Food · Nairobi · Kenya
What to eat in Nairobi
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Nairobi, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Nyama choma, Ugali and Sukuma wiki. Order goat by the kilo at a garden grill, wait while it cooks slowly, and share it with ugali, kachumbari and cold Tusker beer. Mobile money (M-Pesa) is accepted almost everywhere, from roadside grills to restaurants; many visitors set it up on a local SIM.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Nyama choma
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 9
- Tipping
- Tip about 10% in sit-down restaurants when service is not included.
- Food experiences
- 3
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Nyama choma
Goat or beef grilled slowly over charcoal, chopped on a wooden board and eaten with the fingers with salt, kachumbari and ugali. Ordering by weight and sharing it with friends is a weekend ritual.
Where: Roadside grills and garden bars across the city; Carnivore in Langata serves it carved at the table from Maasai swords.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.Ugali
A stiff maize-flour porridge served in a firm mound, broken off by hand and used to scoop up stews and greens. It is the everyday staple across Kenya.
Where: Any local eatery (often called a hotel or kibanda), served with stew, greens or nyama choma.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Sukuma wiki
Collard greens sautéed with onion and tomato; the name means 'stretch the week', because it makes a meal go further.
Where: Served alongside ugali at canteens and home-style restaurants throughout Nairobi.
Dish · Vegetarian
4.Kachumbari
A fresh relish of chopped tomato, onion, coriander and chilli with lime, served with grilled meat to cut the richness.
Where: Comes with nyama choma at grills and bars; ask for extra chilli if you like heat.
Dish · Vegetarian
5.Githeri
A Kikuyu stew of boiled maize and beans, often fried up with onion, tomato and potatoes. Cheap, filling and common at lunchtime.
Where: Local canteens and office-district eateries in the CBD and Kilimani.
Dish · Vegetarian
6.Mukimo
A green mash of potatoes, peas, maize and pumpkin leaves from central Kenya, usually served with stew or nyama choma.
Where: Kenyan restaurants and nyama choma spots; it often appears as a side dish.
Bakery · Vegetarian
7.Chapati
Kenya's layered, pan-fried flatbread, introduced by Indian railway workers and now eaten everywhere with stews, beans or tea.
Where: Canteens, roadside stalls and breakfast menus all over the city.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
8.Mandazi
Lightly sweet fried dough triangles, sometimes flavoured with cardamom or coconut, eaten for breakfast or with an afternoon cup of tea.
Where: Bakeries, kiosks and canteens, usually piled in glass cases next to the tea urn.
Street food
9.Mutura
A Kenyan sausage of goat or beef intestine stuffed with minced meat, blood and spices, grilled over charcoal and sliced to order with kachumbari.
Where: Evening street grills near markets and bus stages, and some nyama choma joints.
Street food
10.Smokie pasua
A smoked sausage split lengthways and stuffed with kachumbari and chilli sauce, sold from street carts as a quick snack.
Where: Hand carts on CBD streets, near universities and at matatu stages.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Kenyan chai (Chai)
Black tea leaves boiled together with milk, sugar and sometimes ginger or cardamom. Kenya is one of the world's largest tea exporters, and chai is drunk at every hour.
Where: Every canteen and café; hotel breakfasts serve it from large flasks.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Kenyan coffee
Grown on the volcanic slopes of central Kenya, Kenyan arabica is known for bright acidity and blackcurrant notes. Most of the crop is exported, but local café chains now serve it well.
Where: Cafés in Westlands, Karen and Kilimani; coffee estates in Kiambu, north of the city, run farm tours.
Food experiences
Nyama choma afternoon
Order goat by the kilo at a garden grill, wait while it cooks slowly, and share it with ugali, kachumbari and cold Tusker beer. Weekend afternoons are when Nairobians do this with friends.
Carnivore in Langata
Open since 1980, Carnivore carves grilled meats at the table from Maasai swords until you lower the paper flag on your table. It has not served game meat for many years; beef, lamb, chicken and pork dominate.
Coffee estate tour in Kiambu
Coffee farms in Kiambu County, about 30–60 minutes north of the city depending on traffic, run tours that follow the bean from the bush through washing, drying and roasting to a tasting.
Quick bites and street food
- Chapati — Canteens, roadside stalls and breakfast menus all over the city.
- Mandazi — Bakeries, kiosks and canteens, usually piled in glass cases next to the tea urn.
- Mutura — Evening street grills near markets and bus stages, and some nyama choma joints.
- Smokie pasua — Hand carts on CBD streets, near universities and at matatu stages.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 9 are usually vegetarian: Ugali, Sukuma wiki, Kachumbari, Githeri, Mukimo, Chapati, Mandazi, Kenyan chai and Kenyan coffee. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Mobile money (M-Pesa) is accepted almost everywhere, from roadside grills to restaurants; many visitors set it up on a local SIM.
- Drink bottled or filtered water and choose cooked dishes over raw salads at small canteens.
- Nyama choma is priced by weight; agree the amount before it goes on the grill.
- Weekend lunch at garden restaurants in Karen and Langata fills up with families; book or arrive early.
- A service charge is not always included; check the bill before tipping.
Tipping
Tip about 10% in sit-down restaurants when service is not included. Safari guides and drivers are usually tipped per day at the end of a trip; ask your operator for current guidance.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jambo / Habari? | Hello / How are you? |
| Asante sana | Thank you very much |
| Karibu | Welcome / you're welcome |
| Bei gani? | How much is it? |
| Pole pole | Slowly, slowly (take it easy) |
| Hakuna matata | No problem |
| Kwaheri | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Nairobi famous for?
Nyama choma, Ugali, Sukuma wiki and Kachumbari. Goat or beef grilled slowly over charcoal, chopped on a wooden board and eaten with the fingers with salt, kachumbari and ugali.
+Is Nairobi good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Ugali, Sukuma wiki and Kachumbari.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Nairobi?
Tip about 10% in sit-down restaurants when service is not included. Safari guides and drivers are usually tipped per day at the end of a trip; ask your operator for current guidance.