Dreamy view, dreamy cocktails

I know little about Zambia other than that their cuisine is based on nshima, a porridge-style dish made from ground maize, and that they drink lots of bottled beer - Mosi, Rhino and Chibuku (or shake-shake, as it is known locally) are just a few of the beer brands available.

If you ever go to Zambia - I hope to one day - it would be helpful to know that 'zakudia' is the Zambian word for 'sharing food' and is likely to consist of platters of local delicacies.

Five thousand miles north of Zambia, the scenery couldn't be more different. I'm standing on the banks of the Thames in front of yet another new development by Southwark Bridge.

The Tate Modern and the Globe theatre are just along the way, St Paul's Cathedral is opposite, still standing proud despite the 21st-century structures growing up around it, and the London skyline stretches far to the east and way out west.

I go up a flight of stairs and I'm in Zakudia, a large modern bar, furnished with suede pouffes and sensible height (for eating) cocktail tables. It's blandly decorated, but the riverside windows are the pictures here, affording us the views we love so much in the comfort of a cocktail bar and with the autumnal chill kept at bay.

I manage to procure one of the low-alcoved-window seats - you have to remember to duck your head before sitting down and, more importantly, not to leap up too quickly when in urgent need of a pee.

Local office workers camp at other tables in cosy twosomes and small groups, full of office gossip, winding down after the mayhem of the day with a restorative cocktail.

They're admiring the views and enjoying the gentle ambience and the smooth, delicate sound from the music system. They're not budging. In contrast, a larger office group are whooping it up in another part of the bar, giving it large and making tedious speeches. It doesn't bother anyone, we're all far too content to be concerned by such trifles.

The nice waitresses struggle to supply the demand of customers, but this could be due to the fearsome demands of the noisy office crew. Nevertheless, what they do serve is a scintillating selection of freshly made, seriously good cocktails at prices that aren't excessive (£6 for Martinis, £6.50 for champagne cocktails).

The Bridge (vodka mixed with peach and melon liqueur and poured into a tall drink with orange and cranberry juice) is an easy, flavourful drink, and the Ginopolis (gin with crème de mure, passion fruit and lemon juice) is a marvellous short drink.

And so to the zakudia - or food, to you and me. I was going to choose the zakudia platter of a selection of canapés (£10.95), but I was mistaken for a member of the large office party and a plate arrived on my table containing samples of goats' cheeses, parma ham and grilled aubergine - all very nice.

So I went straight for a main course and ordered Italian sausages with parmesan mash and a red onion and tomato jus (£6.95). There is often a misconceived dish on menus and, boy, did I choose it at Zakudia.