The Royal Livingstone Hotel Restaurant — African / International, Livingstone
The Royal Livingstone is the closest hotel to Victoria Falls on the Zambian side — so close that the spray from the Falls creates a perpetual rainbow visible from the terrace and soaks the garden lawn that zebras and giraffes graze with complete indifference to the human activity nearby.
The dining programme spans high tea (with zebras browsing the lawn as background) through to dinner service on the Zambezi-facing deck, where the river's power is audible and the spray-laden air provides a specific quality of light that photographers and lovers both find irresistible.
The kitchen produces Southern African and international cuisine at the standard that the hotel's position and price point require. Game meat preparations — kudu, warthog, and the regional buffalo — are treated with genuine care; the Zambezi bream is locally sourced and correctly cooked.
The sunset cruise on the Zambezi — with pre-dinner drinks and canapés as hippos surface and elephants wade — is the most complete single dining experience available in Livingstone. Book the cruise as an extension of the dinner reservation.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Proposals
Zebras on the lawn, Victoria Falls audible from the table, and the Zambezi at sunset. The most extravagant natural dining backdrop in southern Africa. The hotel's event team handles everything else.
Best Occasion: Best for Impressing Clients
Victoria Falls. Zebras. The Zambezi. There is no more impressive dining context in the region, and the Royal Livingstone's kitchen and service match the setting.