Chakalaka

Chakalaka is bar far one of the shiniest gems in London. Not only is the food to die for but the staff and owner make you feel 100% welcome from the word go. If you haven't had the chance to experience this little piece of south african heaven for yourself, I would highly recommend you book a table immediately! With an extensive wine list covering some amazing wines (including the double award winning Rust en Vrede Merlot), a mouth watering menu which will keep you going back time and time again and a wonderful group of staff... Chakalaka is a must.
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KS
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, May 30, 2008

LOVED CHAKALAKA!!! went for a meal with my boyfriend on a friday evening, made reservation and they were quite full so is probably advisable, we had a fantastic evening. The food was great, and also good value, staff are really friendly and its got a lovely relaxed atmosphere we had a really enjoyable evening and will definitely be going back. Have eaten game in SA and this was just as good. Highly HIGHLY recommended!

Ps. we are both quite fussy eaters, plus vegetarian and keen carnivore so it is testament to the place that we both had meals we loved!
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Natalie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Can't rate this place enough, my girlfriend and I eat here regularly and get treated like royalty or part of the family (pretty good for a british couple and no mention of the World Cup either!!). The staff are amazing and so attentive. they seem to know exactly when to chat and be friendly and when to get out the way so we can enjoy each others company. I also enjoy taking family and friends here for something different. The food is out standing and there always seems to be something on the menu i've never tried before. I always feel so content and full when i leave, i want to walk home, but am so stuffed i have to get a cab! The Bar B Q ribs are simply the best i've ever had. The savanah cider is well worth the visit alone. Really can't rate this place enough, service excellent, food superb, atmospshere is great. But i'm afraid you can't have a booth as i've already reserved it! Great for couples or large groups, carnevours and vegetarians alike will be delighted. Hugh, Jason and the rest of the guys will definately look after you. The smug smiling guy in the booth in the corner will be me : )
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Daniel D
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I have been to Chakalaka about 4 times now and not been dissapointed yet. On this occassion, our party of 6 were tempted by the special eat all you can ribs offer on Sunday so we decided to book a late lunch for 2:30.

Upon arrival 2 of our party were a tad late, so we indulged in a 4 item starter platter (wors and pap; veg samoosas, fish goujons and chicken wings) while we waited. The starters were very good and I particulary enjoyed the fish goujons. The tartare sauce was a tad thin for my taste but that is me being picky!

The remaining two people arrived and we ordered the ribs... We were informed that the lunch rush had been quite phenominal and that the next batch of ribs were still in the oven. We waited a short while and WOW!!! was the wait worth it! The ribs were huge, succulent, juicy and falling off the bone! The BBQ sauce was tangy and sticky and oh so very tasty! And the chips?! The portion was small, but this only amplified the amount of ribs you could eat, however, I'm stating for the record that they are the best chips I have eaten in London. Boiled and then fried to a perfect golden crisp with an internal fluffy softness! Our second plate of ribs didn't include any chips, but I'm glad to say they weren't needed. Plus the second rack of ribs was larger than the first!

I had the Peppermint Surprise for dessert and my girlfriend had the malva pudding. The presentation of the malva was fun using spun sugar and a balancing act! Both desserts were good and with the coffee ended a satsfactory meal all round.

At £175, including starters, drinks, dessert and the 12.5% tip, I found this to be particularly good value at £30 each. We weren't offered the complimentary Springboks upon departure but I cajoled the manager into supplying doubles the next time we visit, which will be soon!
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Jason
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Friday, January 18, 2008

We went to Chakalaka for something different, and that's exactly what we got. Great game meats, traditional South african dishes, really friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. Our table of eight were completly satisfied and the desserts were fab as well. Do go, you wont regret it!
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, January 12, 2008

After reading a few mixed reviews I was a bit worried about a dinner for 10.

Service was Brilliant, food was tasty, portions were a good size (a few people could not finish their meals) and I didn't think it cost that much.

Atmosphere was quiet but it was a Monday night.

£303 total. I had a starter, main and 3 or 4 south african beers... for £30, not bad.

Overall it was a very enjoyable experience and I would therefore advise anyone to give it a try.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, November 12, 2007

Chakalaka is my favourite place. The food is excellent and there is always a wide variety from meat dishes to vegetarian, fish and poultry. The service is always warm and friendly,GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, November 03, 2007

Went to Chakalaka on Saturday night and thorougly enjoyed it. The selection of game meats was superb and suprisingly the veggie options were good too.The atmosphere was awesome and the place was packed to the rafters.Yuo need to book cause the place is popular, we sat neatr the door and my wife and I counted that they turned away about 50 people at the door alone. Fantastic, go there.
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Emma
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

6 of us, mostly South Africans, dined here and while I thought the food was some of the best I've eaten in some time, the rest was sadly lacking. There is no atmosphere, probably due to the decor and bright lighting. And I was surprised to find many of the waitresses weren't South African which I thought was a pity. Also, considering the choices available, I thought the wine list was sparse and didn't cater to many tastes.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 9
Thursday, September 27, 2007

We arrived at the restaurant looking forward to good South African cuisine (Boerekos) without the effort of slaving over the stove. It was early afternoon on a Sunday and the place was empty. We asked if they had a table available for two and were frowned upon for not having a reservation. We were given the table; no-one wants to sit at, by the door. We felt that it was ok since we didn't have a reservation, but it became clear that we were put there out of spite as time past. There were at least three other tables available throughout our meal. Bad management?

Other reviews state that they can't cope with big groups; this is not true, they can't cope at all, since they managed to mess up our order of two plates as well. The menu was sub par to say the least. I ordered BBQ chicken and Pumpkin fritters and my boyfriend ordered a steak (medium-rare). I ended up with Peri-Peri chicken and when I complained were told that it was BBQ (I don't think a BBQ sauce has the tell tale red tint that Peri-Peri has); the fritters were soggy and cold and the Steak was medium rare on the inside but burnt to a crisp on the outside (scrapping of the charcoal to get to the meat). To top it all off, the beer was warm!

It is shameful that this place is representative of traditional South African cuisine.
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Elani & Wouter
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Sunday, September 23, 2007