The Fat Zebra Linden — Restaurant in Gauteng

Would have given 4, but since our vehicle was stolen from where it was parked a little way down the road from the eateries by the school, I felt obliged to deduct 1 for an evident lack in area security. I should have known something was wrong when I stepped out and ALL the car guards had disappeared during broad daylight. We visited the eatery on Saturday from 13h00 to about 15h30. According to the housing complex guard right across from where our vehicle was stolen, this was not a once off incident either and it seems to be a hotspot for vehicle theft. What do eateries do when faced with this type of issue? Can they band together and come up with a solution, can they involve the Linden Police Station to request more patrolling of the street parking areas. Should a security company be approached to patrol the area and put up surveillance cameras? Crime hurts society on levels that can be very far reaching and very damaging. Criminals will go where opportunity waits which provides them with ample time to at leisure, due to the lack of impactful security, do their dirty deeds. This was very brazen in broad daylight. Otherwise The Fat Zebra had good food and very good coffee. Would like to try their breakfast menu, but now not so sure if it is altogether worth losing your vehicle for it. Alternatively perhaps attempt to reserve a VIP parking spot of sorts and sit on the stoep and guard your own wheels? Or perhaps hall out the Vespa and park it on the pavement? Or perhaps Uber there? Anyway we will have to be creative. This is South Africa, you have to be...

The food is good here, and the female manager holds it all together admirably.

Unfortunately, we received shocking service today, but really shocking... First, our waiter forgets all about our order, and we end up waiting for our food for half an hour while everyone else is being served before us. This can happen, we understand.

When we ask if maybe our order was forgotten, he pretends nothing ever happened. No apology, he just takes the order again and blames the kitchen.

Later, we try to make contact with him, to order coffees, but now he actively ignores us. He ducks away and stops coming to our table all together.

Thankfully, the very friendly and efficient manager steps in, apologizes on the waiter's behalf, and the coffee is on the house.

When our waiter comes with the bill, he announces the coffee is on the house, as if it was his treat. Still no apology. This man needs re-training, or maybe just to remember some basic rules of courtesy and taking responsibility.

Not a great...

Very Nice! The food was fantastic, and they still managed to prepare it despite loadshedding. The service was very friendly and attentive. I had a halloumi prego and their crispy potatoes which was a solid 10/10, my partner had the mushroom and parmesan pasta which he thoroughly enjoyed, a very large portion as well. And my friend had the chicken strips and crispy potatoes. Which she gave high reviews.

We ended off with cheesecake and pavlova. My pavlova was divine, but could have used some more strawberries, my friend's cheesecake was not the best though, it did not have enough fruit to go with it and it was very crumbly and not holding its shape well. I always prefer when cheesecakes come with macerated fruit or some type of fruit compote/coulis, otherwise you are just eating straight creamcheese.

However, it was overall a lovely outing, atmosphere and delicious food....