Tamasha, Karen (Nyama Choma Joints in Karen)

Tamasha-Joint-Barn

Tamasha Karen/Tamasha Joint Karen
Off Bongani Road
Tel: +254-(721)-213173/+254-(717)-933685

Update: Tamasha Joint Karen has changed a lot since I first wrote this post. For instance, it now offers accommodation. You can find out more about the accommodation it offers here

Nairobi readers, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say Tamasha?

Some of you might think of the Swahili word tamasha (festival), but most of you will probably think of the Hurlingham pub.

Do you know that there’s also another establishment that serves good nyama choma in Nairobi with the same name?

I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself.

When I did, I liked what I saw. That’s what I would like to tell you about today.

I don’t think there is any connection between the two Tamashas—Tamasha (Hurlingham) and Tamasha Joint (Karen)—so please don’t go to either expecting the same kind of establishment as the other.

Tamasha (Hurlingham) is a hip pub, while Tamasha Joint (Karen) is more of a nyama choma place.

Tamasha Joint Restaurant

Discovering Tamasha Nairobi in Karen (Nyama Choma Near Me)

I first went to Tamasha Joint on a Sunday with a friend when we were looking for something to do in Nairobi that was not on the well-beaten path.

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Initially, we’d wanted to drive out of town.

Somehow, the day took a life of its own, and we didn’t leave Nairobi until 4 p.m.

Stubbornly, we decided to drive to Karen rather than go somewhere closer.

We figured Karen was close enough to and yet far enough from Nairobi to give us the out-of-town feeling we were seeking.

Off we drove to Tamasha Joint located off Bogani Road in Karen.

What to do in Nairobi: eat nyama choma

What Kind of Establishment Is Tamasha Joint Restaurant?

Tamasha Joint is a built-up nyama choma establishment.

It has several private bandas as well as an indoor space. My favorite place to sit, at Tamasha Joint, is the open space in front of the butchery where a bonfire is lit as evening falls.

Tamasha Karen: The Nyama Choma

The meat at Tamasha Joint is surprisingly good and well worth the drive. I say surprisingly, because as a former Karen resident, I know that Karen is better known for foreign things than local ones.

In the times I’ve been to Tamasha Joint, I’ve eaten the ‘goat fry’, the ‘goat choma’, and the ‘boiled goat’.

The goat fry was amazing, but generally, all these dishes were very good. Even the boiled meat was good. It had enough tomatoes and potatoes in it not to be bland.

Tamasha Joint serves chicken, goat, and pork, but no beef, so if you are a beef lover like me, be prepared to eat something else.

Food at Tamasha Joint Karen

Before I get you overly excited, though, I would like to make it clear that Tamasha Joint is not a place that you need to go and visit today.

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It is simply a nice nyama choma joint that makes for a good Sunday ride, taking you away from the city when you’re looking for something to do in Nairobi that’s out of the ordinary.

Give it a try some time.

When you do, let me know what you think.

Tamasha Joint Restaurant Photos

Nyama Choma Joints in Karen/Nyama Choma Karen

Sadly, I no longer know of other nyama choma joints in Karen–it’s been a while since I hung out in my former neighborhood.

Do you know of any other good nyama choma joints in Karen other than Tamasha Joint?

If so, please let me know in a comment below, and I will be sure to update this post. Thanks! 🙂

Ribs on the grill

Tamambo Karen Blixen

In July 2022, Tamambo Karen relocated elsewhere in Karen and became the Tamarind Brasserie. See the new location below.

Cafe Rwanda Timau/Cafe Timau Rwanda

Timau Café’s Rwanda Kigali – Edición Limitada is a premium coffee known for its sweet entry, bright acidity, and silky body.

It features intense fruity notes with flavors of pineapple, black hibiscus, and vanilla. This coffee is available in various grinds suitable for different brewing methods, and it’s sourced from the Kigali coffee-growing region. For more details, you can visit the Timau Café Rwanda Kigali product page.

Bogani Café Menu

The Branch Restaurant Nairobi Menu

I am trying to get my hands on a copy of The Branch Restaurant menu, and as soon as I do, I will share it here.

Check back for it soon.

Tamasha Joint Restaurant Menu

Tamasha Hurlingham Menu

If you are interested in seeing the Tamasha Hurlinham menu, click here.

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Best Nyama Choma Joints in Nairobi

If you are wondering about what other good places there are in Nairobi for nyama choma, I can highly recommend:

  1. The Hood
  2. Buffet Park on Jabavu Close, off Argwings Kodhek
  3. Sagret Hotel on Milimani Road, and
  4. Coco Jambo

Photo Credits: Tamasha Joint Karen, Richard T, Tripadvisor, Foursquare, Uzamart, VYMaps

2 comments

  1. We were there today, 26 December 2017. The Karen Tamasha Joint. Looks run down, and not like they show in the online pictures. I have not had such a horrible experience in a restaurant! The waitress was unccncerned and looked like she hated her job. Horrible customer service! The meat took so long, and when it arrived it was cold! Some meat was more bones than meat! The toilets were dirty. Surprising enough there was toilet paper. Only nice thing was the chips. We had visitors from Denmark and Greece, and they were appalled! How embarassing, when you want your visitors to have a positive experience. Needless to say , I will never ever step my foot there!

    1. Hello Ms. Laursen,

      Welcome to Chick About Town, and thanks for your comment on Tamasha Joint. It’s such a shame when a place declines. Now we know!

      Biche

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