Best restaurants in Kigali

Run by an Italian chef, this upmarket venue wouldn’t be out of place in Milano, and gets top marks for its flawlessly prepared Italian specialties, including toothsome pasta dishes, risotto, grills, gourmet...

A highlight of the Kigali restaurant scene, Heaven has a relaxed, open-air deck bistro with a wide-ranging menu drawing from a variety of international influences. It's hugely popular with expats and travellers,...

This attractive hacienda is set on a ridge where you can soak up the sparkling lights of Kigali by night or get a bird’s-eye appreciation of the city during the day. It boasts a broad menu of French favourites as...

This sassy cafe in a modern shopping mall is worth visiting for its wholesome dishes and tempting selection of coffees, teas and smoothies. Stop in briefly for a gourmet sandwich and latte, or stay longer and...

Dining at this upscale gourmet bistro is a treat. The elegant dining room is decorated with earthy tones and classy furniture and the imaginatively prepared, French-inspired cuisine (with a bow to local...

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 list of Indian classics, including richly flavoured tandoori...

Sassy Pili-Pili ticks all the right boxes: a vast open-air terrace with superb views, a nifty pool, an enticing ethnic chic two-storey interior and a congenial atmosphere. It's a popular bar and restaurant, known...

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 business types roll in at lunch time for the lavish buffet...

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 time. Read a book on one of the comfy sofas, order food...

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 sandwiches, healthy salads, yoghurt) when you're solo. It also...

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 flock here for formal meals with panoramic views....

Many locals and expats rave about this Italian kitchen, and we share their unbridled enthusiasm. The food here (and the trattoria-inspired decor, with a lovely open-air terrace) is clearly above average for...

If satisfying pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas or well-prepared meat dishes make your stomach quiver with excitement, slide into this buzzy eatery in modern surrounds. It’s also known for its great lunch buffet...

With tinkling fountains and covered courtyard dining, this sublime restaurant offers Kigali's best Asian meals as well as Rwanda's first sushi dishes. This is where the well to do of Kigali come when they want to...

Set in an all-wood dining room, this widely acclaimed restaurant serves an exquisite selection of authentic Japanese, Korean and Chinese dishes – those in the know claim that the Beijing duck is among the very...

This popular coffee shop is the most central outlet of a popular local chain where good coffee, pastries, fruit juices, sandwiches and light meals are served up. Their Sunday brunch (RFr6500) is not to be missed....

There are a few excellent Indian restaurants in Kigali and Zaaffran, we reckon, is the pick of the lot. The menu is classic North Indian – tandooris, tikkas, biryanis and masalas are all there, plus a few...

Best known as one of Kigali's most atmospheric restaurants and bars, Repub Lounge serves up delicious meat dishes as well as respectable cocktails. The setting is classy and casual, with several cheerily...

This colourful eatery overlooking a busy thoroughfare has excellent, speedy service and has become deservedly popular for its monster-sized, brilliant-value, all-day buffet specialising in Rwandan staples....

What was once a warehouse is now a sleek venture with large windows looking onto the avenue. An array of pastries, cakes, tarts and sandwiches will tempt the devil in you. There's also first-rate coffee and...