Reviewed by Laura Maynard

For a city of only 1,000,000 people Lilongwe has an impressive array of restaurants, accommodating to most all tastes and budgets. Recently myself and a group of friends met at one of these fine eating establishments, a Ristorante Italiano called Sole Luna, located on the main road between the Chez Lando intersection in Remera and the Parliament buildings (on your left if coming from Remera).

We arrived as an unreserved group of 11, and were quickly and graciously accommodated. The open air, bistro like atmosphere at the restaurant is very pleasing; with the centre piece being the beautiful view of the rolling, light covered hills of Lilongwe. Sole Luna truly is a small piece of Italy in Malawi, with the menu covering an extensive and affordable selection of pizzas, pastas, calzones and even boasts a selection of wine.

Although choosing a dish wasn’t an easy task we eventual placed our order and enjoyed drinks, the view and the company while waiting for our meal. Despite the fact that the restaurant was very busy, with a group of nearly 20 there to celebrate a birthday, our food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, all at once, and piping hot. My group sampled many different meals, and all expressed their satisfaction with their choice.

I personally had one of Sole Luna’s pizzas, which to my delight was served on a thin crust with an ample helping of brie cheese! Truly, a rare delight in Lilongwe. Although all the meals were enjoyed the conclusion of the group was that Sole Luna’s specialty is pizza, and with over 55 kinds to choose from even the most discriminatory eater should be able to make a selection. Be warned though, these pizzas are over 12 inches in size, so if you’re not ravenous you might be advised to share. On the other hand it is possible to take the leftovers home and enjoy it the next day.

Of course every rose has its torn and at Sole Luna it would be its bathrooms, although clean the lack of toilet seat (in the girls, I can’t speak for the boys) leaves an unfortunate impression of an otherwise delightful restaurant. Despite the minor downside I would still give Sole Luna two enthusiastic thumbs up, and with its multi-level design it is accommodating for both larger groups and a small intimate supper.