Karel T-Lounge — Restaurant in Nairobi

I had the worst birthday experience here. Karel T has a great ambience, great live band and when we got there I thought I had picked the right place for my celebration. Starting with the service, the lady who was serving us seemed unbothered and took at least 20 minutes to take our order after we got our drinks. The food took another 40 minutes to come. Let me just say, Karel T is a lounge and therefore if you are going for dinner, don't expect I high quality of food. No one came to check on us and ask if we were enjoying our experience, the General Manager was in fact seated at a table in front of us with his peers having a drink and did not once go round the restaurant. 3 of us ordered Creme Brulee for dessert, which took 40 minutes to come. When it finally came, it was rock hard and frozen under the blow torched surface. We called the waiter, who told us that it's supposed to be like that, which we all know it is not. We asked to speak to the chef who declined and said he was busy (at 11.30pm) but he was actually downstairs sitting with another group. Some supervisor came and told us again that is how Creme Brulee is supposed to be, and basically we as the customers are wrong. I further insisted to talk to the Chef who came and said that "He will have to check on that". When asked why he was too busy at 11.30pm to attend to a guest's complaint, he said he has much more important things to do. After a bit of back and forth the conversation was concluded with the chef telling us that "You don't have to be there then" and proceeded to walk away. As we were leaving we spoke to the GM who the only thing we could say is "We don't serve frozen Creme Brulee." No apologies, no remorse.

This was truly the worst birthday experience I have ever had and I would highly discourage...

Excellent every time! Okay, you guys, you know when you go to a restaurant, have a great experience and then try to replicate it and it just falls flat? NOT HERE!! This was our fifth time visiting Karel, and every single time it’s been great! We have come as a couple, with a group, with family, and every time, the service has been exceptional, the food just right, the atmosphere perfect! The staff are so attentive, they noticed the slight frown on my husband’s face as he sank down into his soft chair and it tweaked his back, and immediately offered him a more supportive chair… The chef is right one target every time, our medium rare steak was perfect temp and color, and the fish we shared (we always get two entrees and share) was just right - I couldn’t decide which was my favorite! Even the little crispy onions that come with the roasted potatoes were delectable… It really is a lovely place, from the vaulted canvas upstairs that makes you feel like you are in the Arabian Nights, to the tables under a spreading tree in the courtyard, to the family sized tables in the cozy downstairs dining room, you can satisfy every mood! Definitely coming again, and...

2024 update; Came back. This time had the salmon in egg plan with sautéed potatoes. The salmon was so-so, but the caramelised onions made the sautéed potatoes so good....not changing the rating for now.

2022 review; It has a great ambience with good service. I would like to try it again when there is live music as I hear it is nicer. The food was underwhelming for me. I am not saying it was terrible. It just didn't live up to the hype. It was just ok, but not worth the price tag. I had fried calamari for starters (good), pepper steak (a little disappointing) with mashed potatoes for the main dish and tiramisu for the dessert (good). I also tried 3 different cocktails with the 2 for 3 offer, with berry collins being my favourite.

I was part of a group and must commend the restaurant for the beautiful set up. Also, the rest of the group loved their meals. I tasted other people's food too but my verdict is...