted me to prove them wrong and check it out. I also wanted to see why they spend a zillion pounds (approx) in creating this place. As an adventurous eater (or a 'Gastronaut' as I like to call myself) the birthday meal and the Press night I went to both involved some Southern African delicacies of various random fish/meat/veg. It's eccentric and interesting and almost validates the super high prices. The drinks menu is also over-priced but I guess they need to recoup some of $$$'s spent on the most impressive Vegas-style restaurant, since the also awesome-but-expensive pan-Asian Gilgamesh opened next door. Both gimmicky restaurants, but fabulous gimmicks. It's great for a different experience when Pizza Express just doesn't do it. Psst speaking of Italian and OTT restaurants, I've heard rumours that a final underground super-space in the redeveloped Stables Market complex will house a Venetian themed mega restaurant. I can only hope in involves a themed Italo-operatic-art-affair where you'll be greeted the San Marco marble lion, Venetian mask wearing staff and a Gondolier will float you to your table. If this doesn't happen then I'll return back to see warrior Shaku Zulu and enjoy some more biltong and braai, this time for Africa.

We have the most A-mazing night here on Saturday!!! My mum has been here before and we went back for a b-day treat, three floors of intricate south african design carvings, escalators and large bars, the loo's are something else?! Lol It's def a once a year visit for us being that the prices are pretty high but your paying for a whole experience, we have a shared sea food starter which arrived as two tiered platter of oysters and massive clams mixed with prawns, cockles, sauces, winkles (how cute even though not my fave) and swirls of liquid nitrogen and stacks of ice to keep it all cool and fresh and looking pretty impressive. We tried the capaccio which is a type of south african deer? Really good! Highlights were trying my husband's Zebra! I think it tasted somewhere between pork and steak and you actually probably wouldn't know really but it's all about novelty here, the south african dancing and singing throughout the restauraunt, the Shark Ally cocktails and most of all this fab after dinner drink which name slips me but blew your socks off and comes with a waiter who explains it and turns it into an event, Later it turns into a club and fills up with the young and beautiful looking fab and we admired from a far and took our pretty tipsy arse's home!