The Hood Nairobi 2024: Great Food at Wonderful Prices & More

Bars and Restaurants in Kilimani: The Hood Nairobi

The Hood Kilimani
Kasuku Lane
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-720-794824

Nairobians, where do you go to eat nyama choma? Do you go out for nyama choma at all? When in Rome, I suggest you do like the Romans: when in Kenya, you must enjoy the local delicacies!

READ ALSO: Koswe Westlands & More

I don’t eat nyama choma very often but, sometimes, when it’s nice outside, I like to sit out in the sun and enjoy my favorite kind of nyama choma—“Beef Marinade”—at The Hood, a joint not far from Yaya.

Have you ever heard of “Beef Marinade”? If you haven’t, then you are missing out!

Nyama Choma Joints Near Me: The Hood Kilimani

First, let me start by telling you about The Hood.

The Hood is an establishment located in Kilimani, on Kasuku Road (not far from Chaka Road).

Judging from the number of cars parked in front of it (despite its very large parking lot) I think it’s safe to say that The Hood is a very popular establishment.

I first heard of The Hood through my mother and aunt who were meeting someone there for drinks and invited me to tag along.

We were all smitten by the “Chicken Fry”, chicken cooked with potatoes in a tomato gravy.

Anyone who has tasted this before will surely understand why we were smitten.

Since that first night, The Hood has become a regular hangout for me.

Kilimani restaurants: nyama choma wrapped in foil at The Hood Nairobi

Kilimani Restaurants: Nyama Choma Kilimani at The Hood

Why would I recommend that you go to The Hood? First and foremost, because it has great food.

As I mentioned already, the Chicken Fry, the Beef Marinade (grilled beef which is later wrapped in foil with onions and then charcoal-grilled some more), the Roast Chicken, and the Mutura (a kind of African sausage) are all amazing!

Furthermore, these goodies as well as the beverages are sold at great (understand: extremely low) prices!

The Hood has all this plus a great outdoor environment, where you can comfortably soak in as much sun as you wish and catch up with friends for hours on end.

I don’t know if I can truly adequately put The Hood experience into words.

You really won’t be able to get it until you’ve been there yourself.

What I can tell you is that there hasn’t been a person yet who I have taken to The Hood who did not enjoy the experience.

I have friends who come in from out of town and request it by name!

Well, now you know.

The Hood Location

If you would like to try The Hood (Kilimani) for yourself, here are directions to get there: On Argwings Kodhek, coming from Yaya (in the direction of Hurlingham), turn left onto Chaka Road. Turn right immediately after Chaka Place, and then turn on your first left. Look out for a signboard for The Hood on your right. If you get to CVS plaza, then you’ve gone too far.

Restaurants in Kilimani Area Nairobi: Some Tips for The Hood Kilimani

As much as I love The Hood, allow me to give you a word of advice about the amount of time it takes to get your food served.

Like most nyama choma joints in Nairobi, the meat takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to you.

When you are hungry, that’s just too long to wait, in my opinion.

To avoid this, I recommend that you call in advance and place an order beforehand. You can do this by calling +254-20-2731410 or +254-720-794824.

The Hood takes its phone orders seriously and has the food ready in the time they specify. (When I used to work a regular 9-to-5 with a set lunch break, I would often go to The Hood for nyama choma at lunch—having ordered before, of course—and still be able to make it back to the office on time.)

The Hood Restaurant Nairobi Photos

nyama choma mutura at The Hood Kilimani — Mutura at The Hood

If you’ve never been to The Hood before and are looking for a great place to have nyama choma any day of the week at practically any time (The Hood will serve nyama choma well until midnight on most days), I recommend it highly.

When you get there, I recommend you order the Beef Marinade or the Kuku Fry. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say when you try it out.

The Hood Restaurant Menu

I am working on getting my hands on a copy of the menu at The Hood and as soon as I do, I will share it here.

Check back for it soon!

Alfajiri Restaurant Menu

I am also trying to get my hands on the menu at Alfajiri, as soon I do, I will share it soon. Once more, check back for it soon!

Africabz.com

Africabz.com is a business directory website that provides listings and reviews for various businesses across different African countries.

