Latest News

I Love Mondays: Tambourin Restaurant at Kempiski

There are places you walk into and you feel like you are in an alternate universe. Like the place just could not possibly be right smack in the middle of Nairobi. You know those places right? The ones that make you feel like you are in a bistro in Paris, or a bar in Ireland. Well Tambourin is one of those, makes you feel like you are in a Mediterranean or Persian country.

The Tambourin Lounge and Bar is situated on the roof top of Villa Rosa Kempinski in Westlands area in Nairobi. I went there a few weeks ago for the press launch of the bar and my did I not like it! When you walk in you are met by an array of Persian sweets and nuts, the entrance lobby gives you a sneak peak of the beauty that is to come.

You walk in and find the bar. It is beautiful. They told me they serve a special martini called the Zatta Martini which is infused with zatta an Arabic herb.

They have a formal sitting area as well as informal low seats. The table was beautifully set. how gorg is that plate though?

And then we ate and ate and ate

I absolutely loved the decor, very laid back, low pillows and chairs, dark lighting. dark beautiful lighting I should add. The floors, the chandeliers aaah they were just too nice.

But for me the place could look like an Akala (sandal made from old tyres, see pic here) but if it had amazing food I would go back again and again and again. Now for a place to have great ambiance, great service and amazing food…….. now what more could a foodie ask for?

We had an amazing menu teaser. Little bites of everything. The food was tantalizing, the kind that makes you stuffed, the one that makes you crawl to your car coz you over ate. I just have to go back and eat my way through their menu. You just have to go.

I forget the name of the above dish. It had everyone drooling over it. No idea why I wasn’t part of that drool team but I did enjoy it

Oooh the array of meze dips was just fantastic. they had an original hummus which was good,  but the queen of hammus just had to be  their basil scented hummus!!!! I don’t even know what to say about this. I would lock my self up in my house and eat it all day. It was the most amazing hummus I have ever tasted in my life!!

We also had a dip called moutabel which is a smoked egg plant based dip.It is out of this world, i don’t normally eat egg plant but this I liked and you know what? One would never guess that it’s egg plant.

The Tomato galaye is sorta like a pasta sauce only better.

Now the rice!!!! THE RICE!!!!! dear foodie I tell you this is what popped my belt. I just could not stop adding a spoonful and saying “this is my last” mixed with the lamb miskaki it was LIFE. that is all I will say for now till I figure out how to make some my self…..* SIGH*

Dinner is never complete without dessert now is it???? Baklava is my favourite Mediterranean dessert. The layers of phillo and nuts HEAVEN

When we arrived I asked about Moroccan tea. This has been my greatest discovery this year. I actually discovered it in China but thats a story I will give another day. They were kind enough to make a cuppa. It is basically hot water infused with mint. I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!! OOH OOH (hope you sung that 🙂

Hope you visit there soon

Bissous