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Nairobi’s best restaurants and cafés

You are in Nairobi with your group of friends and looking for a nice place for a quick coffee, a tasty breakfast/lunch, a hearty drink or a sumptuous dinner. Then you've come to the right place in this vibrant city. Where 15 years ago you could choose from nice restaurants that could be counted on one hand, there is now plenty of choice of restaurants and cafes in Nairobi. And there are only more and more hip joints every year! We list the breakfast/lunch, coffee, drinks and dinner highlights in Nairobi for you.

Charlie's Travels | Blog | Nairobi’s best restaurants and cafés

Breakfast & lunch in Nairobi

Are you ready for a divine eggs benedict, avo toast or fresh smoothie? There are plenty of great places for a tasty breakfast or lunch in Nairobi. Almost all of them are very affordable and have a great atmosphere.

Pallet Café

In the central, green district of Lavington you will find a very idyllic little place where you can go for a nice breakfast or lunch. As soon as you step inside, you find yourself in a green oasis in the middle of the city. The friendly staff serving you is deaf, although you won't notice. With lip-reading and a few simple gestures, they take your order in no time. The menu is full of delicious things; think a healthy granola bowl, a vegan breakfast burrito or fresh shakshuka. Are you salivating already?

Le Grenier à Pain

For breakfast or lunch with French vibes, head to le Grenier à Pain. A café with French roots where you take a seat at a table for fresh scrambled eggs & avo toast made on fresh bread, but where you can also buy bread (for your hotel room, for example) from the bakery. Or how about a delicious tart or fresh almond croissant? They can bake bread and sweets like the best here.

Wasp & Sprout

Cosy, hip and delicious. On Sundays, this place is full of expat families who come here for breakfast or lunch. And not without reason. Apart from being very cosy (inside or outside), there are also super tasty things on the menu. And there are nice little shops around this café. Go for a freshly squeezed juice, thai peanut noodles or just a really good burger. There is everything on the menu here!

Trendy coffee shops in Nairobi

Looking for a nice coffee shop in Nairobi? They make coffee very well here. They grow a lot of coffee in Kenya, so they should! Read on for the best options.

Spring Valley Coffee

When you sit in one of Spring Valley Coffee's branches, you imagine yourself in a hip spot that might as well have been in our capital. The coffee is good, the vibe is chill, the snacks are tasty and the staff are cheerful and helpful. If you are looking for good coffee in Nairobi, this is the place to visit for a good latte-to-go!

Kesh kesh

Another hip chicken among coffee joints. You can sit here very cosily outside (inside is also possible), on a cosy balcony with low-hanging branches for a romantic atmosphere. Besides jummie coffee, you can also have lunch here. Go for an English breakfast with sausage and beans or the classic avo toast.

Barista & Co

This coffee shop has branches all over Nairobi. Ideal if you want to meet somewhere and are in the mood for good coffee and food. You can drink delicious smoothies and juices, sip coffee but also have breakfast and lunch with a variety of dishes. And for your sugar cravings, there are also cakes, croissants and other yummy sweetmeats.

Cafés & restaurants in Nairobi for drinks or fine dining

Eating out in Nairobi with the whole group? That's going to be a tough choice! From Indian cuisine, traditional Kenyan cuisine to Western cuisine; it's all here. There is also plenty of choice for a cosy drink. We will gladly tell you more about our favourites.

Crafty Chameleon

If you fancy a casual dinner out together; think lots of drinks but also the possibility of a good plate of food; then this is a very good option. Crafty Chameleon is a brewery and restaurant. That means tasty beers, but also good pizzas, tasty appetisers and a variety of main dishes. The interior is hip and cosy, the music is on and there is plenty of room. Ideal to settle down here with your group of friends for a well-deserved drink and/or dinner after a long day of activities.

Beit é Salam

If you are looking for a fancy restaurant in Nairobi where you eat really well, this is the place to be. Beit é Salam does not mean ‘house of peace’ for nothing, because you will find yourself in an oasis of peace here. The interior is modern, eclectic and quirky and so is the menu; a creative mix of African influences. Think masala potato with tamarind and dhania chutney (say what?) or a vegan roasted cauliflower steak. Hmmm!

Bamba

This is basically the place to be. This restaurant has a hip look, with good lighting and seating under a cool canopy. The idea is to order many dishes and share them with each other; ideal if you want to snack with the whole bubs. Most dishes have a Lebanese twist, think fresh halloumi and hummus. But you also eat tasty pizza here and there are lots of surprising cocktails on the menu! Top for a nice drink or dinner in the middle of buzzing Nairobi.

Nairobi Street Kitchen

The name says it all; here they have recreated the concept of a street kitchen. It is a restaurant where you can get delicious food from all sorts of different stalls. From butter chicken, to noodles and pizza. Find a cosy table where you sit with the whole group and order a beer or a cocktail to go with it. On Thursdays, they have salsa night, when the African hips are shaken loose. Party time! On other days, there is also a regular fun party going on just above the restaurant. Here you will find a top combo of tasty drinks, good food and the opportunity to dance!

Cultiva

Anyone who lives in Nairobi and loves good food knows this joint. Here you will find vegetables straight from their own farm on your plate. The creative combination of different, surprising vegetables and sauces make for a taste explosion. They can do anything with vegetables here, but carnivores will also be very happy. And the seating here is also extremely cosy. You sit outside, but covered. There are heaters everywhere and cosy, hip seating areas with plants around you. A must-visit if you want to eat out with a group in Nairobi.

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