All Roads lead to… Raith’s Bake Bistro

Some people are an easy Sunday spent basking in the warm mid-morning sun, reading a good book. Other people are a sticky, feverishly hot Monday night at the height of a Namibian summer.

I, on the other hand, like to think of myself as a Thursday. Just a Thursday. None of the anticipation and expectation that goes hand-in-hand with a Friday, but none of the dread that accompanies a Monday, either. Just a Thursday.

Perhaps it’s because it was a beautiful Thursday morning. (Hey! That’s me!) Perhaps it was thanks to the spot of overcast, chilly weather the capital city had been enjoying. Perhaps it was because I was wearing a little black dress that made me feel all kinds of fun-and-fancy-free. Whatever it may have been, I was in a great mood when I alighted the steps to Raith’s Bake Bistro, more commonly known as “that wooden restaurant by the clock tower in town”.

All this provided the perfect setting for me to fall absolutely in love with the charming restaurant that brought back vivid childhood daydreams of princes, princesses and magical tree houses. That is, until I came back down from my natural high and realised that the chair was terribly uncomfortable and too low for the table, that the table wobbled and that it was hard to hear myself think over all clamour that is Independence Avenue. Thankfully, before I could even complain, the waitress fixed one of those – the wobbly table.

The rainy weather called for something hearty, so I opted for the Spaghetti Carbonara. Despite the restaurant being rather empty, I waited quite some time for my food, which annoyed me, but also gave me an opportunity to make use of the restaurant’s prime people-watching location. The Carbonara was bland and wouldn’t hold a candle to my own, even if I must say so myself. Hoping Raith’s would impress me yet, I ordered a Döner (a Turkish dish of Pita bread filled with grilled meat strips and a choice of fillings which is extremely popular in Germany) next. Again, I was underwhelmed.

The truth is, I wanted to love it. I wanted to love everything they served me. I wanted to. But I didn’t. It wasn’t a complete train wreck. It wasn’t bad at all. I liked it. It was nice. But as a good friend of mine Junia always says: “Life’s too short to settle for ‘nice’.” The food lacked a certain je ne sais quoi that I could only write down to, as corny as it may be, love.

When it comes to all things sticky and sweet, however, Raith’s does redeem itself. A mere mention of their home-made Italian ice cream will leave any sugar junkie’s eyes glassy and chest covered in drool. Their pancakes also hit the spot quite well. So if for nothing else, go for the ice cream and the people-watching.

Raith’s Bake Bistro may have left me wanting, but my city certainly did not. As I left the restaurant, I stepped out into a light drizzle of what only a Namibian could equate to love.

They’re open from 07h00 to 16h30 from Mondays to Fridays and from 08h00 to 14h00 on Saturdays.

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