Rediscovering Old Bulawayo’s Food Scene: Haefelis, Pizzaghetti, Cattleman & More That Built Our Memories
A Taste of Old Bulawayo
If your heart still longs for the coffee‑aroma mornings of Fife Street or the neon glow of evenings spent at Pizzaghetti, you’re not alone. For the diaspora Bulawayans, these names aren’t just places—they’re memories, infused with character, community, and unmistakable Bulawayo soul. Let’s take a savoury stroll down memory lane, with verified glimpses into cafés, pizzerias and iconic eateries that defined a golden era.
Haefelis: Bulawayo’s Parisian Café with Character
Haefelis began as a family‑run gem on Fife Street, founded by an Italian family alongside Di Bella Bakery—famous for their milk bread and the celebrated “Cake of a Thousand Leaves” Simbisa BrandsFoodies 263. The café’s outdoor seating area, vintage wooden tables, and flaky croissants offered a homely, European‑style ambience in the heart of Bulawayo. It was a meeting place where the elderly read newspapers over coffee, school kids shared shakes, and artisans blended with executives in easy conversation.
In late 2016, a $100,000 renovation by Simbisa Brands transformed that refuge into the corporate‑branded Fife Street Complex, complete with Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn and Cream Inn Foodies 263+6Bulawayo24 News+6herald+6. Residents voiced dismay: “We’ve lost a landmark … the longer it took, the more we anticipated…” one lamented, another said it “looked like a filling station” compared to the old charm Bulawayo24 News+1herald+1. The nostalgic character, mismatched chairs, muraled walls, and unhurried conversation vanished almost overnight. The comments are still going on read here.
Pizzaghetti: The Neon Glow of Bulawayo’s Pizza Renaissance
Before national franchises saturated the city, Pizzaghetti stood uniquely as Bulawayo’s independent Italian pizzeria in the CBD. Its bright neon sign lit up evenings as ovens churned out aromatic, wood‑oven style pizzas. Families driving in their Peugeots and Nissans waited eagerly for slices that captured basil, dough, and melted cheese in a symphony of flavor. It symbolised a time when the economy buzzed and people had leisure to savor life.
Eventually, that iconic site was transformed into Night Club 263—a crowded, rowdy venue where late‑night revelers now spill onto pavements, replacing the cheers of families with stumbling laughter. Where once Pizzaghetti stood as a beacon of quality and community, now stands a reminder of cultural shifts and changing city rhythms.
The Cattleman Steak House: Bulawayo’s Cowboys & Steak Legacy
Opened in March 1990 and owned by the McGovern family for 33 years, The Cattleman Steak House became synonymous with steak perfection in Bulawayo. Their slogan—“Our reputation is at steak”—was more than a pun; it was pride in sourcing grass‑fed Matabele beef and grilling it to Texan‑meets‑Zimbabwe perfection reddit.comwanderlog.com+3herald+3wanderlog.com+3. With wooden whisky barrels, cowboy décor and a relaxed pub ambience, it was the place executives brought visitors to show off the city’s sophistication and flavor.
On September 12, 2023, The Chronicle announced its closure: “We regret to inform all our loyal customers … shutting our doors after 33 legendary years.” It was a poignant farewell from a restaurant that once anchored Bulawayo’s dining scene herald.
Munandi Café at H&S & Mr Chips: Visions That Flickered Too Soon
Munandi Café—crafted by the visionary entrepreneur Hazel Meares inside the H&S complex—brought class, African adventure, and creativity to downtown Bulawayo. Though short‑lived, it left a lasting imprint. Diaspora voices still refer to the spot by name—a testament to its legacy and how strongly it resonated with local identity.
Mr Chips, another modern concept specializing in vinegar‑spiked chips and lively social space, also folded—but not before forming cherished family memories and friendships over sizzling baskets.
Bon Journee & Eskimo Hut: Lost Café Culture
Other bygone names that evoke Bulawayo’s richer café history include Bon Journee—popular for breakfasts and pastries—and Eskimo Hut near the trade fair grounds, later replaced by a Chicken Inn drive‑through. These spots once added texture and flavor to our cityscape; their transformations into corporate‑branded facades only underscore what’s been lost beyond brick and mortar.
Why We Miss These Places: A Community, Not Just Cuisine
These were more than eateries—they built routine, conversation, and identity. Grandparents reading newspapers while sipping coffee at Haefelis. Schoolchildren giggling over frozen yogurt at Pizzaghetti. Tourists and locals crossing paths at The Cattleman, sharing laughter over grilled Matabele steak. Conversation used to float—until renovations, noise from fast‑food neighbors, and overbranding drowned it out.
In forums like Reddit, locals mourn this shift: where independent originality existed, now corporate sameness reigns. The ambiance has faded, while noise and branding dominate. Folks reminisce: the authentic experience beats any plastic-frill menu deal.
A Toast to the Ghosts of Our Tables
So here’s to the cafés, pizzerias, and steakhouses of our youth—Haefelis, Pizzaghetti, The Cattleman, Munandi, Bon Journee, Mr Chips—each a cherished chapter in Bulawayo’s culinary anthology. Though many of their doors are closed, demolished, or repurposed, the essence lingers—flaky croissants, sizzling steaks, card tables on Fife Street, neon pizza ovens warming evenings.
To every diaspora Bulawayan reading this: close your eyes, inhale deeply, and you’ll still feel that Fife Street breeze, taste the buttery viennoiserie, hear laughter above sizzling grills. These places may no longer exist in bricks and mortar—but as long as we remember, they live on in us. Bulawayo’s food scene of yesteryear endures—rich in nostalgia, timeless in character—and forever ours.
Related reads:
- Bring Back Haefelis – local outrage over the bland rebrand of Haefelis in 2016 herald
- Cattleman Steak House Closes Shop – Chronicle coverage, September 2023 herald
May these memories warm you across continents, and remind you: no matter where we are, the real taste of Bulawayo lives on in the heart.