The Village garden

Windhoek’s liveliest street when it comes to cuisine and culture has a new kid on the block. The Village Garden on Liliencron Street comes as a welcome addition to the family of pizza, sushi, Portuguese and fine dining restaurants. It is the younger, more hip, healthy cousin situated on prime property at the entry to The Village – a block where business meets pleasure, all romantically complimented with a tranquil courtyard.

Three brilliant minds came together to realise this coffee shop and events venue that has already garnered some regulars since opening its doors on 1 April this year: Elzaan Nel the foodie, Deane Spall the green fingers, and Wouter van Zijl the design guru. Together they conceptualised a delightful eatery that looks as good as the food tastes, and they are reviving The Village in their wake.

The fresh bowl of falafel, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and homemade hummus I have ordered is nestled on a bed of lettuce that was picked from Deane’s aquaponic project on the premises mere minutes before it landed on my plate. I am not exaggerating: when I ordered the Garden Bowl, one of the Village Garden’s friendly crew members came out of the kitchen and picked the crisp leaves from outside the restaurant. If the ridiculously fresh lettuce does not get you fired up, you are sure to find some other delicacy to tantalise your tastebuds. From a chimichurri steak to wraps and toasties – do not expect the ordinary. The Village Garden is here to nudge you towards trying something new.

Now for the pièce de résistance: homemade ice tea. It is groundbreaking and I cannot imagine no one has thought of using rooibos espresso in every ice tea ever made. Also sweetening it with real honey instead of syrup ticks all my boxes. Go and taste it for yourself!

The Village has a very special place in my heart, and I like to believe the hearts of many Windhoek locals. It feels like a breakaway from the city when you are seated in the courtyard under tree canopies, surrounded by the sound of trickling water. The Village Garden’s seating is suited to big group brunches and even a quick business meeting over Slowtown coffee. Elzaan, Deane and Wouter are supercharged with brilliant ideas on how to reinvigorate this space and turn it into a social hub for any and every occasion, including movie screenings and perhaps that night market we’ve all been craving.

Go ahead, check out the Village Garden. Treat yourself to a wholesome meal and a cosmopolitan vibe. Or risk being excluded from conversations about how lovely it is. The choice is yours.

Charene Labuschagne