Tag-Archive for » Nairobi «

The Jams of Nairobi

15 Feb 2011
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Picture: Nairobi Traffic Jam1 The Jams of NairobiTraffic jams are a part of  life in Nairobi. At times, they pop out of nowhere for no apparent reason, while at other times times, they are very predictable.

Wisdom dictates when to avoid driving at all costs: At the beginning of month, when people have just been paid their salaries, every Tom, Dick and Harry puts a KSh 1000 worth of fuel, and takes the car that is otherwise parked. That’s why, at the beginning of the month, the streets are crowded with small cars, and drivers with dubious traffic skills. As the end of the month gets closer, only the big cars, driven by those who don’t need to worry about affording the fuel, remain. A first-time visitor arriving on the 31st can be forgiven for believing that every Kenyan drives an SUV.

Special occasion days are highly susceptible to jams, and if it rains heavily, brace yourself for an average speed om 1 km/h, while praying you won’t run out of fuel!

The well-informed driver may know some smart shortcuts to dodge the jam, but more often than not, a shortcut is the longest distance between two points, as too many of the other drivers are equally well-informed!

Despite a significant improvement of the roads network in the recent years, under Kibaki’s presidency, the “missing links” still scar Nairobi’s road network. These are main roads that were planned, but never built. Often encroached on by small slum settlements, a few ones have been cleared of squatters, and now provide a dusty, bumpy alternative for drivers desperately attempting to evade the jams on the main roads.

Every other such “missing link”, it seems, is unfinished due to the gazillion small rivers that run through Nairobi. Looking at your GPS map, you may see a road that connects 2 or more main roads, and that miraculously is devoid of jam, only to discover that the “road” suddenly runs into a steep dip, and then disappears into an undrivable nature trail crossing a river. So dear Nairobi City Council, and dear Kenya Urban Roads Authority: Can you please build a few more bridges, dammit?

GPS navigation systems are yet to get widespread, as navi maps for Nairobi are yet to be made avilable. That, of course, is no problem for anyone with an Android phone that has Google Maps! Try not getting arrested for reading maps on your phone while driving, though, as police take a very keen interest in such transgressions! Tinted car windows are highly recommended!

Yesterday being Valentines Day, with heavy rains descending on the city, the circumstances were right for the perfect jam! My girlfriend, Beatrice, was getting home from work early. As the skies unleashed their torrents, she attempted to cut the jam by doing one of the infamous “shortcuts”, through South C. Big mistake! 5 hours later, skipping any romantic prelude to the dinner, a starving couple was rushing to the restaurant, where we were ridiculously late for our booking. It was 11, so the kitchen was just about to close, but only just! Better late than never, and for sure, we were the last guests to get served! Picture: icon smile The Jams of Nairobi

So is a Nairobi without jams even conceivable? A lot has happened with the roads under President Kibaki. The only problem is that so much more still needs to be done! Some very promising projects are going on, with the Japanese funding the Western Ring Road (planned in 1963!), and the EU funding the Northern part of it, it may soon be possible to drive from Ngong Road to Ngara without encountering a roundabout. With other ongoing projects, such as Thika Road being upgraded to a 12-lane superhighway, Ngong Road and Langata Road being upgraded to dual carriage, and the Northern, Eastern and Southern Bypasses diverting transit traffic away from the city, things are likely to ease up a bit. But how much does that help, when the number of vehicles keeps rising exponentially?

Eventually, what Nairobi needs is a proper high-speed, high capacity mass transit system that can make it possible, and even comfortable for people to leave their cars at home. Until then, brace for more endless hours in the jam!

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Rolf’s Place

17 Jan 2011
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Picture: Rolfs Place Rolfs PlaceThere is no shortage of awesome places to eat in and around Nairobi, with new additions to the culinary scene popping up at an almost daily basis. I have written quite a bit about this in previous blog posts, notably Wining and Dining in Nairobi, and City Guide to Nairobi, and according to my blog stats, readers love those posts, so obviously, restaurants in Nairobi is a subject that attracts people’s attention.

Having been a terrible blogger lately, I finally got some inspiration back today, after visiting Rolf’s Place, in Ongata Rongai. This place does not in any way have the fame it deserves. Being an avid explorer of the restaurant scene in Nairobi throughout the past decade, even I had not heard about it until a few weeks ago.

