This Kenya Restaurants Guide gives an indication of the types of dishes you are likely to come across in Kenya, as well as a brief description. Recommended restaurants, as well as a brief rundown of the dining throughout Kenya, can be found by visiting our Nairobi Restaurants Guide and Mombasa Restaurants Guide. Use the hearty cuisine to fuel yourself for a bit of a shopping trip. Ideas on things to buy can be found on our Kenya Shopping Guide.

Kenyan Cuisine

Some of the most common dishes in Kenyan cuisine are chapati, ugali, githeri, samosas and sukuma wiki. Other popular meals include goat, nyama choma and various stews. Listed below are descriptions of some of these dishes, to give you a better idea of what the meals are that you are likely to encounter.

Chapati - Chapati is a flat bread, and commonly found throughout Kenya.

Ugali - Ugali is a meal made from maize. Cooked in boiling water, its texture and consistency is much the same as bread dough. Whilst not having a very strong flavour on its own, it is normally eaten with a number of stews and saucy meals, soaking up the sauce.

Githeri - Githeri is a stew, and is made from beans and maize.

Samosas - Samosas are fried dumplings filled with meat.

Sukuma wiki - Sukuma Wiki is a leaf in the kale family, and is a staple of most Kenyan diets. It will often be cooked in a meat-flavoured gravy, and is a healthy and inexpensive meal.

Nyama choma - Nyama choma is beef which has been grilled over a wood or charcoal fire. A favourite of many Kenyans, it can be found throughout the country, and is well worth trying.

Nile perch and tilapia are two local types of fish you may wish to order. They both come from Lake Victoria, and are both very tasty.