Shaka Zulu Restaurant Review

Even the menu at Shaka Zulu isn’t ordinary. The South African game menu brings together images of a man driving through an African safari and screaming “I’ll have one of everything”.

Inside the restaurant, buried in the Camden Lock Market, intense African displays at Shaka Zulu make the American film Jumanji seem like a real life story; giant wooden warriors guard the perimeter, snakes sit in the rafters and incense comes from the tree trunks holding the place together.

Opened nightly as a bar, restaurant and club, this expansive all purpose space is unexpectedly large and requires the use of an escalator to enter its depths.

I visited Shaka Zulu to try out their newest seasonal feel-good drink based around a natural African supplement called Baobab. This mega nutrient comes from the Baobab Tree, or ‘the tree of life’, a symbolic tree in the African savannah. Baobab is packed full of vitamins C, B6, calcium, potassium and fibre.

The in house mixologist at Shaka Zulu has combined this with Courvoisier vs., Chambord Liqueur, Port, Red Bush Tea, and Cardamom Syrup garnished with cinnamon stick. The result tastes like a refined mulled wine, only healthier.

After drinks, we went down escalator number two into a dark underworld of African Warrior statues and carved wall paintings for dinner. For starters I ordered the crocodile cigars. As a self proclaimed ‘safe’ eater, I figured these would be an easy start.

The crocodile came wrapped in a sort of spring roll pastry and a rich creamy sauce. They would have been quite delicious had I been able to get over the fact that I was, in fact, eating crocodile.

My guest had the ham hock and wildebeest – a tasty pork knuckle pressed into a square with a sweet papaya salsa that could make a monkey beetle taste good! He really enjoyed it and I could tell that the jungle feast was on!

As a main, my guest continued on the adventurous war path with the Zebra fillet, though he half considered chasing down a speedy Springbok or an angry wildebeest (both actual menu options). I continued off the trail and plucked up some safe King Scallops.

For dessert we had brandy pudding and a raspberry trifle, both of which were nice and adequately satisfying but when you’ve sampled a menu as unique as what we’ve had, the final course fell somewhat flat.

As the night grew on at Shaka Zulu, the lights got dimmer, the music became louder, and the smoke (yes smoke) radiating from all corners of the space, intensified. Happy diners stand up from their tables and make their way across the room to the centre bar, ready to dance the night away.

Having tried crocodile and a bite of my guest’s Zebra (which I will admit was fantastic), my adventurous levels are tapped and we made our way back up the escalators into the real world of rain, cold and cell phone reception.

Shaka Zulu is not built for an intimate dinner or a quick bite to eat, it is however, a decent place to come with friends for a fun night out or to show visitors somewhere unique. Adventurous tastebuds required.

 

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