Joe’s Beerhouse

Joe's Beerhouse has been a Windhoek institution since October 1991. It was founded by Joachim "Joe" Gross, a German-born chef who arrived in Namibia in 1986 and started out with a small beer garden. As its popularity grew, and his collection of curiosities outgrew the space, it moved to its present site at 160 Nelson Mandela Avenue. Joe has since retired, and since 2012 the business has been run by Thomas and Carol-Jean Rechter; Thomas, a Hamburg-trained chef, created the current menu.

The setting is half the reason to come. The rambling, mostly open-air restaurant is filled with objects gathered from around the country: intertwined kudu horns, enormous ox horns, old milk pails, petrol pumps and lanterns, rusty anchors, a mini car on the roof and toilet seats reused as bar stools, along with a famous number of empty Jägermeister bottles. It is loud, rustic and good-humoured, and it works well for groups.

The menu leans heavily on meat. The "Meat of the Wild" section includes springbok medallions, a game loin steak, game fillet Chateaubriand, game lasagne and Namibian bobotie, and there is game carpaccio among the lighter dishes. Kapana and pap, the spiced beef street-food dish, appears as a light meal and as a sharing platter. Steaks are aged for at least 21 days, and German-style choices include Jägerschnitzel and pickled pork knuckle (eisbein) on sauerkraut. Game is sustainably sourced and depends on availability. Vegetarians have options such as a falafel bowl, spinach and ricotta cannelloni and vegetarian pizzas, and there is a children's menu. Malva pudding with custard is a classic way to finish.

The restaurant lists opening hours of 12:00 to 21:00 every day. Book a table through its website, especially for weekend evenings. The restaurant also runs a loyalty card, a small shop and a programme of events, including a St Patrick's Day celebration, which are listed on its site. Dress is casual. Expect a lively, busy atmosphere rather than a quiet dinner.

Joe's is in the Eros area, a short taxi ride from Independence Avenue, and the UrbanCamp campsite and a Portuguese restaurant are within a few minutes' walk. It suits first-time visitors who want to try game meat, families and groups celebrating the end of a safari.