Great food and service, wonderful ambiance

The UNESCO World Heritage site that is the oldest part of Zanzibar’s main city commonly referred to as Stone Town is a stunning labyrinth of narrow passageways between rambling bazaars, houses and mosques. This little tourist hub is seen as a Shangri-La for travellers looking to explore the East African coastline and as a consequence, some of the region’s finest hotel groups have opened shop on the fabled ‘Spice Island’. It was at one of these that my partner and I recently dined in the lap of luxury. Park Hyatt hotels around the world are usually the more luxurious holiday resorts of the others in the group and indeed even competitor hotels. The one in Stone Town is no exception.

Having arrived in Zanzibar City a little earlier than expected on our journey North, we decided to make a pit stop at the Park Hyatt to sample the breakfast buffet before hitting the road. We entered the 17th Century old building and into the chic lobby and were guided through the wide, tastefully decorated corridors with ornate Omani chandeliers and into the primary dining room in a newer wing of the establishment. The brightly lit dining room was opened out onto a huge terrace overlooking the pristine Indian Ocean and dhow harbours and flanked by the quiet infinity pool walled by glass.

No sooner were we seated than a very polished and pleasant waiter attended to us, taking our beverage orders and leading us to the buffet area which at first did not seem to have wide enough spread.

On closer inspection, I found it had a crepe and omelette station, massive pastry section, juice bar and more. I was slightly disappointed when I discovered that other than the smoked salmon at the cold cuts table, there was literally no other sea food. That and the absence of champagne. I mean, who doesn’t like a boozy breakfast when on vacation?

At the buffet, I piled my plate high with hash browns, cheese and sautéed mushrooms as well as muesli and yoghurt parfait, then ordered eggs Benedict on two halves of an English bun with spinach, bacon, ham and a slow cooked hollandaise sauce. There was not a single thing that I put in my mouth that morning which fell short of my expectations; even the bun was nice and moist.

 I suppose a global industry giant like the Hyatt Group would not compromise on food quality. I was intrigued by the greasy hash browns which had slight hints of onion and tamarind. A delicious combination.Three glasses of champagne and an empty plate later, I headed for the fruit table which was well stocked with a wide variety of tropical fruits in all shapes, colours and sizes.

What really struck me was the wonderful ambience and the cheeriness of everyone I encountered but nothing gave me more joy than the actual food offerings and breathtaking vistas of the coastal scenery beyond the terrace. Needless to say, we had a most delightful breakfast!