MANGROVE CAFE — Restaurant in Nairobi

Mangrove Café *next to shell kamotho on langata road ;opposite kfc langata road:Where I Accidentally Spent My Whole Day (and Loved Every Second)

Okay, so I was supposed to pop into Mangrove Café just for a quick lunch… but fast forward 6 hours, and I’m still there, sipping masala tea like I live there now. No regrets.

Let me paint you a picture: I walk in around midday, instantly hit by this gorgeous ambience – think earthy tones, leafy corners, soft music, and a vibe that just invites you to slow down. I was like, “Wait… why am I working from home when I could be working from HERE?”

Started strong with their pizza – and oh my god, the crust had that perfect crunch, and the toppings were fresh, flavorful, and generous (none of that stingy sprinkle nonsense). Then came the fresh juices – vibrant, cold, and clearly made with love (and actual fruit, not syrup). And because I was clearly settling in for the long haul, I ordered a masala tea. Friends, it was warm, spicy, comforting – like your grandma made it, but your cool, artsy grandma.

Now the real plot twist: the mahamari. I didn’t even know what to expect, but it ended up stealing the whole show. Rich, bold, packed with flavor – I could eat it every day and not get bored.

And can we talk service? The waitress was a total gem – super fast, super sweet, and somehow always there at the exact right time without ever hovering.

Honestly, it didn’t feel like I was at a café. It felt like I found a little sanctuary. Somewhere between the amazing food, beautiful vibe, and the very real thought of never wanting to leave, Mangrove Café won my...

We visited the restaurant in one evening and managed to get a private booth. We were served by a very pleasant waiter. Those are the only two redeeming qualities about the place.

We ordered rice and coconut beans, mshikaki, chicken tikka, chicken curry with naan, chips, and tea.

There were 5 skewers of mshikaki with 4 pieces of meat each. In my opinion, the pieces were small and for the cost, I felt a bit ripped off. However, the meat was soft and seasoned.

I specifically asked for coconut beans and rice as a non-spicy option for the kids. When we got the bill, we learned that the rice was apparently coconut rice. There was no coconut flavor in the rice or beans. The rice was rubbery and the beans tasted like a heavy portion of tomato paste was used.

The chicken tikka was the hugest disappointment. It was not the pleasant orange hue of chicken tikka but a more startling red. And it was soggy. That's the best way I can describe it. The flavor profile was lacking.

The chicken curry was halfway decent, but it lacked a creaminess to it. The naan was another disappointment. Naan is supposed to be soft and fluffy, and nothing like a chapati. The naan we were served had a crispy quality to it. Not soft and certainly not fluffy.

The chips and tea were okay.

If you're new to the place you may enjoy it. But if you've frequented the establishment before, then you may notice that the food is not what...

This place used to be my favourite restaurant but not any more. I was in last Friday past 1 p.m. we asked for chicken biryani but was told it was finished but there was beef biryani. After a few minutes the waiter comes back and says Beef Biriyani is also finished. We were quite disappointed but we decided to come back on Sunday. Sunday we asked the waitress who served us if there was chicken biryani and she says it's available. She comes back and says only one chicken Biriyani left. I was quite annoyed at this point. Why not cook more Biriyani on the days when you know you'll be quite busy? Only one of us got to eat Biriyani, the other one asked for pilau and I had lemon chicken and chapati. The service was terribly slow as there was only one waitress serving upstairs yet there were big groups of families. My chicken was still bloody and I had to have it cooked some more. The 2 stars are for the beef pilau which was delicious. The slow service, raw chicken and Biriyani disappointment let a bad taste in my mouth. I don't plan on...