Amanzi is an authentic taste of Africa on the Cornish coast in Falmouth. Sarah Clarke grabbed a table for two at this bonhomie restaurant
I fell in love with Amanzi, a South African restaurant based in Falmouth, after being introduced to it by my other half Matt. It’s totally quirky and like no restaurant I have experienced before and after visiting numerous times I decided it was time to shout about it on Cornwall Life.
You enter Amanzi from busy Arwenack street in Falmouth and you’re immediately welcomed with a warm and cosy vibe combined with a sense of adventure. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with intricate wooden statues of African animals, lots of zebra and leopard print and the cutest salt and pepper pots! In the summer there is a colourful terrace for dining al fresco too.
On our most recent visit we were greeted by Caroline. Caroline and her husband Ian own Amanzi, and whilst Caroline can usually be found front of house, Ian works as a chef in the kitchen.
We were shown to our table and left to admire our whimsical surroundings. I quickly located the cocktail list and ordered a beautifully made Amaretto, rum and tropical fruit concoction for myself named ‘Zombie’ whilst Matt opted for the homemade ginger beer (Matt tells me this a must-try for ginger beer aficionados!).
We browsed the tempting food menu and I decided on deep fried Brie with pomegranate molasses to start, whilst Matt chose ‘Trinchado Bunny Chow’; a Durban and Mozambique inspired Cornish beef dish which is slow cooked in garlic, chilli and red wine and placed over a sourdough roll. In Matt’s words it was “outstanding”.
For mains, Matt was instantly drawn to his usual choice of Espetada – Braaied; char-grilled and marinated juicy rump steak cubes on a skewer with peppers and shallots, served with chunky chips and garlic. I went for the seafood platter not realising just how big it was until it came out leaving me open-mouthed! It was wonderful a selection of king prawns, calamari and hake with a creamy garlic sauce to cover along with wonderfully cooked saffron rice. Having not eaten much in the day, this generous option went down decidedly well.
When it comes down to dessert, Matt and I don’t normally indulge but being the night before Valentine’s we thought we’d treat ourselves. We finished the evening with a Coffee Mud Pie; a chocolate and coffee flavoured pudding with Van Der Hum chocolate sauce, clotted cream, vanilla ice cream and spice kumquats. And a Cape Dutch Melkert; a milk tart dusted with cinnamon on a coconut base with fresh fruit. Both were absolutely delicious.
After finishing our African feast, we sipped our drinks and relaxed. I overheard another customer mention to his wife: “This will be the fourth time I’ve been here and it has been spot on every single time. It never fails to disappoint”. This is exactly why we return to Amanzi time and time again.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to the usual restaurant found in Cornwall, then I highly recommend it. The restaurant is open for both supper and lunch and Amanzi also dry and cure their own Biltong which is certainly worth a try.
Visit the Amanzi website: https://www.amanzirestaurant.co.uk/
Sarah Clarke
