Zoo Gastronomy

[sooty mangabey]

The issue of the food which is available in zoos is one that has exercised much comment on Zoochat - notably on this thread about Marwell https://www.zoochat.com/community/posts/457388 and this one which is primarily focussed on the food in American zoos (and which introduced me to the concept of cheese that is served in a cup) http://www.zoochat.com/22/food-us-zoos-221566/. I would like to broaden that discussion out, to all zoos.

The quality of a zoo's cafe or restaurant can make or break a visit, in my mind (and I say that not just because I'm a porker who enjoys a good meal). Whether one is a nerd or someone on a family day out (and sometimes both at the same time!), no-one likes to be given awful food to eat, and charged through the nose for it. And yet it should be so simple! If location is crucial, then most zoos should be able to offer a delightful eating experience, overlooking a beautiful view. What better than to tuck into lunch while watching, say, a herd of zebra munching their way across their paddock. Another pet peeve: zoos drone on and on about conservation, but then how many serve up food on plastic plates, with plastic cutlery. I once raised this with the director of a zoo in East Anglia, who responded that if 'real' crockery and cutlery were used, it would get pinched. This struck me a feeble excuse. And the food itself: I don't think anyone would expect michelin-star style cuisine, but something fairly wholesome, or, at least, edible...

Normally I shy away from Top 10 lists, but in this case...

Best Food Experiences:
1. Hamburg, in the Tropical House. Really quite nice food - a sort of a stir-fry, I think - in a great location, overlooking the main body of the new-ish tropical house.
2. Zurich, in the Masaola Hall. Beautiful restaurant with panoramic windows looking out on to the Madagascan jungle. But you do need to arrange a new mortgage to pay for the food, it must be said.
3. Berlin Tierpark. The food has a sort of 80s throwback feel to it - but I loved the red cabbage - and the staff are miserable. But the setting - tables in amongst the zoo's aquarum - is great, and there's a sort of ostalgie about the whole experience too (down to the grumpy grandmotherly figure demanding a euro before she will allow you to enter the loo).
4. Valencia Bioparc. Again, not great food (but not bad). But great setting, overlooking the African savannah exhibit. How could you not enjoy a salad and chips, with a cold beer, while watching impala interacting with a saddle-billed stork?
5. Blackbrook. Small, homespun, in a nice old stone building. And with delicious oatcakes (which aren't cakes at all, but our Staffordshire corespondents would be able to say more about this).

Worst Food Experiences
1. Twycross. A while ago, and I'm sure things are better now, but the only place in which I have seen a plate of pre-buttered slices of white bread ready to be chosen on the self-service counter. And the rest of the food... artery-thickening rubbish, in what looked like a 1950s temporary structure. Vile.
2. Banham. Had the temerity to hope to buy food at about 2.00 pm. Was told nearly everything had gone, and given a look to suggest that it was downright inconsiderate of me to want to get lunch at this hour. My niece chose a desiccated sausage roll. I was glad to be a vegetarian. No-one had bothered clearing any tables, and it was breezy, meaning that there was a whirlwind of salt packets and paper plates and serviettes. It was soul-destroying. This was several years ago. I believe you can now buy food from something called a "Snack Shack". This sounds even more soul-destroying.
3. The Bronx. How can such a great zoo get its catering so wrong? Awful fast food in a hot bunker, with nowhere to sit other than where surrounded by loud people. I want to sit by a lake! Or at least by an onager paddock, or something.
4. Wuppertal. One of my favourite zoos, but the restaurant makes you think you've stumbled into a reality TV show where hidden cameras record how much bad food, bad service and horrible surroundings people can take before they lose it... And yet, it could be so good - the building is potentially wonderful.
5. Madrid. Awful food - anaemic chips (I was hoping for some patatas bravas); stale bread; salad that looked to have been harvested in about 1974. And this in a building with no outdoor seating, built, I think, to resemble the customs shed at an airport in one of the former Soviet republics.


What do others think?

 

[Phooto]

I would obviously add Marwell's Cafe Graze to your 'Worst' list. They built the new cafe two years ago, but the food is worse than anything I've had the misfortune to pay for - and that includes Ryan Air.