It includes contact information and customer reviews for companies in countries like South Africa, Ghana, and Tanzania, among others.

Cedars Kilimani

In my last post, I wrote about Al Pasha, a restaurant in the Panari Sky Centre that serves Lebanese food.

While we are on the subject of Lebanese food, why don’t I tell you about my favorite Lebanese restaurant in Nairobi?

Before I do, let me tell you a bit about my background with Lebanese food.

I grew up in the Côte d’Ivoire, where Shawarmas, meat-filled pitta bread sandwiches, are the equivalent of Kenchic in Nairobi.

As a university student in Montreal, Canada, dinner often consisted of garlic potatoes, which are roast potatoes served with a liberal serving of garlic sauce, and tabbouleh, a salad made from parsley and cracked wheat, bought at a Lebanese restaurant not far from my apartment.

What can I say? I am a serious fan of Lebanese food.

Given this background, I am sure you can imagine the joy I felt when I first found out that Cedars, a restaurant that I saw every day on my way to work, in Nairobi, specialized in Lebanese food.

Cedars Restaurant photos: food at cedars restaurant Nairobi

Lebanese Food at Cedars Restaurant Nairobi

I first found myself dining at Cedars after dragging my Mom out one day to try it.

As she too had lived in Côte d’Ivoire, it was a cuisine that she was familiar with.

That first time we went, along with relatives that had come to visit us from Uganda, we ordered a full mezze.

A mezze is an assortment of hors d’oeuvres.

We thought that by ordering the mezze we would best be able to sample the full array of Lebanese cuisine.

The Mezze at Cedars Nairobi

To our surprise, the mezze contained many pastries (of which I am not a great fan) and was more than our conservative guests could handle.

In hindsight, the mezze is a good way to go, if like us, you are interested in sampling a full array of Lebanese food and are with a group that is both adventurous and hungry.

I believe the mezze can satisfy four hungry people, easily!

Tips for Dining at Cedar Restaurant Nairobi

I have since been back to Cedars several times for dinner, and have found that a more enjoyable way to dine at Cedars is to simply take the risk and order the dishes that you most want to eat. (If necessary, ask the advice of the waiter.)

Some of My Favorite Dishes at Cedars Lenana Road

For instance, the last time that I went to Cedars, a friend and I ordered: Hommus, a puree made from chickpeas; Grape Vine Leaves, stuffed with rice; Tabbouleh, the salad I mentioned earlier; and Chicken Wings, the second best chicken wings I have eaten in this city (the first being the Tandoori Chicken Wings served at Haandi)!

I found that I enjoyed my meal much more this way: having few very good dishes, rather than having many dishes that I was lukewarm about.

Alfajiri Restaurant Reviews

Tucked away in the vibrant Kilimani neighborhood of Nairobi, Alfajiri Grill offers a unique dining experience that blends the best of African and international cuisines. As soon as you step into Alfajiri, you’re greeted with a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels both modern and comfortable. The interior is thoughtfully designed, with a mix of contemporary decor and subtle African touches that create a stylish yet cozy ambiance.

Alfajiri Restaurant Photos

Alfajiri Kilimani & Other Bars in Kilimani

Kilimani is an area full of nice bars. To begin with, many of the restaurants in this area also have noteworthy bar sections (think: Cedars Restaurant on Lenana Road or Sierra Brasserie at Yaya Center).

Other good bars in this area include:

Guava Tavern (inside Buffet Park)
Coco Jambo Kilimani, and
Alfajiri Kilimani Bar & Grill

Local Guide Program

The Local Guides program is a Google crowdsourcing program which allows Google users to share information with others about the world around them.

Local Guides is a global community of explorers who write reviews, share photos, answer questions, add or edit places, and check facts on Google Maps.

Millions of people rely on contributions from Local Guides to decide where to go and what to do.

These guides are then given certified levels to reflect how much they have contributed to the Local Guides program.

I, myself, am currently a Level 7 local guide.

P.S. To be sure not to miss future posts on Chick About Town, sign up to receive posts directly by email.

Photo Credits: capitalfm.co.ke; trends.co.ke, AfricaBZ.com, Alfajiri Grill Kilimani

Table of Contents