You could be forgiven for thinking that the country with the second lowest population density in the world, in a dry corner of Africa buffeted by freezing Atlantic winds might not have a lot to offer in the culinary stakes – but you’d be wrong.

Namibia is a surprising country. In a continent plagued with troubles it’s safe, stable, well governed, peaceful and happy.

Its vast open spaces are home to magnificent wildlife, including wild desert lions, elephants, rhinos, and much more.

Much of its heritage, including its food, is tied to barely a blink of an eyelid in the country’s history, the 30-odd years in which modern day Namibia was the German colony of South West Africa, from 1885 to 1915.

The legacy of this brief occupation, which included a brutal colonial war, is still to be found in Namibia’s architecture, language, food and drink.

A food safari in Namibia starts with the best entree in the country, freshly shucked oysters from Walvis Bay on the Atlantic Coast. Walvis (which means whale) is an working harbour on the edge of a desert, but it’s also an interesting tourist destination.

The best place to try oysters is The Raft, a bar that looks like it’s been put together with driftwood, jutting out over a lagoon. For a different venue, take a Livo seal and dolphin spotting cruise which ends with oysters, champagne and a shot of ‘Namibian coffee’, better known to the rest of the world as Schnapps.

Heading north to the beachside holiday town of Swakopmund, a little piece of Bavaria-on-sea, there are good cafes, and an excellent seafood restaurant (The Tug). A tour of the surrounding desert organised by Wilderness Safaris ends with lunch in a marquee on the beach, the highlight of which is local lobster tails in garlic butter.

In true German style, Namibia’s beers are great and the flagship local brew is Windhoek, lager or draught, named after the capital city (if you go into a pub and ask for ‘061′, they’ll know what you want – that’s Windhoek’s area code). If you want to pass as a true local, however, opt for a Tafel Lager, in the brown bottle.

The most famous pub in Namibia and the best in Africa is Joe’s Bier House. Tucked away in a semi industrial part of Windhoek its grey cement walls belie an eclectic mass of memorabilia, bric-a-brac and plain old junk inside, festooned around several bars and a dining area. Tourists and locals swap safari tales and get down to the serious business of attacking Africa-sized portions.

My favourite is the one-kilogram Eisbein, as daunting as it sounds. Also superb is the Gemsbok (or Oryx) fillet from farmed animals. If the thought of eating the local wildlife leaves you cold don’t worry, Namibian beef is world class.

For Padkos (road food) while viewing game in the magical Etosha National Park try some biltong (dried beef or game meat), or droëwors, dried sausage. Finally, for a desert dessert it’s hard to go past the freshly-baked apple Strudel at the cafe in the aptly-named lonely town of Solitaire, near the giant sand dunes of Sossusvlei.

Namibia may be mostly empty, but your tummy won’t be.

Tony travelled to Nambia courtesy of swagmantours.com.au.

Tony Park is the author of 12 African thriller novels. His latest, An Empty Coast, is set in Namibia and published by Pan Macmillan.