Kenyan food is generous, unfussy and made for sharing. Here is where to start.

The Kenyan table

  • Nyama choma means grilled meat, usually goat or beef. It is a weekend ritual, ordered by weight, brought to the table on a board, and shared with friends.
  • Ugali is a firm maize-meal staple, eaten by hand with stews, greens or nyama choma.
  • Sukuma wiki is sautéed collard greens, the everyday side for almost everything.
  • Chapati is a soft, layered flatbread, perfect with a bean or beef stew.
  • Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad that cuts through grilled meat.

Carnivore

Nairobi’s best-known meat restaurant is an experience as much as a meal. At Carnivore, meats are roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a huge charcoal pit at the entrance, then carved at your table onto hot cast-iron plates.

The fixed-price meal includes soup, salads, vegetable sides, sauces, dessert and coffee, and there is a vegetarian menu too. Book ahead for dinner, especially at weekends.

Coffee and brunch

Kenya grows some of the world’s most celebrated coffee, and Nairobi has no shortage of cafés to drink it in, many of them around Kilimani, Westlands and Karen. Ask us for our current favourites near your stay: they change faster than any guide can keep up with.

Good to know

Opening hours and menus change, so check before you go. Card and M-Pesa payments are widely accepted, and a tip of around ten per cent is appreciated where service isn’t included.

Photo credits