Kultura Fine Dining Restaurant — Restaurant in Kigali City

This place may be new? I will definitely be back, though my first visit was not all it could have been. High notes:

Atmosphere is quite outstanding, service very easily the best I've experienced anywhere in Kigali.

The Korean wings were SO amazing, I considered ordering more even though they are rather expensive. The Coconut Salmon was great, and there was a lot going on in the sauce but no obvious taste of coconut.

Low notes:

Two cocktails convinced me that I will skip that menu and just get wine whenever I come back. I ordered a vodka martini, and got something with vodka and olives but also ice and lime. Weird. I didn't hate it, but my search for a proper VM in East Africa goes on. Later I asked for a gin and tonic, with club soda instead of tonic (hoping for more of a "Gin Rickey"). I really liked the vibe and taste of cucumber ribbons, but I sorely missed the lime — and the soda water was completely, absolutely flat.

For 'dessert' I ordered the Rainbow Roll. After a long wait, a server told me they don't have nori (not sure why that took any time). He suggested they can still make the roll without it, and I agreed. Like the cocktail menu, I might skip their sushi next time. After another long wait (tables were filling up) it was tasty, but almost entirely rice. I can go with that for the right price, but at Kultura's menu price I'd expect a pretty impressively well dressed rainbow.

Bottom line: Three stars but with a bonus star for those incredible wings. Anyway, there's lots more very promising menu to try so yes, I will be back...

Today, I made my second visit to this restaurant, with no high expectations. My first experience was disappointing due to the high prices, small portions, and mediocre taste, so I decided to give it another try to reassess the food.

This time, we ordered the Chicken spice pad Thai and Tofu Pad Thai, Calamari Tempura, and Plantains. The calamari consisted of just eight tiny pieces, which cost 25,000 francs. As for the Pad Thai, both my husband’s and my dishes arrived with overcooked short(?)noodles that had become mushy and clumped together at the bottom of the plate. The first time, the dish was overly salty, so I asked them to remake it, but the second attempt was just as disappointing, with the same problems persisting.

Given the price, I would much rather enjoy a well-prepared meal at a place like the Marriott buffet or the Italian restaurant at the Radisson Blu. My experience here was further marred by the unpleasant service. Even the owner, whom I met, was quite unfriendly and didn’t make us feel welcome at all. If you’re looking for a better option, I’d recommend the restaurant on the top floor of the Urban Hotel. The food there is similar, but tastier and more...

3 May 2024 update: Service has fallen off, hard. There are typically 6-8 wait staff on hand, but they can’t manage four tables between the long them. I’ve ordered delivery, been told it would be on its way in 25 minutes, only for it to take over an hour. Once, I even received a call that the rider was on his way but they got lost for another 37 minutes even with a pin on Google Maps. The guy actually whined for a tip and transport fees after making me wait almost two hours. Today, I went to have a drink with a friend and ordered takeaway. Ordered food at 1:30pm. At 2:25 we went to the kitchen to ask what was taking so long, and our waiter told us “oh… I forgot. It’s been ready for some time.” My food was cold, as it had just been sitting on a counter for most of the hour… but the waiter just never bothered to bring it. We had them remake the hot dishes and didn’t leave until after 3, with the waiter sending another server to bring the food because he couldn’t face us.

I almost wish the food and drinks weren’t so good, because the service is abysmal. The owners are great, but what they really need is a manager to herd the...