After all the effort to build a great new facility, to fill it with such rubbish is a sin.

 

[foz]

I never eat in a zoo (I may occasioanlly buy a drink) overall i already find the zoo experience overpriced and thus always take my own food (im not picky about what I eat..just tight). But it does appear good business sense to provide a wuality service in good setting.

 

[robmv]

I would second SM's favourable comments on Berlin TP, Bioparc Valencia (that Saddle-billed Stork really is a star!) and I have also shared his negative vibes at Twycross (now greatly improved) and Wuppertal (the staff seemed genuinely surprised and put-out when we requested hot food). I would also like to single out the following:

THE GOOD

Martin Mere WWT Proper, home-cooked food like Lancashire Hot Pot and enormous pies, plus cakes which have never been anywhere near an industrial bakery. Unfortunately, the new cafe seems to have lost the homely feel and the dining experience is now much the same as anywhere else (although WWT food is generally a step up from other zoo fare).

Leipzig A lovely old building and a freshly prepared stir-fry where you can select your own combination of ingredients and hand them over the chef.

THE BAD

Copenhagen Nothing particularly wrong with the food (though it's rather expensive), but the most inappropriately small restaurant I have ever seen in a zoo. It would have been way too small in a sunny climate where people could sit outside, but we visited in several feet of snow and this wasn't really an option. Utter chaos.

The whole of Poland This may seem like a sweeping generalisation, but there was distinct sense of deja vu on our tour a few years ago when every lunchtime brought an identical menu of microwaveable burgers. Awful.

 

[Maguari]

Best Food Experiences:
2. Zurich, in the Masaola Hall. Beautiful restaurant with panoramic windows looking out on to the Madagascan jungle. But you do need to arrange a new mortgage to pay for the food, it must be said.
4. Valencia Bioparc. Again, not great food (but not bad). But great setting, overlooking the African savannah exhibit. How could you not enjoy a salad and chips, with a cold beer, while watching impala interacting with a saddle-billed stork?
5. Blackbrook. Small, homespun, in a nice old stone building. And with delicious oatcakes (which aren't cakes at all, but our Staffordshire corespondents would be able to say more about this).

Definitely agree on these. Other really good ones:

- the excellent pies and sausages at Yorkshire Wildlife Park - really superb, despite (or because of?) the smaller zoo

- the waiter-service restaurant in the farm area at Hannover, where I had my first spaetzle

- Brno's main restaurant - great food (I seem to recall having a chicken/cheese based concoction) and a choice of squirrel-view or tiger-view!

Worst Food Experiences
1. Twycross. A while ago, and I'm sure things are better now, but the only place in which I have seen a plate of pre-buttered slices of white bread ready to be chosen on the self-service counter. And the rest of the food... artery-thickening rubbish, in what looked like a 1950s temporary structure. Vile.

Things are pretty much the same if you eat within the zoo proper, but the one undeniable benefit of the Himalaya building is that food in the new restaurant is much better - proper jacket potatoes and some really good Nepalese lamb among the best things I've eaten at Twycross.

[5. Madrid. Awful food - anaemic chips (I was hoping for some patatas bravas); stale bread; salad that looked to have been harvested in about 1974. And this in a building with no outdoor seating, built, I think, to resemble the customs shed at an airport in one of the former Soviet republics.

We had to settle for premade sandwiches - a particularly artificial-looking Coronation chicken - from the cafe by the entrance (which did, at least, have a terrace). As an aside (and as you brought them up!) later that night we had some superb patatas bravas in a rather unprepossessing tapas bar just around the corner from our hostel.

 

[Maguari]

The whole of Poland This may seem like a sweeping generalisation, but there was distinct sense of deja vu on our tour a few years ago when every lunchtime brought an indentical menu of microwaveable burgers. Awful.

Of course - how could I forget? Sometimes late at night I still wake up screaming.

Wroclaw was the exception, as I recall - even on the no-collectors-fair-three-course-dinner day - pretty much everywhere else was microburger dominated.

 

[Johnny Morris.]

I had Cottage Pie at Brisol zoo the other week and it was absolutely spanking. 10/10

 

[robmv]

Of course - how could I forget? Sometimes late at night I still wait up screaming.

