Dinner At Ritzi’s

Perched over the harbour like some sort of over-sized birds nest Ritzi’s Restaurant, with its sheer glass walls and ambient veranda, has arguably one of the best views of Lüderitz. Walking into the establishment on a summer evening when the sun is just setting and casts warm rays through the wall of windows whilst the deep aquamarine coloured interior perfectly matches the sea beyond the windows. So it’s easy to see why Ritzi’s is one of the most aesthetically pleasing venues in town, but how does the food measure up to all this visual splendour?

Ritzi’s emphasis is not on ‘the fancy aspect’ of food (think miniscule portions and artfully drizzled sauces) but don’t let that put you off, on the contrary the menu is a wholesome and filling mix of seafood, white and red meat with side dishes of chips, vegetables (or ‘veggies’ as they are described) and salads. Furthermore, following the restaurant manager’s proud philosophy that ‘you pay for the food not the scenery on your plate’ customers are given healthy sized portions with the sauce on the side, allowing you to artfully drizzle to your hearts content if you so wish. The following three course menu is a taste of what Ritzi’s offers;

Breaded mushrooms cooked with bacon and melted cheese- I am a huge fan of mushrooms but they are unfortunately not that readily available in Lüderitz so I am very excited to have a plate of them set in front of me. The mushrooms themselves are fat and juicy whilst the slices of bacon on top of them give the whole mouthful a delicately smoky taste. However the melted cheese which covers the dish tends to overpower the overall taste and perhaps make it slightly greasy.

Escargot with sweet chilli and garlic sauce- The escargot itself is of good quality and the sauce with a healthy amount of garlic and sweet chilli gives the dish a nice bite. A good starter, that could only improve by preparing it with slightly less oil.

Lemon and herb pan-fried kingklip served with Greek salad and rice- recommended by the manager himself this dish is fairly light and tasty equivalent to the heavier meat based dishes. The kingklip, fresh from one of Lüderitz’s own fish factories, is lightly battered and is perfectly complimented by the cool garlic mayonnaise sauce that it is served with. I am not normally much of a fan of fish but the fillet that I am served is neither too salty nor too sweet, although it could perhaps do with being slightly more crispy. The Greek salad is also pleasantly simple and fresh and the feta cheese, which presumably makes the salad ‘Greek’, is soft and creamy.

Gemsbok stuffed with smoked Springbok, onions, mushrooms, garlic and cheese. Served with chips and veggies- this dish is found under the name chefs special, which raised high expectations. Served in a healthy portion, 9 out of 10 times this dish will leave you with a doggy bag to enjoy the next day. The filling is rich of taste and blends in well with the gemsbok, although the gemsbok it self is slightly dry and could use a bit of gravy.

Waffles with vanilla ice cream and a hot brandy sauce- I have an incurable sweet tooth so when the waffles arrive I am already quietly drooling. Both of the two golden brown waffles are topped with a scoop of ice cream and a glace cherry which, unfortunately, makes them vaguely resemble a certain part of the anatomy. However the waffles are crispy and sweet and set off the smooth taste of the ice cream whilst the sauce, the ingredients of which I am told are a deadly secret, is a curious mixture of sweet and sour tastes, giving the whole dish a bit of an edge.

Deep fried ice cream- Deep fried ice cream is ice cream packed in very thin dough. This is deep fried leaving a nice crust with still frozen ice cream inside. Covered in caramel this is one of Ritzi’s specialities when it comes to desserts, and it’s for a good reason. Deep fried ice cream is a nice combination of ice cream with the nice texture of the crispy dough. A recommendation for anyone who’s planning on visiting Ritzi’s!