Restaurants of Nairobi

by Leigh Kemp, 2 December 2007

My earliest ideas of Nairobi were picked up from Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark novels that told of the great white hunters meeting their clients at Nairobi airport before escorting them to the Norfolk hotel to overnight before their Kenya African safari.

My dream back then was to sink a Tusker beer on the Lord Delamere Terrace as they did in the novels - a dream that I have since realised albeit without the thunder of the hunters coursing through my veins.

Otherwise Nairobi was a city to get out of as quickly as possible.

It was only on my most recent trip to the city, when I spent three nights during a two-week safari, that I began to appreciate the hustle and bustle - and learned more of the culinary delights Nairobi has to offer.

The Carnivore

Arguably Nairobi's most famous restaurant, with a top 50 rating from Restaurant Magazine, the Carnivore is truly a different, yet memorable dining experience. The Carnivore makes no excuses. It is not for vegetarians.

Chunks of meat hang from spears and roast over an open fire, filling the air with the scent of cooking meat and fat - and this is near the entrance.

"Is anyone a vegetarian?” was a very strange question to hear in a place where the aim is to eat as much meat as possible, as was the small bowl of tomato soup that was brought to the table as a starter.

It was a very lonely bowl of soup. Waiters bring around more than 10 different meats ranging from beef to ostrich meatballs and they expect diners to accept each offering.

On my recent trip to the Carnivore I was a little concerned as I had heard that the restaurant was not serving game meat anymore due to a ban on the trade in animal products by the Kenyan authorities.

Was game meat not what made the Carnivore famous? I had no need to worry, however, as the Carnivore is still what it claims to be and is still a memorable dining experience.

Rusty Nail

I have had some big steaks in my life - but the T-bone steak that was served to me at the Rusty Nail Restaurant in Nairobi bordered on the ridiculous ... a succulent and lip-smacking ridiculous.

The restaurant is set in a charming garden environment where kids can play while the adults indulge in a great meal or drinks in the pub. The pub is fitted with television screens that show live sporting events. However, this does not detract from the fantastic restaurant experience.

But back to the steak ... not only was it large, it was also very tasty and for once I did not regret my order when all the other meals arrived.

As someone who is normally very indecisive with a menu - and usually regret my order when I see the other orders arriving - I leant toward my meal in the knowledge that I had it right.

My colleagues had all ordered different dishes and the silence that ensued during the meal indicated the level of enjoyment.

The Rusty Nail is certainly one of my new favourite restaurants, and not only because of the steak and Tusker beer. The hospitality and ambience make it the perfect accompaniment to a safari or business trip.

Tamambo

One of the first items that caught my eye when I opened the menu at Tamambo Bar and Grill was the 'unbwoggable lamb chops' and being somewhat of a lamb connoisseur I closed the menu quickly so as not to let the desire pass before the waiter took the orders.

Unbwoggable lamb chops - now I could get my teeth into those! When the order was taken I held onto my menu to browse what else was on offer.

There was the usual restaurant fare with a Kenyan touch but what really pleased me was the section devoted to African cuisine. The section was titled 'Journey through Africa' and included my lamb chops. Other dishes were from west and southern Africa.

The description of my meal stayed with me throughout the trip in Kenya and when I arrived home I did some research on it.

I learnt that 'unbwoggable' was coined by Kenyan politicians to describe a moral regeneration of sorts where the kids would go to school and learn to be incorruptible and thus become 'unbwoggable'.

What this had to do with lamb chops I was not sure at first but after tasting my meal I understood what was meant. My meal was unbwoggable. It was incredible.

Great food and great service combine with a great menu to make Tamambo a great restaurant.

Blanco

One of Nairobi's newest dining attractions, Blanco offers African fare with style.

Without pretending to be anything but African, Blanco has succeeded in providing a uniquely Kenyan dining experience, including traditional dishes that western palates would normally flinch from.

I have often wondered at our reluctance as Africans to share our true culinary delights with visitors, often dressing them up in misinformation, but at Blanco I found a place that emphasises Kenyan cuisine and is proud of it.

Granted the restaurant has a chic, but understated, air but the food is as Kenyan as you will find anywhere.

I had a taste of different dishes, all of which were marvelously prepared and very tasty. Kenyan owned and managed, Blanco is a great addition to Nairobi life and a must for visitors and locals alike.

Why dine in Nairobi?

Nairobi should not merely be a start, stopover or end to a trip. The city has much to offer and if the concern is that the same old buffet fare is all Nairobi has to offer in the form of meals, then rethink it .... Nairobi rocks when it comes to dining!

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