Wroclaw was the exception, as I recall - even on the no-collectors-fair-three-course-dinner day - pretty much everywhere else was microburger dominated.

Quite right; the food at Wroclaw was far better.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Another pet peeve: zoos drone on and on about conservation, but then how many serve up food on plastic plates, with plastic cutlery.

I was pleasantly surprised on my first trip to England (2009) that both of the zoos I visited - London Zoo and Port Lympne - had real silverware and plates and had real homecooked options dished out by a cafeteria worker. The vegetable lasagna I had at Port Lympne was the best I have had in my life. Based on the few european zoos I have seen (3 in England and 1 in France), this is one area where they outshine american zoos. Even the Natural History Museum in London had a very nice lunch spread.

However, there is one HUGE problem that restaurants everywhere in Europe (zoos or not) could correct by imitating America. How come no one serves iced tea????? It is refreshing, it is delicious, I mean you have 20 varieties of hot tea on the menu, so what is the problem? All I drink is iced tea or water, so after two weeks of nothing but water in Europe I am desperate for some flavor.

 

[Maguari]

However, there is one HUGE problem that restaurants everywhere in Europe (zoos or not) could correct by imitating America. How come no one serves iced tea????? It is refreshing, it is delicious, I mean you have 20 varieties of hot tea on the menu, so what is the problem? All I drink is iced tea or water, so after two weeks of nothing but water in Europe I am desperate for some flavor.

I could count on the fingers on one hand the number of times I've seen a Brit order ice tea. It's just not something we have. I no fan of tea myself (haven't had so much as a single cup in the last decade!), but Brits on the whole love tea - but they love it hot!

 

[sooty mangabey]

Just back from a couple of days at Chester. In the interests of research, I sampled the offerings at the recently refurbished "June's Pavilion". If this were a high-street restaurant, it wouldn't be one I would choose, but as a zoo restaurant it is very good indeed: decent food, fair prices, quite nicely laid out inside so that it doesn't feel as if you're eating in a barn. Lots of historical pictures on the walls too, which is good.

Below is a half-eaen bowl of pasta carbonara; my daughter told me this was very nice. And we got to watch it being freshly prepared in front of our eyes. What more could you ask for?

(And a bonus point if you can identify the zoo from which the just-about-visible tee-shirt comes....)

 

[chizlit]

I could count on the fingers on one hand the number of times I've seen a Brit order ice tea. It's just not something we have. I no fan of tea myself (haven't had so much as a single cup in the last decade!), but Brits on the whole love tea - but they love it hot!

Maybe I got American tastes because I love ice tea and rootbeer, both of which are almost impossible to find in British zoo's, German zoo's do have ice tea but mainly already in bottles.

 

[chizlit]

and Wuppertal (the staff seemed genuinely surprised and put-out when we requested hot food).

Isn't this one just awful! The fact that on both recent visit there is nobody in there eating food says it all. When I went in to look for something good and warm to eat on a cold December's day there was nothing but fries and sausage, so I just settled for a coffee (which wasn't good) and cake.

It's such a lovely big light airy building that could be so good.

 

[Arizona Docent]

See also this older thread: Zoo Restaurants - ZooChat (and a couple others).

Since this thread is newer I will continue the discussion here. (I realize I am still reviving an old thread). Last night I went to an evening opening at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and had street tacos. Their food service vendor switched several years ago and sadly it is not as good as it used to be. This is in their "quick serve" cafe. During a day visit about a week ago I ate for the first time in their full service restaurant and it was also disappointing. (I had pasta with chicken in cream sauce but the sauce was so bland it was almost tasteless).

The reason I am posting, however, is something I noticed on last night's receipt. The usual charges of course are the food and the sales tax and tip (unlike most European countries, sales tax or VAT is not listed in the price of items in the USA). There is a new entry called sustainability surcharge. It is only 35 cents and if it really helps to make their operation more "green" then I don't mind paying. However it is something I have not seen elsewhere and I wonder exactly what it covers? Is it because plant based cups are more expensive than styrofoam cups or because locally sourced produce is more expensive than Mexican produce or what? Has anyone seen this elsewhere (not just zoos but other places)?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I don't really usually eat at zoos when I visit, but I do always have a cup of black coffee as I am pretty much a coffee junkie / addict.

