Lord Delamere's Terrace

#NRW2014 posts continue, this time in CBD.  Located opposite University of Nairobi, Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel is home to several restaurants including the open air cafe for which they are best known, Lord Delamere's Terrace, named for one of Kenya's original settlers. While the interior of the hotel and terrace were lovely, overlooking an active construction site did not lend itself to the ambiance one would expect from such a historical establishment. Fortunately, this is transitional and should hopefully be remedied at some point in the near future.... That, I suppose, is what happens when Nairobi literally grows up around the luxury hotel.

It's dark, but you can't miss the lights of the campus and lovely metal construction boards

The menu gave three selections for the starters and main courses. Since I was accompanied by a couple of friends we tried to choose different dishes in order to experience the full array of offerings.

Mandhari Restaurant

Yesterday evening I sat on the Mandhari Terrace in the Serena Hotel just outside of City Center and was wined and dined by my favorite Curry Delight. The restaurant was quiet, a relief from the other restaurants we had considered dining that night. The table overlooked the pool and CBD and was punctuated with the musical musings of a bevy of frogs and crickets with only an occasional burst of laughter wafting up from the pool bar below.

The waitstaff was attentive, if a bit hovering, but very professional. All I needed to do was to turn my head in their direction before someone scurried over to assist us, and they never let our drinks empty without requesting if we needed another.

The head chef is French and apparently visits the restaurant several times a year but the menu provides an array of choices ranging from set multi-course menus to continental a la carte or even a surprise five course menu specially designed by the chef. The cocktail selection was nothing exciting, just the typical drinks you expect to see in Kenya- Pimms, Dawa, Bloody Mary, with a couple of others thrown in to round off the menu. Their wine menu was extensive, but as the sole consumer of wine my choices were a bit limited to those they sold by the glass as I did not want to attempt to drink an entire bottle by myself. 

Savannah: The Coffee Lounge

While I usually gravitate to Java House out of convenience and their more expansive menu, I definitely prefer Savannah's atmosphere and drink selections. I hadn't made it over to Savannah since I returned to Nairobi a mere month ago and took the opportunity to meet some friends there prior to an evening play showing just a few blocks away. Despite the fact that a ketchup bottle exploded all over my friend and myself and the waitstaff was more concerned with mopping up the table rather than bringing us napkins to clean up, the bitings and smoothies were good.

Habesha

I love me some good Ethiopian food.  And as a favorite of locals and expats alike, I consistently hear Habesha referred to as "the best Ethiopian restaurant in town."  So of course I had to try this place out.

Photo credit: http://www.wix.com/aladorgod/zembaba-2

Location: Arwings Kodhek in Kilimani and Utalii House off Uhuru Highway behind Laico Regency Hotel in City Centre (new location in Runda)
Price: A bit pricier than other Ethiopian fare; you pay for the atmosphere.  One large platter, meat dish, shiro, and drinks was 1850KSH (approx. $23)
Atmosphere: Kilimani- The outdoor seating in the garden is great, lots of space for large groups, but separated enough you don't feel like you're surrounded by other patrons.

Java House

With ten locations throughout Nairobi you can't miss Java House.  They have a wide variety of delectable pastries and even some Mexican dishes to choose from.  Granted, Nairobi's version of Mexican food is very different than a native Texan's, but it's definitely a nice option to have.  My personal fav is their tuna melt with masala chips.  Their masala tea and coffee, of course, is excellent as well.  I always go for a double white house coffee, they know just how much milk to put in without making it all white with no coffee (you wouldn't think this would be a difficult task, but you'd be surprised).  If you want to take a little bit of Nairobi home, you can also buy Java House coffee beans at the restaurant or any grocery store.

Debonairs Pizza

Photo credit: http://www.debonairs.co.ke/

Locations: City Center- Muindi Mbingu, Village Market- Limuru Road, Ngong Road- Uchumi Hyper

Price: Two large pizzas and two drinks- 1680 KSH

Free Delivery: Free delivery available within a 5 km radius from the restaurant. A minimum order of 400 KSH is required to qualify for free delivery.