The Carnivore is the ultimate “Beast of a Feast” restaurant. A variety of meat including ostrich, crocodile and camel, it is roasted over charcoal and carved at your table. Delicious side dishes and an exceptional array of sauces complement this fixed price feast that also includes soup, a selection of desserts and Kenyan coffee. Set in attractive tropical gardens, the service and the décor are outstanding. The Carnivore is also home of the Simba Saloon, a delicious a la carte restaurant by day and Nairobi’s most popular nightclub. The informal indoor/outdoor atmosphere, exceptional snacks and the pulsating rhythms of Africa combine to ensure an exciting ambiance. Situated 4 kilometres from the city centre, The Carnivore opened its doors in September 1980 to instant success.
The food, service and atmosphere are strikingly different from anything ever seen in Kenya. The Carnivore is a meat specialty restaurant and it is referred to as ‘the ultimate ‘Beast of a Feast’. Twice voted amongst the world’s 50 best restaurants by an expert panel in ‘Restaurant ‘ magazine Carnivore is described as ‘amazing’ The Carnivore since its inception has played host to over 2 million customers from across the globe including numerous celebrities. In fact the Carnivore visitors’ book read like a global who is who! Whole joints of meat – legs of lamb and pork, ostrich, rumps of beef, sirloins, racks of lamb, spare ribs, sausages, chicken wings, skewered kidneys, even crocodile, and other tasty morsels – are roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a huge, spectacular charcoal pit that dominates the entrance of the restaurant. Constantly basted and turned until cooked to perfection, the meat is succulent and well flavoured. The Carnivore doesn’t conform to the familiar restaurant traditions of passing out menus and waiting for people to order. Diners simply take their seats on the Zebra striped chairs and the movable feast begins.
First comes the soup of the day then a sizzling cast-iron plate is placed in front of each guest along with a plate of home baked brown bread and butter. An army of carvers wearing zebra striped aprons and straw hats then move from table to table carrying the Masai swords laden with different prime meats deliberately carving unlimited amounts onto the sizzling, cast iron plates in front of each guest. Accompanying the meat feast is a wide selection of salads and vegetable side dishes, and also a variety of exotic sauces made from the Carnivore’s own recipes and stacked on to a double storey-revolving tray in the center of the table. The feeding frenzy doesn’t stop until defeat is declared by the over-fed guests who signal that enough is enough by lowering of a white paper flag perched atop the central tray. This is followed by dessert and coffee. The full meal including a soup course is at a set price.
A vegetarian menu is also offered. First time visitors to The Carnivore are enthralled by the spectacle of the roasting pit, the service and the distinctive flavours of food. The atmosphere of The Carnivore combines the rustic feel of a rural environment with the feeling of a medieval banqueting hall. This was accomplished by the use of streams and tropical gardens throughout the restaurant, and by using rough-hewn beams and local woods. Another famous feature to set the tone of the Carnivore experience is the house cocktail The ‘Dawa’ ( which means medicine or magic potion in Swahili). (CARNIVORE NAIROBI — Langata Road, Near Wilson Airport, — PO Box 56685, City Square 00200, Nairobi, — Tel: 020 6005933-7 6002764 — Mobile: 0733611608