Entree: Nairobi
Carnivore
Langata Road, Karen
Before wildlife protection laws came into force, Kenya's most well-known nyama choma (barbecue meat) restaurant served exotic game including zebra, hartebeest (antelope) and kudu. These days, visitors have to make do with beef, pork, lamb, chicken and farmed game meat such as crocodile, ostrich and camel. The meat is roasted on traditional Masai swords over an enormous charcoal pit at the restaurant's entrance. Carvers dressed in animal-print aprons and straw hats roam from table to table carving off chunks of meat onto hot plates in front of each guest. Each table has generous side servings of salad, vegetables and sauces. Expect to pay 1,550 Kenyan shillings (HK$184) per person for a set meal.
Talisman
320 Ngong Road, Karen
The restaurant's indoor and outdoor setting, decorated in a fusion of African and European styles, is where Nairobi's expatriate crowd hangs out. Eye-catching animal oil paintings - some are for sale - by local artists hang on the walls. The menu is an appealing mixture of dishes such as curries, stir-fries, pastas and meats, with a different special every day. Expect to pay about 1,500 Kenyan shillings for two courses.
Rusty Nail
Dagoretti Road, Karen
The decor might be Moroccan and Turkish but the food is anything but. Lunch and dinner menus change every week, serving British fare such as English roasts or steak and kidney pudding. The restaurant's pub is where foreigners working in Kenya gather. Mains cost from 450 to 900 Kenyan shillings.
Karen Blixen Coffee Garden
Karen Road, Karen
Most visitors will pop into the coffee garden after a tour of the Karen Blixen Museum. There are five dining areas including verandas and leafy outdoor garden areas where guests are serenaded by musicians (a New Orleans-style jazz band plays on Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons). The more upmarket L'Amour dining room is located in the historic Swedo House (built in 1901). The chefs dish up a range of international cuisine, from steak to crab diablo. Mains cost from 300 to 900 Kenyan shillings.
Horseman
Karen shopping centre
Langata Road, Karen
The Horseman's three dining areas are set on a patio among English-style gardens; there's an English pub to match. One section specialises in meat, another serves pizzas and the third has a fusion of Chinese, Indian and Kenyan food. Mains cost 300 to 500 Kenyan shillings.
Tamarind
Haile Selassie Avenue
Fresh seafood is flown in daily from the coast. Tamarind's gumbo is a delectable feast of lobster, crab, prawns, calamari and garlic salami simmered in a Creole broth, white wine and okra. Mains cost from 900 to 1,800 Kenyan shillings.