The best restaurants Nairobi

An institution since the 90s. A chic (but not stuffy) and very fashionable restaurant in the posh neighbourhood of Karen, housed in an old villa. The establishment is spacious, and designed as a lounge, with different rooms decorated in an oriental style and an interior courtyard, giving onto a terrace and a pretty garden with games for children. Family atmosphere during the day, more intimate in the evening. The Talisman offers refined international cuisine with an oriental and European influence. The dishes are excellent.

Undeniably one of the best Japanese in the city.

This huge restaurant is a real institution. It presents an elaborate and folklorized version of the local cuisine, with roasted meat and barbecue. On a gigantic circular barbecue, the waiters grill pieces of meat at the end of Maasai spears. No menu: they bring you sauces and side dishes, then offer you all kinds of meat (sausages, pork, mutton, beef, but also crocodile, ostrich...). When you are full, you put the little flag on your table.

This newly renovated restaurant is one of the best in the world when it comes to Indian cuisine (specialities from northern India). You can choose from no less than 100 different dishes on the menu. Nice for a dinner in an elegant and airy space. The restaurant is the origin of an international chain, now represented in London and other East African capitals. Quality and class are its hallmarks. Haandi also has a reputation for being a great event organiser, catering for up to 1,000 guests.

It has a pleasant outdoor terrace. The other asset is that it is adjacent to one of the most pleasant bars in Nairobi, Le Casablanca, which belongs to the same owner.

Brazilian specialities and therefore excellent grilled meats.

This Japanese restaurant specializes in teppanyaki (cooking food on a hot plate), which is considered excellent. The chef assembles all the ingredients before your eyes, in a clever mix of flavours. The menus are copious (the sushi is also very good, we recommend the crispy versions), the setting magnificent, in a quiet and residential area. The service is fast and the prices are reasonable. In short, an excellent address. On the other hand, beware of the closing hours in the evening, the "late eaters" could find the door closed.

If there is a Japanese restaurant to try in Nairobi, it is this one! This zen canteen offers an authentic cuisine, validated by many visitors, even if it has been better elsewhere. You will be able to taste sushi and sashimi, but not only, and this is where the adventure begins. We particularly recommend theokonomiyaki. You can also come for brunch. The last renovations (2021) made the place even nicer than it was, more spacious, more modern, more zen. A very popular address in the neighborhood.

In the Valley Arcade, an unpretentious shopping centre, but in the intimate setting of an Italian tavern, La Salumeria offers tasty and, according to connoisseurs, authentic cuisine. The menu offers a wide selection of homemade pastas and pizzas for all tastes. But we prefer pasta to pizza! The ravioli, the creamy risotto and the gnocchi are well worth a visit. And overall, you won't be disappointed. A safe bet for over 20 years. In the evening, it is better to reserve.

Fogo Gaucho Churrascaria is THE Brazilian restaurant in Nairobi. Since 2008, its reputation is well established. You can eat a nice selection of meats (no less than 17 different cuts) and fish grilled on the barbecue, Brazilian style, accompanied by an all-you-can-eat buffet of various salads. A concept in Brazil called "Rodizio". Fogo Gaucho has a second restaurant in the Westlands area (Viking House). Takeaway and weekly specials are available (see website).

Cedars offers... fresh Lebanese specialties with authentic flavors. The brand has two restaurants. The first one is located in a large and pleasant house, for more than 20 years; the second one, inaugurated in 2020, is located in the district of Gigiri (very nice outdoor spaces, on the terrace or in the garden). The food is good (the great classics are represented there: chawarma, kebab, labneh, hummus, tabbouleh...), the mezes are copiousand the prices reasonable for a big capital. We return each time with pleasure.

Considered by many to be the best Italian restaurant in town, Mediterraneo offers a wide range of dishes (meat, pasta, seafood...) that are resolutely typical, as they are made with fresh local products and specific imported ingredients. We also specialise in pizza by the metre. The homemade ice creams will not fail to delight the gourmets. The setting is very pleasant and rather romantic. In the Mediterraneo family, there are two other restaurants in Nairobi, at Junction Mall and Gigiri.

A kind of local Starbucks, it mainly serves coffee in all its forms and, as an accompaniment, pastries and milkshakes of all kinds. In addition to these small delicacies, the menu offers a simple, fast-food type cuisine (of very random quality depending on the coffee shops). Just have coffee, usually good. The chain has expanded throughout the country, and Java Houses are now found in most major Kenyan cities. In Nairobi, there are more than 40 of them, they are often attached to shopping malls.

Priority given to health. Various salads and sandwiches prepared to the extent possible with organic products. The place may not be pleasant enough to settle there, but everything can be won. An excellent address.

Very reasonable prices. A good Asian restaurant renowned for its seafood products.

Small restaurant at the bottom of the entrance hall of the building. Excellent cuisine, soft atmosphere and small prices. Really good.