Historically, Kenya had a huge Indian population. They arrived with the British, who recruited 32,000 indentured laborers from India to build the Uganda railway. Once the railway was completed, some of these laborers voluntarily settled in the new town, Nairobi, and brought family from India. These days their influences are visible all over the city, but mostly in the excellent Indian cuisine.
DIAMOND PLAZA
Diamond plaza is the heart of the Indian community of Nairobi. Behind the entrance gate you’ll find a thriving Indian oasis, with strong curry scents and any Indian products, spices, cloths, or sweets you could wish for. The mall looks a bit shabby, but it only adds to the great atmosphere of the place. The mall houses a climbing wall and the Africa Yoga Project so the Diamond Plaza food court is the ultimate place to get a nice post-workout curry and swallow it down with a fresh sugar cane juice or a cold Tusker.
HAANDI
Situated one floor on The Mall along the main Waiyaki way, Haandi is probably the first restaurant somebody will name when asking for an Indian restaurant in Nairobi. Their chefs have mastered the skill of Indian spices, and you can taste it. Curries are likely to include a variety of fresh spices like cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili, saffron, tamarind, ginger, nutmeg, fenugreek, and much more. It is a great family restaurant and also great for corporate dinners.
CLAY OVEN RESTAURANT
Founded in 2005 by the Ahluwalia Family, the Clay Oven restaurant is a specialist in East Indian and Hakka cuisine. Hakka is a Chinese style of cooking with Indian spices. It has been adapted by East Indian culture and is described as a fusion of Indian-Chinese food. This restaurant is known to be the more fancy (and pricey) Indian restaurant, and is guaranteed fine dining.
URBAN EATERY
Urban Eatery is a good place for any occasion and with any type of company: Sunday brunch with friends, nice dinner with family, or spending a day working on your laptop. The restaurant is a well styled and classy food court, with several open kitchens specialized in a specific cuisine: Japanese, Kenyan, Italian, Mexican, BBQ, and even a frozen yogurt bar. They have it all, including an Indian dependence of Haandi, one of Nairobi’s leading Indian restaurants. When looking to have a good curry in a modern setting this is the place to go.
CHOWPATY
It started with one 60-square-meter restaurant in Diamond Plaza, and now they have grown to the best known Indian restaurant chain of Nairobi with three restaurants spread out over the Westlands. There are lots of veggies and paneer curries on this menu, as it is strictly vegetarian. Chowpaty restaurants always have a fun bustle, and often they play live Indian music. When there, make sure to order the Dai Puri—it’s the best in town!
