Sole Luna — Restaurant in Kimihurura

Sole Luna is one of Kigali’s most talked-about Italian restaurants, and after visiting, I can see why. From the moment you walk in, it feels like a little slice of Tuscany tucked away in the city. The restaurant has a rustic charm with its checkered tablecloths, wooden chairs, open terraces, and greenery surrounding the space. It gives a warm, homely feel while still being a perfect spot for both casual dining and a night out with friends. Getting there can be a little tricky if it’s your first time. Driving from Kicukiro, I passed through the main city roads heading towards the Kigali Convention Centre. This is where it gets a bit confusing—if you follow only the labeled entrance signs, you might miss it. The best way is to look out for the TBR filling station near KCC and turn in through that route. The signage can feel misleading, but once you take the turn at the filling station and continue straight, it leads you into the right area and you’ll soon find Sole Luna. Having this detail ahead of time really helps, because the entrance could throw off anyone unfamiliar with the spot.

Now to the food. On this visit, I ordered Lasagna alla Bolognese and a glass of fresh Passion Fruit Juice (my fav). The lasagna came out piping hot, layered with a rich meat sauce and cheese that carried just the right balance of creaminess and flavor. It was hearty and filling, the kind of dish that makes you slow down to enjoy each bite. The passion fruit juice was refreshing and slightly tangy, the perfect drink to cut through the richness of the lasagna. Portion sizes were fair you get the sense they want you to leave satisfied, not just with taste but also with quantity.

Their menu overall is vast, with many people recommending the pizzas since Sole Luna is widely regarded as having some of the best in Kigali. In fact, they offer over a hundred varieties, so pizza lovers are spoiled for choice. There’s also a wide selection of pasta, risotto, meat dishes, and desserts, though some diners note that risotto here leans more toward a simple rice dish rather than the creamy Italian version. Still, the consistency across pizza and pasta dishes keeps people coming back.

The drinks menu is also impressive. Aside from fresh juices, Sole Luna has a full cocktail and wine bar, with selections of Italian wines and creative cocktails. It makes the restaurant just as fitting for an evening out with friends as it is for a relaxed lunch. Service is generally friendly and welcoming. Staff do their best to attend to customers quickly, but one thing to note is that food preparation takes time. Dishes are made fresh, so it’s best to come with the mindset that you’ll wait a little but that wait usually pays off.

For entertainment, Sole Luna is also known for hosting a fun weekly quiz night. It’s lively, interactive, and often comes with small prizes like free meals or drinks, making it a great way to spend an evening while meeting other people in Kigali.

The overall atmosphere is what seals the experience. The outdoor terraces are breezy and give a calm view of the city, while the interior feels cozy and intimate. It’s one of those places where you can have both a quiet dinner or enjoy a more social, eventful night depending on the day you come.

If you’re vegan, the options are limited staff can make adjustments like removing cheese from pizzas, but there aren’t full vegan meals available. This is something to keep in mind if you have dietary restrictions.

All in all, Sole Luna delivers on the promise of authentic Italian flavors in Kigali. The lasagna was rich and comforting, the juice was refreshing, and the overall vibe makes you want to linger a little longer. It’s the kind of restaurant you’d recommend both to visitors and locals whether for pizza, pasta, or simply to enjoy the atmosphere.

Just make sure you know the correct entrance route near KCC in filling station by brood and give yourself enough time both for the drive and for the meal, because Sole Luna is meant to be experienced without rushing.

P.s I added the...

Very good pizza, decent pasta, poor service. On the table there was a bottle with a label "Extra-virgin olive oil", so I poured it on the caprese salad, but I soon realized that it was vinegar (not even balsamic vinegar) and not oil. I asked for explanation to the waitress who, instead of apologizing for the emberassing incident, told us that it's normal to fill up an old bottle with something else and that it was clear that the oil was in the other bottle. I was shocked by her answer and her attitude (even earlier she got involved into a conversation between me and my girlfriend that were talking about the quality of the fresh maracuja juice asking "Is there a problem with the juice???") but I didn't react (if it happened in Europe or US I would have asked to talk to her supervisor right away), I took the other bottle and poured it again on the caprese. The oil was not even close to be extra-virgin, it was probably some cheap olive oil mixed with sunflower oil, with a very light and waterish color. An Italian restaurant cannot be cheap on olive oil, it's a basic ingredient and you need to provide it at least of an average quality. To be fully honest, the pizza was surprisingly good (best in Kigali, better than 360, maybe just lacking a bit of salt), but the pasta was just OK. I ordered tagliatelle noci e gorgonzola and they cut them like you do with a 3 years old kid...To recap, if they train their employees to provide a decent service and if they improve the quality of some basic ingredients (olive oil, but also bread and vinegar) this restaurant has the potential to become a good Italian. For the moment these issues unfortunately affect the rating (3 for the food, 1 for the...

I went with moderate expectation because I had not been very happy with my dining experience in the past. I was hoping the buffet would taste better than what I have had before such as undercooked margarita pizza and some seafood pasta with one shrimp. The buffet overall consisted of similar ingredients. I remember four of them containing eggplant and tomato sauce. And I honestly couldn’t taste much difference among them. The price is rwf 7900, which I think it’s pricey for what you get. I also ate the rabbit meat thinking it was chicken because its label was “chicken”. I thought the meat was dry and the bone is slightly different from the chicken bones I have seen in Rwanda. My friend went back to check and she said that I just ate a rabbit meat. I was aghast because I first of all thought it was chicken until they switched the label from chicken to rabbit and second they just did not know how to put correct labels. I told one of the waitresses and she just chuckled. What more could I say. Speaking of desserts, I did not see any tiramisu that people keep mentioning on their reviews. The cake was so dry. I really liked the fruit salad though. I honestly don’t know why people are saying their pizza tastes authentic Italian or the best in Kigali. I could find so much better tasting pizza at many other places in...