With my parents spending the first 4 months of their retirement in Kenya, my girlfriend and I are making a point out of showing them places you won’t necessarily find in the tourist guidebooks. As a friend had warmly recommended that we check out Rolf’s Place, we googled it, called and made a reservation (which turned out to be a smart move, as we saw several guests without reservations getting turned away).

Getting there is a pretty quick and pleasant drive on a Sunday, as there isn’t too much traffic, and the road is smooth until the last few hundred meters. After branching off from Magadi Road, the road gets a bit bumpy and dusty, and then, suddenly, you are there!

Rolf’s Place lies on top of a cliff, overlooking a small river valley, so needless to say, there is a quite splendid view from the restaurant. The only way to get there is across the suspension bridge, so already there, you get a clear indication that this is going to be an experience quite out of the ordinary.

The building – a small and exquisit hotel in addition to the restaurant – has a very obvious touch of classic German architecture, mixed with some local design that inevitably involves Kitengela glass! Picture: icon smile Rolfs Place

The owner and chef, Mr. Rolf Schmid, from Germany, is ever-present with the guests, ensuring a strong personal touch, and the characteristic German perfectionism and attention to detail.

When the waiters tell you that the Zanzibari Coconut Fish Soup is the best in Nairobi, that is no exaggeration, and skipping it would be a tragic loss for any first-time visitor. The restaurant has its own fish pond, so their fish is as fresh as it gets! The chicken à la Kiev is absolutely delicious too!

Although I was not really in the mood for dessert, an accidental look at the menu triggered my addiction to tiramisu. Fortunately, the one they have, ranks among the best I have ever tasted! Except for the fact that they were a bit slow to bring the coffee, the service was also close to perfect.

They also have hotel rooms that are not even very expensive, a nice swimming pool, a steam and a sauna. Doubtlessly something on the to-do-list for a weekend in the nearby future.

Category: Lifestyle  Tags: , , ,  One Comment

The Kluger!

07 Sep 2010
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Picture: Kluger1 300x168 The Kluger!

My new Toyota Kluger

So it finally got here, my Toyota Kluger!  After 3 months of patience, I am now cruising the roads of Nairobi in my new beast, straight from Japan!

I started looking for a car as soon as I got to Nairobi. The challenge in Nairobi is to find something reliable, as stories about people getting conned when buying cars in Nairobi are numerous.

Due to the state of the roads in Kenya (improving, but still with a long way to go), and the propensity of Kenyans towards reckless and/or drunk driving, people here are generally skeptical about buying cars that have been used in their own country.  Car dealers that import used cars from abroad, use the words “never driven locally” as a stamp of quality at every occasion possible, and any car salesperson will make sure to emphasize those words thoroughly when presenting a vehicle to a potential buyer.

After having been presented a significant number of cars, and after hearing the words “never driven locally” a couple of times each time, I decided that Kluger was the car for me. Remaining was the question of reliability.

It was therefore a relief to discover that an old friend and former flatmate of mine had entered the car import business. At least that meant that someone I can trust, could get me the never-driven-locally car I wanted, and get it through the kafkaesque bureaucracy at the Mombasa port.

Toyota Kluger is also known as Toyota Highlander – a sleek and elegant mid-size SUV – just the kind of car you want to drive in Kenya. Although improving, large parts of the road network is still in disrepair, so to get anywhere off the main roads in Nairobi and between the major cities, a 4WD is still advisable. When it comes to the choice of manufacturer, every other car on the roads in Kenya is a Toyota, so spare parts are easily available, at a reasonable price.

While waiting for the Kluger to arrive, I bargained a really good deal for hiring a Toyota Fielder (of course, as Kenyans are crazy about their Toyotas!). Driving that one around was a constant reminder of why a 4WD is a necessity!

Although the road quality in Nairobi has improved beyond recognition since my first arrival in 2002, huge and numerous potholes are still a frequent feature on many non-key roads. As maddening traffic jams are an integral part of the Nairobi way of life, small dirt roads, and “missing links” (barely drivable, untarmacked road reserves, once intended as major highways) become a necessary evil in the lives of many motorists facing the unbearable rush hours. Although you may get through many of those roads in a  small car too, the ride is infinitely more comfortable in an SUV.

Aggressive driving is required to get anywhere in Nairobi. Try and be polite and considerate, and you’ll simply find yourself stuck, as the roads are ruled by the law of the jungle. The bigger the car, the less bullyish you need to be, though. People tend to back off for the big beasts, so size does indeed matter in Nairobi!

