Main meal and drink USD15-$18
Recommended for Couples, families, larger tables.
Da Guido is a lovely little restaurant in a low density area called Mt Pleasant in Harare. It’s not far from the Harare Drive/Sam Nujoma intersection, a walk away from Gateway High School. It’s quite easy to get to. The closest areas to this restaurant are Arundel, Ashbrittle, Marlborough and Emerald Hill. But honestly, you can make it from anywhere in Harare fairly easily, from town it’s a twenty minute drive in good traffic.
I’ve been to Da Guido a few times. The restaurant has both inside and outside seating. The grounds are enough to have children freely running around and there is sufficient parking. The staff give the same warm welcome each time. After a couple of visits, some of the waiting staff recognised me and knew I’d order a coffee before having my food. Such great customer service. I like that sort of thing!
Getting a table was really easy. On the one occasion that I visited for an evening meal, I did book over the phone first and I would recommend doing so for evening meals. The rest of the visits were during lunch and tables were readily available.
Ordering was a simple process with reasonable waiting times for the food. It was not so quick that one would suspect the food was coming from a pack and getting zapped in the microwave. However, it was not such a long wait that it looked like someone had driven to Mozambique to get the prawns. For those who like to accompany their food with wine or other alcohol, the place is licenced and has a basic selection.
The food is so good! Full of flavour, delivering what it says on the menu. I highly recommend the Guido Special pasta. It comes in a foil parcel set on a plate and once you unwrap the parcel the heady aromas of the sauce and sea food are quite simply irresistible. That’s my favourite thing to eat there and the bonus is they do gluten free pasta! I also loved their Mexicana pizza. The chilli on it is not shy and works a treat on a cold winter evening. My last visit was April 2023 and at that time, USD $15-$18 would get you a main meal and a drink. If you want my opinion, that’s very reasonable.
I love this place because it strikes a great balance between really good food, friendly and genuine staff and a homely atmosphere. It has the uniqueness of being able to host a couple having a romantic dinner in one corner, an extended family out for a birthday meal somewhere else and a young family with kids running around in the gardens all at the same time. Very fitting for my first blog!