VIPINGO RIDGE’S BEACH RESTAURANT
Dine at Vipingo’s private beach which is set on the secluded Kuruwitu Marine Park a few kilometres outside the property’s main gate. Shaded under frangipani and palm trees, sit at one of the wooden tables with a distressed pink finish. The ambiance here is very rustic and laid back with Makuti thatched roofs and wooden swinging daybeds overlooking the sea. The menu has distinct Mediterranean and Oriental influences with an array of seafood like fresh lobster, prawns, calamari and fresh fish served various ways, home-made pasta and more.
TROUT TREE, NANYUKI
Walking into this eco friendly restaurant, you are bound to love it. This gem is built into a huge fig tree with wooden floorboards, bridges and furniture giving it a very rustic feel. It is located right next to a river which provides water for the restaurant’s several trout ponds, from which they farm the house signature dish: trout. The apparently even keep their beverages in crates stored in the cool river, and these are hauled up by rope whenever one places an order.
THE FOOD MOVEMENT, KILIFI
The quirky and rustic space is surrounded by fig and baobab trees and one wall has a striking mural by 4shore design whose studio is right next door. The innovative and affordable dishes here are constantly changing, and each is a carefully curated blend of flavours that one might either not think to put together- the owner is for instance experimenting with bacon ice cream. They use fresh locally grown vegetables, free-range organic beef and fowl and freshly caught seafood from Kilifi Creek.
FORODHANI NIGHT MARKET, STONE TOWN
This is a glorious seafront night market bustling with tourists and locals alike, with vendors selling different delicacies all being cooked live. Here, the smell of an octopus being dipped in hot oil or thick garlic flatbread hitting a pan mingles oh so pleasantly with the salty smell of the evening air. Be sure to try the Zanzibar pizza which is made with a very specific technique. It is a closed/stuffed pizza and comes in combinations like mango & nutella, although savoury options are also available.