Destination Guidebook for Nairobi, Kenya
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| Dining Overview | Top  |
Eating out in Nairobi is never boring. The sheer number and variety of restaurants could keep you dining for many months without ever visiting the same restaurant twice. Although restaurants open and close monthly, you'll always find an astonishing variety of cuisines from around the globe. Restaurants are most crowded 1-2 pm for lunch and 7-8:30 pm for dinner.
Local specialties include samosas (deep-fried pastry filled with minced meat), mandazi (a semisweet flat bread similar to a doughnut), kienyenji or irio (maize and green vegetables mashed together), sukuma wiki (greens cooked with meat or meat broth) and ugali (cornmeal cooked into a thick porridge). The fruit in Kenya is heavenly—the mangoes are superior to any grown in North or Central America, and the papayas (pawpaws), custard apples, passion fruit, green oranges, green bananas, small yellow bananas and pineapples are all delicious. For many Kenyans, nyama choma (barbecued meat) is an epicurean delight. Usually, each diner chooses a cut of meat at the counter, and it is prepared to order. Some restaurants serve Kenya's coastal cuisine, in which meat, poultry, fish or vegetables are cooked in a curried coconut sauce. Wines are mostly imported to Kenya from South Africa and Europe. Kenyan Tusker beer is also worth trying and has won many awards at various beer festivals around the world. Expect to pay within these general guidelines, based on the cost of a dinner for one, not including drinks, tax or tip: $ = less than 560 KSh; $$ = 560 KSh-1,120 KSh; $$$ = 1,121 KSh-2,800 KSh; $$$$ = more than 2,800 KSh. | Local & Regional | Top  |
A touristy nyama choma (barbecued meat) restaurant, but nevertheless extremely popular. Though once licensed to serve game, it no longer has gazelle, giraffe and zebra on its menu. But this has aptly been made up for with farmed crocodile and ostrich, as well as several other kinds of meats, including camel. The meat is roasted over charcoal on Masai spears at a central pit that dominates the middle of the restaurant. The waiters continue to fill your plates until you put down the little flag at your table and surrender. Despite the name, vegetarian dishes are available as well. The Simba Saloon bar and disco are especially popular. Daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended. $-$$. Most major credit cards. Langata Road (past Wilson Airport), Nairobi. Phone 602-764 or 602-933. Upscale nyama choma dining in the Safari Park Hotel. This place offers a well-prepared version of the local barbecued meat dish. But there's more: From your outdoor table, you can watch a cabaret-style dance troupe, the Safari Cats, starting at 9 pm. Monday-Saturday for dinner only, Sunday for lunch only. Reservations required. $$-$$$. Most major credit cards. Thika Road, Nairobi. Phone 802-493. A popular spot with local expats for its English-pub atmosphere and big-screen TV for watching sports. You'll find a good variety of grilled food there from fish to game meat, as well as pasta and pizza. The bar menu is cheaper than the restaurant. This place catered for the set of Out of Africa. Daily for lunch and dinner. $-$$. Most major credit cards. Karen Shopping Centre, Ngong Road, Nairobi. Phone 882-782. An elegant, popular place with fabulous northern Indian dishes. It's a favorite of the local Indian community, sustaining its reputation as the best Indian restaurant in town. In 2004, it won a local award for the best Indian food in Kenya. Daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations required. $$$. Most major credit cards. The Mall, Second Floor, Ring Road, Westlands, Nairobi. Phone 444-8296. This is the only exclusively Thai restaurant in Nairobi, and one of the best serving Asian fare. Daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended. $$. Most major credit cards. Unga House, First Floor, Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi. Phone 751-727. This very intimate, quaint French bistro opened the year before Kenya's independence. After more than 40 years, it's still one of the city's better restaurants. The food and atmosphere are both excellent. Go for the chef's recommendation or try the superb lobster thermidor. They provide free pickups from any city center hotel. Monday-Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner only. Reservations recommended. You'll need to dress up. $$$. Most major credit cards. Cianda House, Koinange Street, Nairobi. Phone 224-945. Delicious Italian food in an inviting, comfortable atmosphere. Many pasta varieties are offered, followed frequently by tasty chocolate mousse. On Saturday evening, the cafe is transformed into Nairobi's only Latin dance club. Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner. $$-$$$. Most major credit cards. The Village Market, Limuru Road (about 4 mi/6 km north of the city center), Gigiri, Nairobi. Phone 522-661. A lively place and one of the city's most enduring and popular informal restaurants. Homemade ice cream, fresh bread, tables on two floors, and good food and service. Daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $-$$. Most major credit cards. Town House, Wabera Street (near the Stanley Hotel), Nairobi. Phone 340-855. | Coffeehouses | Top  |
This is Nairobi's most popular meeting place. American chef Jon Wagner provides the best hamburgers in town, plus mouthwatering omelettes, pancakes, desserts and milk shakes, not to mention the best of Kenya's very good coffee. (There's also a store at Mama Ngina Street in the city center, phone 313-564, a third branch in the departure lounge of the airport, and one beyond Westlands at ABC place off Waiyaki Way.) Daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $-$$. Ngong Road at Adam's Arcade, Nairobi. Phone 573-583. This elegant, cozy, tastefully decorated restaurant in the Norfolk Hotel retains its reputation as a top dining establishment in the city. The chef has won several international culinary awards for his Continental and French cuisine. The food is delicious, although the presentation of it is a bit fussy and pretentious. Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for dinner only. $$$. Most major credit cards. Harry Thuku Road, Nairobi. Phone 224-201. Located in the leafy suburb of Karen, not far from Karen Blixen's house, the restaurant is in a lovely old colonial building with a wide outside terrace. This was originally the farm manager's cottage on Blixen's coffee farm, and it has been lovingly restored. The dining room displays paintings by local artists, and there is usually jazz on Tuesday evenings and Saturday lunchtimes. The excellent food is French and international, and there are some fine wines on offer. Daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $$. Most major credit cards. 336 Karen Road, Karen, Nairobi. Phone 882-138. http://www.karenblixen.com. Best choice for fish and seafood (try the Lobster Swahili, which is cooked with saffron and coconut). The seafood is flown in daily from the coast. Steak, chicken and vegetarian entrees, plus good homemade sorbets. The dining room has one wall with dramatic stained-glass panels. There is also a mezzanine bar and a private dining room that can seat up to 20 people. Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. Reservations required. $$$. Most major credit cards. National Bank of Kenya Building, Harambee Avenue, Nairobi. Phone 338-959. | Other Options | Top  |
One of Nairobi's most elegant and intimate restaurants is in the Serena Hotel. The menu includes varied international cuisine, but the chef recommends smoked salmon for starters, followed by snapper. Be sure to leave room for a treat from the lavish dessert trolley. You can choose to dine inside or on the open-air terrace, which has nice views of Nairobi Central Park. Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. $$$. Most major credit cards. In the Serena Hotel, Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi. Phone 725-111. http://www.serenahotels.com. Taking its name from the famous unsolved murder of the 22nd Earl of Erroll in colonial times, this restaurant offers an exceptional garden setting, with Mongolian stir-fry or barbecue prepared at your table. There are also Italian and Asian dishes. A pianist performs on Sunday, when there is a special—and good—buffet for 1,500 KSh. Daily for lunch and dinner. $$$. Most major credit cards. Runda Estate, Ruaka Road, Nairobi. Phone 521-308. http://www.lord-erroll.com. A trendy, European-style street cafe that serves Thai, Japanese and Continental cuisine. The bar is always lively, there's a popular disco, and nightly entertainment ranges from jazz to salsa. Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. $$$. Most major credit cards. Westview Centre, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi. Phone 444-1711.
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Editor's Choice of Luxury, Deluxe, and Value priced hotels in Nairobi, Kenya:
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