Kigali
Statues of a rotund Ganesh and a blissed-out Shiva dot what locals generally agree is one of the best Indian restaurants in Kigali. The menu has a long…
Must-see restaurants in East Africa
Nairobi
Habesha is a favourite among Ethiopian cuisine enthusiasts. Let the aromas of frankincense and Ethiopian coffee waft around you as you devour traditional…
Nairobi
Silk Noodles offers the best hand-pulled Chinese noodles or lamian in town. This tiny restaurant in Remax Shopping Village churns out bowls of fresh,…
Nairobi
This sweet little cafe is tucked away under the shade of eucalyptus trees. It is the perfect pit stop after a walk, run or bike ride. Indulge in one of…
Zanzibar Town
It's not just yoghurt here. As well as creamy lassis (yoghurt drinks) and snacks, Madam Blanche Luis cooks up Goan specialities such as coconut crab curry…
Mombasa
Once your eyes have adjusted to the dazzling strip lights, feast them on the tasty menu at this very popular Swahili restaurant. Mishikaki (marinated,…
Bistro Restaurant & Wine Garage
Rwanda
This sassy eatery not far from the beach has an outdoor patio and becomes atmospheric at night. There's a small selection of well-executed dishes,…
Zanzibar Island
Mangapwani Serena Beach Club is a restaurant in a delightful setting with tables and safari chairs on small decks under the trees overlooking the beach…
Kigali
This super popular restaurant, which lives in a large, converted house with a leafy patio, offers the most diverse dining experience in the city. Lots of…
Fort Portal
Coveted by travellers, this elegant cafe has a creative menu featuring crocodile burgers, Flemish beef stew with Guinness and mash, and a selection of 46…
Zanzibar Town
Bringing a dash of Italian brio to Zanzibar Town, La Taverna has a warm terracotta-tiled interior with the requisite checked tablecloths and an outside…
Zanzibar Town
Come to eat, drink or both. There are well-prepared tapas, pizzas and Spanish-favoured snacks, plus beers, a range of wines and other drinks, including…
Nairobi
Pan-African cuisine can be surprisingly difficult to find in Nairobi, which is one of many reasons to make the pilgrimage out to Mama Ashanti. Here, the…
Nairobi
Located in the new food hall of the revamped Village Market shopping complex, PoCha 254 Bar has just four chairs looking onto the little kitchen, evoking…
Nairobi
This is the koroga (meaning to stir in Kiswahili) place in town. This uniquely Kenyan style of dining involves groups cooking their own Indian dishes over…
Nairobi
This small Swahili canteen serves great food from the coast, including pilau (curried rice with meat), birianis (spicy rice casseroles) and coconut fish,…
Kigali
This gorgeous, bright and breezy space nestled in a verdant compound is emblematic of just how progressive and sophisticated Kigali has become in a short…
Rwanda
This popular local haunt is streets ahead of the hotel restaurants in town, at least in terms of atmosphere. There's a funky interior and seating on a…
Kigali
At the back of a bookshop, this little charmer makes a great setting for a meet-up with a friend or a fine spot to linger over a light meal (gourmet…
Mwanza
The hub of Mwanza’s expat population and a magnet to passing tourists, the restaurant of the Hotel Tilapia has an attractive terrace overlooking the lake…
Malindi
Pictures of vintage celebrities deck the wall at this, one of the best Italian places in Malindi. There's a formal dining room, which is great for an…
Lake Naivasha
The country club is a bit of an institution in these parts, and is the place to be seen having lunch. The daily buffet here is very good, served inside…
Kampala
It's really hard to fault this place, a bright, spotless and roomy cafe in the middle of downtown Kampala. A huge menu takes in everything from delicious …
Diani Beach
Lymington's sits right on the beach, within Kenyaways Kite Village. Lounge on the sofas beneath the magnificent baobab tree or take a breezy table…
Mombasa
A very welcome addition to the Old Town dining scene, Forodhani has an appealing terrace overlooking the ocean. The menu is a crowd-pleasing, extensive…
South Coast
You'll find salt-licked walls, white tablecloths and – if you eat in the intimate little cove at the end – breakers crashing beneath your feet at this…
Nairobi
So many cool Nairobi venues and cafes are set in a garden, and The Arbor knows the formula well. The Southeast Asian cooking (think curries and laksas) is…
Southern Rift Valley
Even if you're not staying at Roberts Camp, the Thirsty Goat is an institution worth visiting. Sip sundowners, listen to snorting hippos, grab a book from…
Kigali
Proudly perched on the top floor of the Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali’s most famous restaurant attracts its fair share of international scenesters, who…
Kilifi
Even if you're not staying here, join your distant relatives for dinner at this great, laid-back eatery atop Kilifi Creek. We rate the bacon-and-avo…
South Coast
Catering both to midnight and regular munchers, this round-the-clock fast-food joint has baffling decor (vintage red telephone box, menacing wide-angle…
Laikipia Plateau
The lodge's restaurant offers a set buffet for each of the day’s three meals, and while they’re pricey for this area, you’ll walk away well stuffed and…
Arusha
Cultured and laid-back, with the best soundtrack of any restaurant in Arusha, this place along the river behind the Natural History Museum is a popular…
Rwanda
With a roaring wood fire in the corner, a sort of rainforest lodge atmosphere (despite being on Musanze's main street) and a laid-back feel, this is one…
Zanzibar Town
Sit on the airy terrace underneath the pergola of exuberant bougainvillea and wait for enormous platters of tibs (grilled meat), injera (flatbread) and…
Diani Beach
This place and its culinary siblings (there are two other branches, one about halfway down the beach access road and another at Ukunda junction) do…
Rwanda
This hotel restaurant, with its open-air terrace and pleasantly faded dining room (there's a brighter room upstairs), is the most popular place in town…
Southwestern Uganda
An expat fave, this Danish-owned eatery is best known for its Friday night all-you-can-eat barbecue (USh40,000) with many side salads, but also serves…
Southern Rift Valley
The pick of the nyama choma (grilled meat) places at the Kikopey Nyama Choma Centre 31km north of Naivasha. The dining area is pretty run down, but the…
Kampala
Billing itself (perhaps unshockingly) as Uganda's first crêperie, this spot perched on top of Kololo Hill has sweeping views of Kampala. The main reason…