Fuel consumption may be slightly higher than on the Fielder I was first driving, and for an environmentalist like me, that is indeed a dillema. Nairobi is not Europe, though, and comfort matters. So does the ability to get around, not to mention on some of the smaller roads outside Nairobi – roads that the travel-savvy will inevitably encounter.

Until further notice, it is therefore my clear opinion that a Toyota Kluger is one of the most awesome vehicles a person can drive in Nairobi! So far, I’m enjoying it massively, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon! Picture: icon smile The Kluger!

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Wining and dining in Nairobi

30 Aug 2010
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It’s been a while since I wrote my most popular blog post ever, City Guide to Nairobi – the Green City in the Sun, read over 30 000 times since I posted it. At that time, I was back in Norway, and wrote it out of nostalgia for a city that I love!

The good news is that I’m back in Nairobi now, and since returning, I’ve made a dedicated effort to explore all the new places that have popped up in the past few years.  As the city is booming, and there is ever more to do here, I’ll keep myself to more specific topics than a general guide to the city.  Passionate as I am about good food and nice restaurants, Wining and Dining in Nairobi is an obvious topic for me to write about, so that’s what I’m dedicating this post to!

Being a fast-growing, cosmopolitan city with a booming economy, Nairobi has an infinity of nice restaurants.  One could fill a book describing them all, so I am limiting myself to selection of some few, particularly recommendable ones. Many new places have popped up since the last time I lived in Nairobi (2002-2005), so there’s a lot to get excited about here!

Cedars

Cedars is THE old and famous Lebanese restaurant in Nairobi. It’s been around for as long as I can remember. At least it was there when I arrived in Nairobi the first time in 2002.  Once you enter this place, you notice the exquisit finishing of a high-quality restaurant.  It is owned by a Norwegian who has lived in Nairobi for decades, and  unlike most restaurants in Nairobi, who tend to lose their touch and become quite worn-down after a while, Cedars has kept it’s quality up.  Their Mezze are delicious, and the obvious easy choice for most people who eat there. That’s a bit unfortunate, because as great as their Mezze are, there’s also a great variety of other mouthwatering, top-quality Lebanese dishes. It’s among the pricier restaurants in Nairobi, but totally worth it.  Nice South African, and great Lebanese wines. They also have a small, but very popular bar, and they serve sheeshas in the tent outside.

Casablanca/Osteria

Casablanca is one of Nairobi’s most famous night clubs! The style is North African, with lanterns, comfortable couches, huge cushions, and of course sheeshas!  Although it has become a bit worn-down since their beginnings in 2005, they still maintain a style, quality and cosyness that makes it well worth the visits, despite being among the most expensive night club in the city.  They also have the best cocktails by far! Their waiters could be a bit faster, though, so don’t expect to get what you order for immediately. There’s also a certain market for personal services off the menu, but the providers of those services are fortunately not as pushy as in many of the other clubs in Nairobi.

Casablanca is co-located with the almost equally famous Italian restaurant Osteria, which unfortunately doesn’t quite live up to the reputation it is trying to maintain.  Despite the exquisit Italian rustique interior and romantic atmosphere, Osteria doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. They can even serve you soups made from instant-soup bags, and charge you KSh 800 (€8) for it!  They have some OK main courses, but are simply not worth the price. Fortunately, there are other nice Italian restaurants nearby.

DiVino

Picture: Divino Avocado Red Snapper 300x164 Wining and dining in Nairobi

Grilled Red Snapper with Avocado at DiVino

DiVino, a relatively new restaurant on Argwings Kodhek Road is among the best choices you can make in Nairobi when going for a dinner.  The cuisine is international, Mediterranean-inspired. The design and the style are striking from the moment you enter. There is no doubt you are entering a high-class place! The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable.  The seafood is outright excellent, and especially their grilled fish meals. Don’t miss out on the soups for startes either!

They also have nice, thin and crispy, Italian-style pizzas, and a good wine list. Like most Nairobi restaurants, even high-end ones, they don’t give you the name of the wines, though, only the type.

The waiters here are attentive of the customers’ needs, and you get what you order for quickly. That’s something you can only say about very few restaurants in Nairobi.

Sierra

Picture: Sierra 225x300 Wining and dining in Nairobi

Sierra - balcony bar upstairs

Sierra is a rather new addition to Nairobi’s wining and dining world. Situated on the 2nd and 3rd floor at Yaya Centre, the downstairs is a bar, with the restaurant upstairs.  The design is posh, yet simple and elegant.  The menu is a bit short, with mostly quick, yet tasty meals and snacks. I particularly like their calamari, and they also have great burgers! There is a regular dining menu also, but I’m yet to try that one, so I’ll update this post once I have.  They have their own micro-brewery, so the beers they serve are from their own Sierra brand.

