Marimba Restaurant

Marimba Restaurant Overview

Marimba Restaurant is located inside the Cape Town International Convention Centre – CTICC – and it is easily accessible. The food is a medley of African delights and well known favourites. And the live jazz that accompanies the food makes for a sultry evening that lingers in memory.

The marimba is an instrument that is well known to the Hispanic-American cultures but it is originally an African instrument that made it’s way to the Americas from West Africa on the slave ships. It is similar to a xylophone, but much larger and it produces a deep and rich resonating sound.

Marimba restaurant has very strong ties with African Jazz and it is one of the spots where local jazz artists perform. On our visit we were wonderfully entertained by internationally renowned marimba maestro Bongani Sotshononda and pianist Nelson Malela.

From the a la carte menu we chose a delicious Ostrich Paté and the Pan Fried Chicken Livers which are prepared in a sage and chilli butter sauce. The Ostrich Paté is not as rich as duck or goose, and is served with thin slices of toasted corn bread and gooseberry jam.

For a main course I chose the Mozambiquan Espetada which is skewered and grilled game meat which is gently spiced with rosemary and rock salt. The game available varies – and I was overjoyed it was kudu. I love kudu. It’s low fat and tasty. It’s not an easy meat to grill and if it gets overcooked it gets very dry. Marimba’s kudu did not even need a steak knife! (And the kudu did not taste like marinade either!)

My partner had a “biltong” flavoured beef fillet set on a traditional Xhosa dish called “umgqusho” and served with a Zulu pumpkin fritter. “Biltong” is dried beef jerky – a traditional Afrikaans dish. “Umgqusho” is a dish made of unhulled corn, tomatoes and onions. This is a very South African dish.

An evening meal at Marimba with South African jazz is highly recommended for locals and tourist alike. For regulars and businesses in the area, there is a swanky whisky club to join, a really trendy cigar bar and a lunch menu. The lunch menu is also a great option for tourists to consider while taking a tour on the City Sightseeing bus.

Parking is not an issue at Marimba – as the restaurant offers a flat rate of R20 to their patrons using CTICC parking bays. Obviously when the big conventions are happening, parking and a reservation will be impossible. We suggest always calling for a reservation.