 

[FBBird]

I echo the remark about Wroclaw Zoo above. We had wonderful halibut and chips there, not a combination you see often, great eating.
Damn good zoo too of course

 

[Jurek7]

Dallas World Aquarium has food with good companionship:


'What is this big orange thing? Are they eating our kin?'


For me, obvious weak point of modern zoos is that gastronomy is usually not integrated into the rest of the zoo. Spending millions on new exhibits but serving visitors bad food was already mentioned - for me an obvious management mistake. Another obvious missed opportunity is that, while visitors spend lots of time in gastronomy of any zoo, there is no education or conservation there. A set of panels about zoos conservation project along the way which visitors queue to the counter. Paper flyers about the zoo friends society on restaurant tables. Such things would be super easy and much more effective than many expensive but ignored education inside exhibits.

 

[Julio C Castro]

With my limited number of zoos visited, I’d say the more upscale restaurants I’d recommend to Zoochatters are definitely Albert’s Restaurant at the San Diego Zoo and Watering Hole at Kijamii Overlook from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I too am irked when I see a greater number of junk/fast food style options in some of these places. I get it, no one restaurant can accommodate thousands of visitors or meet the dietary needs of most. But I think there has to be a healthy combination of both: having some quality dining options while supporting sustainability and some fast food spots for those who just want a quick bite and perhaps eat more once outside. My personal favorite has been the Watering Hole not just due to the view of the field exhibits but the food is simple yet somewhat brunch styled. Yes not super fancy but a lot more flavorful than just a simple sub sandwich. This was a BLT with fresh tomatoes and lettuce along with quality bacon inside with a side of in-house kettled style chips plus an order of artichoke dip paired with toasted pita chips. Yes it’s simple but a much welcomed addition to the usual chicken tenders or prepackage salad mixes. Not to say they aren’t good but I do want there to be quality food options for everyone while also have the fast food styled quick bites for others. Both Alberts and the Watering Hole don’t do plastic anymore from my multiple visits to both, not even paper towels but instead restaurants towels that are washable. Straws, when requested, are made of paper. As for fine dining, Alberts has changed for the better in the past couple years with making meals I would say rival a relatively priced intimate dining option in the city. Will post photos of the two dishes I had a few months ago at Alberts which their menu changes quite a bit.

 

[Arizona Docent]

The couple times I ate lunch at Alberts (San Diego Zoo) a few summers ago it was completely full with a wait to be seated. Since I was alone I was able to sit at the bar with no wait, but it shows there is a desire for upscale dining. My local Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a separate upscale restaurant (and better-than-average quick serve cafe) because they market themselves as a museum and not a zoo, so they attract a wider and more upscale demographic of visitors.

As for the comment by @Jurek7 I agree there should be conservation messages. The only thing that sticks out to me in this regard is that many zoo restaurants, including both of my local zoos in Tucson, distribute the pocket sustainable seafood guide produced by Monterey Bay Aquarium. Another beef of mine (pun intended) is that every zoo that I know of serves beef, in spite of the environmental degradation involved in cattle ranching.

 

[Julio C Castro]

The couple times I ate lunch at Alberts (San Diego Zoo) a few summers ago it was completely full with a wait to be seated. Since I was alone I was able to sit at the bar with no wait, but it shows there is a desire for upscale dining. My local Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a separate upscale restaurant (and better-than-average quick serve cafe) because they market themselves as a museum and not a zoo, so they attract a wider and more upscale demographic of visitors.

As for the comment by @Jurek7 I agree there should be conservation messages. The only thing that sticks out to me in this regard is that many zoo restaurants, including both of my local zoos in Tucson, distribute the pocket sustainable seafood guide produced by Monterey Bay Aquarium. Another beef of mine (pun intended) is that every zoo that I know of serves beef, in spite of the environmental degradation involved in cattle ranching.

Now that mentions beef, I have to agree and I eat all kinds of meat. But yes I think more sustainable meals need to be provided and which I think some places have done so. One last meal I had at Alberts were locally caught beer battered fish tacos which the menu also bases its seafood option on the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch menu.