The balcony upstairs is a very comfortable – and popular place for afternoon beers, especially on Fridays, and is definitely worth a visit!

Habesha

When they started, Habesha, on Argwings Kodhek Road were a revolution for Ethiopian food in Nairobi. At that time, it was doubtlessly the best Ethiopian restaurant in Nairobi, with a beautiful, green garden restaurant and an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Of course, the food was tasty and delicious, the service was fast and the waiters friendly, and the owner was always present ensuring the place had his personal touch all the time.

Today, little is left of the Habesha that once was. The only reason why I’m even mentioning it here, is to warn people against going there! While the ambience remains, the food quality has degenerated into a tragedy, and severeal people, including myself, have fallen sick after eating at Habesha.  On top of that, the waiters will almost inevitably try to rip you off by inflating the bill, and insult you if you protest!

Smart Village

Picture: Smart Village 300x225 Wining and dining in Nairobi

Smart Village

Fortunately, those who love Ethiopian food don’t even have to go far! On Kirichwa Road, Just off Argwings Kodhek Road, is a restaurant called Smart Village. It’s actually Eritrean, which is exactly the same (just don’t say that to an Eritrean, as they tend to dislike being reminded about it!).

The main section of Smart Village is a gigantic walled tent. The smell of incense and fresh roasted coffee beans are among the first impressions that greet you when you enter. The seats and tables are elegantly cut from woodlogs, giving the the place a very natural, down-to-earth ambience.

The food is reminescent of what Habesha used to have in the good old days, and they also have the characteristic layered cocktails of fresh fruit juices that you generally associate with Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants, but that few actually have.

Misono

On Lenana Road, just after Cedars and Osteria/Casablanca, is Misono, a decently nice Japanese restaurant with a big reputation.  Their food is OK, but not excellent, and their sushis are not the best.  The interior and the atmosphere compensate somewhat for that, but not enough to justify the price level, which is among the highest in Nairobi.

La Salumeria

One of Nairobi’s most romantic, and well-kept secrets is La Salumeria.  Well hidden behind the charming, old Valley Arcade on Gitanga Road, this Italian restaurant is one you are not likely to stumble across unless you know exactly what you are looking for.  Not only does this place have an authenticity that none of the other Italian restaurants in Nairobi can match, it also has great food, and very skilled waiters that are fast, polite and attentive. They also know the food and wine list throughout, and can actually offer good advice, something which is quite unique for Kenyan waiters. The ultimate place for a date, guaranteed to impress whoever you are taking out!

Spring Garden

After my all-time favorite Chinese Restaurant – For You – burnt down to the ground 3 months ago, I was desperately looking for something the could even compare.  Amazingly, we incidentally stumbled across Spring Garden, on James Gichuru Road, just a few hundred meters off Gitanga Road.  This place has a similar, authentic Chinese ambience, quality interior design and great Chinese food.  They also have a nice garden, that could well have been better utilised for dining tables in a green setting.  Nevertheless, Spring Garden immediately took the top place on my list of Chinese restaurants in Nairobi.  The service is fast, the waiters are professional and friendly, yet the place has a very personal touch.

The icing of the cake is the price level.  Most meals here are KSh 400-600 (€4-6), placing it in the nice-price mid-level price range, yet with high quality.

Kengele’s Lavington

Kengele’s is a chain of mid-range, good quality restaurants in Nairobi. My favorite is the one on Lavington Mall, after the one opposite Yaya closed down.  The food is African/International, with tasty snacks and big TV screens for sports events.  Characteristially, all Kengele’s restaurants are lush and green, with lots of plants and ivy, giving a garden ambience. The one in Lavington even has an indoor waterfall!  Waiters can be dreadfully slow, though, so don’t go to Kengele’s if you’re in a hurry!

Havana

Already a legend, Havana in Westlands is more known as a pub than as a restaurant. A popular hangout spot for young expatriates during weekend nights, this place also has som excellent Latin American food.  Of course, the reputation as a nice place for drinks is well-deserved, and they certainly have nice mojitos too!

Onami

Located on top of the Westgate Mall, this is doubtlessly the best sushi place in Nairobi. It has the very posh and luxurious design and large space you can expect from a high-quality Japanese restaurant. The price level is quite high after Kenyan standards (€12-€20 for a good sushi meal), but totally worth it.

