When you speak no Portuguese and you’re in Maputo, a restaurant with an English name might suggest you’ll be able to understand the menu.
At least that’s what I thought when I went on a Monday night to Wine Lovers, a wine and tapas bar.
No such luck. The menu was strictly in Portuguese. My waiter got an A for effort, but the details of the extensive tapas menu were just too much for him.
Unable to understand what my choices were without proper translation, I considered asking a table of English-speaking Americans nearby to translate for me.
Instead, I went with the flow and asked the waiter to make suggestions for me.
He did, and what arrived at my table, presented beautifully, was goats cheese, a basket of assorted breads and toasts, and a basket of calamari.
At 250 metical ($8) apiece, the tapas servings were large and good value for the money.
The goats cheese was yellowish, sprinkled with crispy garlic crumbs and swimming in
an excellent-quality small pool of olive oil.
The calamari was crispy and light but tough and there was no sauce to dip it in. When I
asked for sauce, a waitress brought me mayonnaise.
My wine was excellent — a glass of Pedra Cancela from the Dao region of Portugal.
For dessert I had a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with honey that was delicate and hit the spot. It balanced out my meal, but there was another dessert I’d rather have had.
Across the restaurant, two waitresses appeared to be guarding a large tart of some kind and I could not find anyone who could translate what type of tart it was.
Eventually my taxi driver ate a piece of the tart and solved the mystery: cashew nuts.
Wine Lovers is considered a special place for people watching. The movers and shakers of
Maputo dine and drink there, according to online reviews.
Despite the exterior leaning towards a rustic-tavern look, the interior decor at Wine Lovers was contemporary with wine bottles on display throughout, lovely floral displays and twinkling lights.
Expert Review
When you speak no Portuguese and you're in Maputo, a restaurant with an English name might suggest you'll be able to understand...
When you speak no Portuguese and you’re in Maputo, a restaurant with an English name might suggest you’ll be able to understand the menu.
At least that’s what I thought when I went on a Monday night to Wine Lovers, a wine and tapas bar.
No such luck. The menu was strictly in Portuguese. My waiter got an A for effort, but the details of the extensive tapas menu were just too much for him.
Unable to understand what my choices were without proper translation, I considered asking a table of English-speaking Americans nearby to translate for me.
Instead, I went with the flow and asked the waiter to make suggestions for me.
He did, and what arrived at my table, presented beautifully, was goats cheese, a basket of assorted breads and toasts, and a basket of calamari.
At 250 metical ($8) apiece, the tapas servings were large and good value for the money.
The goats cheese was yellowish, sprinkled with crispy garlic crumbs and swimming in
an excellent-quality small pool of olive oil.
The calamari was crispy and light but tough and there was no sauce to dip it in. When I
asked for sauce, a waitress brought me mayonnaise.
My wine was excellent — a glass of Pedra Cancela from the Dao region of Portugal.
For dessert I had a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with honey that was delicate and hit the spot. It balanced out my meal, but there was another dessert I’d rather have had.
Across the restaurant, two waitresses appeared to be guarding a large tart of some kind and I could not find anyone who could translate what type of tart it was.
Eventually my taxi driver ate a piece of the tart and solved the mystery: cashew nuts.
Wine Lovers is considered a special place for people watching. The movers and shakers of
Maputo dine and drink there, according to online reviews.
Despite the exterior leaning towards a rustic-tavern look, the interior decor at Wine Lovers was contemporary with wine bottles on display throughout, lovely floral displays and twinkling lights.