Britannia Hotel Bunny Chow

The Britannia Hotel on Umgeni Road, on the southern bank of the Umgeni River, is one of the classic places to eat bunny chow in Durban and features regularly in guides to the dish. The old hotel has been owned by the Moodley family since 1983. Linkey Moodley borrowed money to invest in it and paid off the loan within five years, and the cooking of his grandmother and mother built the hotel's reputation for Durban Indian dishes. The masalas are still ground to a family recipe that the family keeps to itself.

The bunny chow is the reason to come. A bunny is a hollowed-out loaf of white bread, usually a quarter loaf, filled with curry and eaten with your hands, with the scooped-out bread used to mop up the gravy. The Britannia offers around 14 varieties. The mutton curry bunny is the classic, but regulars also order the chops chutney bunny, made with bone-in mutton chops, and the boti bunny, filled with tripe or trotters, for something more traditional. If you would rather not tackle the bread, ask for your curry in a bowl. Expect real Durban heat, and ask staff to guide you if you prefer milder spice.

The hotel is a no-frills local institution rather than a tourist restaurant, and that is a big part of its appeal. There is a restaurant area, a sundowner terrace, a sports pub called the Thirsty Horse and a betting area, so you will be eating alongside locals following the racing. It suits adventurous eaters, budget travellers and anyone exploring the city's curry culture.

Prices are modest and service is casual. Go at lunchtime, when the kitchen is in full swing, and allow an hour. Opening hours are not published online, so phone ahead or check before making a special trip, especially on public holidays.

Umgeni Road is a busy arterial road north of the city centre, so arrive by car or ride-hailing app rather than on foot. The hotel is a short drive from Moses Mabhida Stadium and the northern end of the Golden Mile, and from Blue Lagoon, where the Umgeni River meets the sea, which makes it an easy lunch stop on a beachfront day.