They have a wide selection of nigiri and maki, and it’s all top quality, so I would definitely recommend picking your own combination of sushi rather than going for any of the preset menus.

Le Rustique

A big favorite of mine in Nairobi!  Le Rustique, is a mediterranean restaurant in Parklands, on General Mathenge Drive.  True to it’s name, the place offers a rustique, South European style setting, with a cosy garden section, friendly waiters and decently quick(!) service.  The atmosphere is south european, and the food is mediaterranean, with a strong global fusion twist.

There is no regular menu, as they change it on a weekly basis, so you will always find something new. The seafood is generally excellent, and especially the fish. They have a short, but high-quality wine list, and a nice variety of fresh fruit juices (tree tomato juice being highly recommended)!

Corner Bistro

Picture: Corner Bistro 300x168 Wining and dining in Nairobi

Corner Bistro

Located on the corner of Rhapta Road and Mvuli Road in Westlands, this garden restaurant is stylish, yet cosy.  The food is Italian, and actually stands out quite well from “standard” Italian restaurants in Nairobi with a pretty exciting menu. Their bacon-wrapped chicken in mustard sauce is excellent, so are their veal steaks.  Like most Nairobi restaurants, they only list the types, and not the names of their wines, but at least they have some selection to chose from. They also have great fresh fruit juices, especially their tangerine juice.

Tamambo

Tamambo is a brasserie-style restaurant at the Westlands Mall. It is part of the Tamarind Group, that has some of the best-reputed and highest-quality restaurants in Kenya.

The waiters are extremely attentive and professional, and that is a great plus. The food, despite being quite innovative, and sounding mouthwatering from the menu, is not all that great though.  The food experience really doesn’t justify the price level, and it’s sad, because the atmosphere and the service is great!  This is also one of the very few places in Kenya with a proper wine list, where they give you not only a wide variety of wines, and the names and not just the types and regions. The wine list even features descriptions of each wine, so it’s really a connoisseur’s place. Too bad about the food, though!

Talisman

Well worth an excursion out of town is Talisman, in Karen. My boss was the first one to recommend this place to me, and it was so totally worth it!

This restaurant has some of the same ambience as Le Rustique, only more of it, and many times bigger!  It has a huge garden, and, as Karen is 30 minute trip from Nairobi (that is, with absolutely no jam!), the air is so clean you can’t fail to notice if you’re used to Nairobi.

The menu is an exciting international fusion, and all their food is quite experimental, but delicious.  Perfect place for a lunch out of town during a weekend. A lot of other people tend to have the same idea, though, so it may sometimes be hard to get a table.

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Kenya prepares for the big celebration

26 Aug 2010
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Picture: Nairobi harambee avenue 168x300 Kenya prepares for the big celebrationTomorrow, on Friday, August 27th, President Mwai Kibaki signs the new constitution into the supreme law of Kenya.

“Promulgation” (enactment by proclamation) is the word on everyone’s lips, and those of us who thought that the news would feature other issues than the new constitution after the referendum was concluded, were proven terribly wrong.

Kenya is now gearing up for the biggest celebration since independence. A mind-blowing show, with the country’s biggest military parade ever, is being prepared in Uhuru Park.  Nairobi is undergoing a rapid but thorough shine-up, with traffic lights being repaired, and public buildings being decorated in preparation for the event. Harambee Avenue, featuring prominent government buildings such as the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, KICC and Parliament is richly decorated with the colours of the Kenyan flag.

8 African heads of state are expected. Along with the President, the entire cabinet, all members of Parliament, and the Chief Justice, these prominences will be gathered in the same place in public, and needelss to say, this has led to unprecendented security measures. Uhuru Park, where the cermony will take place, has been a no-go zone since Wednesday, sealed off by armed GSU (paramilitary) forces. Some of the surrounding roads have also been blocked, leading to abnormally massive jams  in a city where the latter is already a frequent feature.

Those minor obstacles do nothing to quell the enthusiasm about tomorrow’s event, though. There is a euphoria about the new constitution comparable to the one after the 2002 election. The birth of the Second Republic signifies the rebirth of the nation to most Kenyans. Expectations are sky high as the new constitution is about to be promulgated, with hopes that a more accountable, more transparent and more democratic model of governance will put Kenya firmly and irreversibly on the track to a free and prosperous future!

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