5 Best Restaurants in Kenya

Considered the best restaurant at Diani Beach, this unique venue is in a naturally formed coral cave deep underground lit by candles and lanterns; it's definitely worth the splurge for the experience and ambience. Seafood is the main cuisine; you can't go wrong with the coconut salad with prawns, crab, and calamari, but you can also dine on French food such as steak with béarnaise sauce or roast duck. The wine list is also extensive, and there's a shuttle bus that will pick up and drop off people staying in the Diani Beach area. No children under six are allowed. 

A signature house cocktail—a dawa made of lime, vodka, honey, and crushed ice—will introduce you to a memorable meal and unforgettable experience at the best restaurant in town. Overlooking a creek flowing into the sea, the restaurant is designed like an old Moorish palace with high arches and tiled floors, and the sunsets from here are breathtaking. If you love seafood, you'll be in heaven; try the oysters and garlic prawns. You can also take a lunch- or dinner-dhow cruise ($75 for a four-course set menu) around Tudor Creek and soak up some sun and sea air by day, or watch the moon rise over the town by night, as a live band makes the food and endless drinks go down even better. The restaurant's Clifftop Terrace is a stylish sushi and cocktail bar, which is fantastic for pre-Tamarind dinner drinks, or a casual evening of sushi, ceviche, and cocktails.

A firm fixture on the tourist trail, Carnivore became famous for serving wild game. Although this is no longer the case, you can still get crocodile and ostrich as well as beef, pork, and lamb. The emphasis, as ever, is firmly on meat, and lots of it, roasted on traditional Maasai swords. Waiters carry the sizzling meat to your table on long skewers and carve whatever you wish onto the cast-iron platters that serve as plates. Only when you offer a little white flag of surrender do they stop carving. As strange as it may seem, there are also many excellent choices for vegetarians. There's an à la carte option if you feel your appetite may not be equal to the set menu.

This space merges an art gallery featuring local and international artists with manicured green lawns complete with a water fountain, live music, and food. In the backyard is a coffee stand by Ethiopian brand, Tomoca coffee, and plenty of areas to sit where customers enjoy dishes like chicken satay or lamb chops with hasselback potatoes. The cocktails average $9 and are named after numbers like the Seven, which has pink gin, pink tonic, strawberry puree, lime and rose water. 

Expect breathtaking 360-degree views of the city, while you dine at this revolving restaurant on the 24th floor of the Movenpick Hotel & Residences. The Mediterranean-inspired menu features an array of seafood, pasta, and soups to choose from; try the antipasti platter for a starter, and the roast pork loin with merlot wine sauce, served with grilled red bell pepper for the main. The tiramisu and lemon tart are an incredible way to end your meal. The hotel's all-day dining restaurant, Baluba, which was relaunched in May 2022, offers an East African and continental cuisine fusion.