Mombasa, Kenya

[Forest]

I will be in Mombasa for a week. Mainly work, but if i get a chance to get out and about, does anyone have any recommendations on any food or places I should try? And is there anything particular I should know about food or eating customs in Kenya?

[Luham]

I will be in Mombasa for a week.  Mainly work, but if i get a chance to get out and about, does anyone have any recommendations on any food or places I should try?  And is there anything particular I should know about food or eating customs in Kenya?

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Mombasa has some good restaurants. Depending on where you are staying, I would go to the Tamarind Restaurant in Nyali (seafood), Aquamarine in Mtwapa (seafood), Missono in Nyali (Japanesse).

[Forest]

Thanks Luham! I will probably either be staying at the Whitesands or the Mombasa Beach Hotel. I don't know if either of those are close to my places, but I'll look into them.

Have you spent much time there? Are there any particular dishes that are particular to Mombasa or the general area that I shouldn't miss?

[Luham]

Thanks Luham!  I will probably either be staying at the Whitesands or the Mombasa Beach Hotel.  I don't know if either of those are close to my places, but I'll look into them. 

Have you spent much time there?  Are there any particular dishes that are particular to Mombasa or the general area that I shouldn't miss?

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Hi Forest

Whitesands is a great hotel. It has undergone a refurbishment. It is a large hotel, and the food there is the typical buffet meals. However there is a great Brazilian restaurant there with a great salad bar. I am not sure if they are still doing well.

Mombasa beach Hotel would be a 2 star by international standards.

Local food - the locals eat Mandazi's and tea for breakfast. These are like dougnuts. Lunch and dinner consists of fish, maize meal (ugali), beans, stews, etc. You will find that the hotels have local nights, when you can sample these foods. A lot of coconut also gets used.

The Tamarind is a 15 minute drive from Whitesands, as is Aquamarine. Missono is 10 minutes.

You could also go into the old town in Mombasa, and sample dishes such as mishkaki (meat skewers).

[PaoPao]

Thanks Luham!  I will probably either be staying at the Whitesands or the Mombasa Beach Hotel.  I don't know if either of those are close to my places, but I'll look into them. 

Have you spent much time there?  Are there any particular dishes that are particular to Mombasa or the general area that I shouldn't miss?

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Hi Forest

Whitesands is a great hotel. It has undergone a refurbishment. It is a large hotel, and the food there is the typical buffet meals. However there is a great Brazilian restaurant there with a great salad bar. I am not sure if they are still doing well.

Mombasa beach Hotel would be a 2 star by international standards.

Local food - the locals eat Mandazi's and tea for breakfast. These are like dougnuts. Lunch and dinner consists of fish, maize meal (ugali), beans, stews, etc. You will find that the hotels have local nights, when you can sample these foods. A lot of coconut also gets used.

The Tamarind is a 15 minute drive from Whitesands, as is Aquamarine. Missono is 10 minutes.

You could also go into the old town in Mombasa, and sample dishes such as mishkaki (meat skewers).

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Just recently we stayed at the Whitesands for a week, nice hotel and location. We ate at the Brazillian Steakhouse while there. While the salad bar as previously mentioned was very good, the meats they served were average and over cooked. It was a better meal eating in the restaurant that is included in your room fee. There is a small seafood cafe in the resort as well by the beach which was nice. There are a number of restaurants close to the resort by the beach, none really looked good enough to try.

[Forest]

PaoPao - thanks for the reply. I actually just got back day before yesterday. I was at a conference all week at the Whitesands so I ate lunch there every day. The lunch was good, but hard to judge without much else to compare it to. I found, with a bit of a lack of recommendations, I wasn't too adventurous about trying something out of the blue. Several colleagues got sick during the conference, so I was being pretty cautious as a result. (but then again some of them had only eaten at the Whitesands, so I'm not sure how useful my caution by eating there really was!)

Luham: The Tamarind was closed for a private function the night I tried to reserve, so we went to the Aquamarine and really enjoyed it. They picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel, good service, really nice location, nice food (I had the crab starter and the crocodile skewers) - thanks for the tip!

But should add (not to be overly nitpicky, but for future eGulleteers who look at the post for recommendations) the crab was a bit overdrenched in a kind of 1000 dressing sauce and I didn't get exactly what was described on the menu...so bearing that in mind when going, it's an enjoyable evening.