Harare's best garden restaurants
Long lunches on lawns and under trees, from Rolf Valley to a flower farm in Domboshawa.
Updated Sep 2026
Photo: Oak Tree Restaurant, via Craig R. via Google Maps
A lot of Harare's best-loved places to eat sit in gardens: on the lawns of old houses, in plant nurseries, in club grounds or on a working flower farm. A long weekend lunch outside is one of the pleasures of living here.
These are ten we'd send you to, from family lunch spots to a terraced garden with a cocktail bar. Several close by late afternoon, so check the hours before you set off.
Built with help from Great Zimbabwe Guide, Dontmissmyplate, Foodies 263 and Financial Gazette, who've eaten their way around town. Where they've reviewed a pick, we share what they found and link to their full review.
Oak Tree Restaurant
A thatched restaurant in landscaped gardens with water features in Rolf Valley. The pastas get the most praise, and the menu also covers English breakfasts, grills and Zimbabwean dishes. It's a daytime place, closing at 17:00 on weekdays and 15:00 on Saturdays.
What the reviewers said
Great Zimbabwe Guide reviewed it in Mar 2026
A calm brunch favourite in Rolf Valley, with garden tables under tall trees near a children's play area. The menu runs from cooked breakfasts to lighter dishes, and pancakes are her children's pick.
Read the full review →Luna's Restaurant
Outdoor tables overlook the gardens of Hunters Moon Estate on Ridgeway North, with a fireplace indoors for cold mornings. Order the all-day breakfast or the tagliatelle alfredo, and don't go in a hurry: slow service is the complaint that keeps coming up.
What the reviewers said
Dontmissmyplate reviewed it in Sep 2026
An easy, family-friendly daytime spot with a large seasonal menu and big portions. Her Buddha bowl had good parts that never quite came together; the sticky toffee pudding made up for it.
Read the full review →The Three Monkeys Harare
A green lawn, a pizza garden and a play area in Greendale, which is why so many people make a Sunday of it. Pizza and breakfast are the strong suits; the chicken has drawn complaints about seasoning.
What the reviewers said
Dontmissmyplate reviewed it in Sep 2026
Scenic garden with a water feature; the prawn poke bowl was the surprise hit. The chocolate brûlée was more like a set cream and came with ice cream, which she disliked. Calmer midweek than on weekend nights.
Read the full review →Great Zimbabwe Guide reviewed it in Mar 2026
Attractive lawns and a small lake at the Honeydew Centre, plus a supervised play area. The thick milkshakes were good. She thinks the lake makes it better suited to children over four.
Read the full review →Foodies 263 reviewed it in Mar 2024 · 7.2/10Older review
Service and the lakeside garden setting were the highlights. The chicken nachos were excellent, but the ham and pineapple pizza was let down by dried-out fruit, echoing mixed talk about the food.
Read the full review →Kelly's Kuttings
A café on a working flower farm a short drive past Borrowdale Brooke, with a veranda over the flower fields. Breakfast, seasonal lunches and cake, then you can pick your own flowers and have them wrapped to take home. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
What the reviewers said
Dontmissmyplate reviewed it in Sep 2026
Her favourite outing of the trip: lunch on a working flower farm, then cutting your own bouquet. The French 75 was well made and the carrot and shrimp risotto clever, followed by carrot cake.
Read the full review →Financial Gazette reviewed it in Apr 2025
A lovely farm setting with good service, but lunch was poor: a hard, oily stuffed sweet potato and greasy lamb pitas. A free replacement dish was offered. Cake and coffee were excellent, so she suggests going for tea.
Read the full review →Sabai Thai
A family-run Thai restaurant in the garden of the Plant Plan nursery in Ballantyne Park, open since 2015. Curries, stir-fries, crispy duck and sushi, with heaters on cold evenings. One recent diner found a medium chilli order had no heat at all, so ask for it hotter if that's how you like it.
The Bottom Drawer
A garden café in Belgravia among flowerbeds and old cars, with a trampoline and chickens to keep children busy. The smoked chicken salad is the dish regulars name first. Open weekdays and Saturday daytime.
Bistro Veldemeers
In the grounds of the Italian Club in Chisipite, where the greenery is half the appeal. Avocado toast in the morning, pizza from a proper oven later, and desserts such as pavlova. Open daily until 17:30.
La Parada Bay Noakes
The garden for an evening out: a terraced garden running down to a fountain, two bars and DJs at the weekend. Diners rate the setting above the food, which is decent tapas and grills at a price. No under-18s after 6pm, and dress is smart casual.
What the reviewers said
Dontmissmyplate reviewed it in Sep 2026
You go for the atmosphere: garden, a big bar, a long cocktail list and DJs at weekends. The food is only adequate, with a sprawling menu that strays from the Spanish theme. Service was uneven and it is pricey.
Read the full review →Financial Gazette reviewed it in Feb 2025
A smart, flamboyant setting with a terraced garden, prompt service and a vast cocktail list. The shared tapas platter was fresh, and its smoky chipotle sauce stood out. Paper napkins were the only quibble.
Read the full review →Tongfu Restaurant
A Chinese restaurant in Belgravia with landscaped grounds, a garden patio round a fountain and private rooms for groups. Portions are big and made for sharing; the sizzling calamari, duck and sea bass are the dishes people mention.
What the reviewers said
Dontmissmyplate reviewed it in Sep 2026
Chinese cooking that restored her faith in the cuisine. Go in a group so you can share lots of plates. The crisp duck and a genuinely fiery Sichuan chicken impressed, and the sea bass was the standout.
Read the full review →Moo Ka Thai
Thai food in a Borrowdale West garden, with heaters in winter and a sand pit for children. The wings, green curry and duck bao buns are the orders to know about.
HarareFamily-friendly Harare: restaurants with play areas
Somewhere to eat while the children play, from a pirate-ship playground to a trampoline among the flowerbeds.
HarareWhere to eat traditional Zimbabwean food in Harare
Sadza and everything that goes with it, from oxtail and road runner to goat, tripe and mopane worms.
HarareNew in Harare
Restaurants, cafés and bars that have opened since late 2025.