All Roads Lead To… Livega

Halfway up a hill in Luther Street in a modern white building, you will find one of Windhoek’s latest culinary gems, Livega. Which roughly translates to place or home in Rukangwali.

From the minute you step through their glass doors, the staff and servers make it their mission to make you feel at home in the elegant but minimalist space.

Opting to sit outside on the sun-soaked patio, a welcome respite from Windhoek’s lingering chilly weather, our friendly and attentive waiter Ernest brings us a simple yet varied menu that already has me salivating at the prospects.

If you are looking for breakfast, you can have decadent truffle creamed scrambled eggs for N$85, or their signature Livega breakfast fruit tart.

But it being a little bit after 12h00, we decide to try their meals of the day – a pan-fried hake fillet with chips at N$155 and lamb shank with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes for N$255.

To drink, we order two of their freshly crafted juices. The gold, which is pineapple, pear, green apple and mint, and the orange which is freshly squeezed orange and naartjie, both priced at N$42.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that these were probably the freshest and most delicious juices I’ve ever tasted. I found myself trying to savour every refreshing drop in between bites of their complimentary homemade breads.

Livega prides itself on creating a unique and tantalising culinary experience. Be it by sourcing fresh organic ingredients where possible, or making sure every aspect of the meal is either homemade or infused by the three chefs – executive chef Gilda Nujoma, sous chef Lizande Adams and pastry chef Sandra Kambiri.

To keep things interesting, the menu changes weekly to offer patrons new and exciting foods to explore and in order to diversify their palates of contemporary and classical favourites with a twist.

Thinking that we had already died and gone to heaven with the refreshing juice and savoury bread, we were in for an even bigger treat when our food arrived – expertly styled on our plates.

The lamb shank was succulent and cooked to perfection and the hake was beautifully done with a zesty lemon and garlic sauce drizzled on top.

While I have enjoyed my fair share of good meals in my life, none come close to what I experienced at Livega.

From the service and presentation to the taste of the food, the chefs and staff have hit gold in providing a unforgettable culinary experience.

But don’t take my word for it. Head out and try it yourself.

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