Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, so hunting out the best breakfast in Nairobi was one of the first things I did when I moved here. Nothing gives me so much pleasure as waking up and deciding what to eat. In the U.K. breakfast is a bit of a non-entity, invariably just a bowl of cereal in the morning or a fry up on a weekend. It was a trip to America that introduced me to the unrivalled pleasure of breakfast. The glorious morning wonder of Eggs Benedict, pancakes, Huevos Rancheros, French Toast and cinnamon buns. Oh how the excessive gluttony of the American breakfast deeply appeals to my inner errr… glutton. And I’m so happy that Kenya has embraced breakfast too.
The best breakfast in Nairobi 2022
Shamba Cafe
American breakfast in an American style red barn. The Shamba Cafe does one of the best breakfast in Nairobi in an idyllic location in Loresho. My opinion is only slightly swayed by their excellent Bloody Marys. American pancakes, eggs benedict and florentine, a full English, Shakshuka and a variety of bagels and healthy options. The wait is notoriously long for food, which would usually bump a venue off this list, but the cocktails are disarming and there’s lots for the kids to do with a farm, playground, onsite shop and frequent crafts and events.
The River Cafe, Karura
What a location for breakfast, nestled in the trees of one of the largest urban forests in the world. The River Cafe at Karura Forest is the place to go on lazy weekend mornings, or for a quick espresso hit after your morning job through the forest. Steak and eggs, omelettes, pancakes, eggs Benedict and a breakfast wrap. The menu is small but well executed and the breakfast is served all day. Breakfast with panoramic views and the chance to stroll through the trees after. Perfect Nairobi breakfast cafe.
The Arbor – Lavington
The Arbor has moved from the James Githuru road and is slightly further along on East Manyani Road. One of Nairobi’s best breakfasts spots is located in a tranquil little garden that ticks lots of boxes. Sweet shops line the garden selling Kenyan brands and crafts and beauty salon allows for spur of the moment mani/pedi’s and the green and leafy surrounding are convivial and relaxed. The Arbor specialises in Southeast Asian foods and is a great stop for lunch or evening cocktails, but they also serve up a mean breakfast. Breakfast items include eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and eggs, potato pancakes, avocado toast and a vegetarian full english.
Java House Nairobi
Java House is where I head to when I’m feeling tired, miserable and in need of comfort. Java is a chain, think something along the lines of Starbucks or Mugg and Bean. Generally I deplore chains and try to promote the small business but there are days for going incognito and Java is the place to do it. It’s dark wooden tables and plush banquets always offer a hidden corner to people watch and plan a days work. The menu with its Mexican twist and its mild coffee reminds me of the diners in America. This is the least fancy place on my list but what they miss out on in charism a they make up for with giant, reasonably priced portions. The Java I visit is in the Galleria Mall on Langata Road but there are Java Houses all over Kenya and Nairobi and the quality and menu items are consistent.
My favourite item on the menu is the Huevos Rancheros. A veggie breakfast of warm tortillas topped with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and eggs. The guacamole is creamy, and tart with coriander and lime. My kids love the bacon and egg croissants and the huge stack of light and fluffy pancakes. All the menu dishes are decent except the potatoes which are and anathema, always hard and floury. It’s good, honest, easy, tasty food. Particularly good if you like to work from a café as I do.
Boho Eatery – my top choice for the best breakfast in Nairobi.
A definite contender for best breakfast in Nairobi. My love affair with Boho is well documented and I blogged specifically about their amazing breakfast. The post is here. To me Boho offers the best breakfast in Nairobi. It has a peaceful, pretty venue, calming and nature filled with rustic seating, enormous windows and an abundance of bird life to gaze into. Boho Eatery offers a mostly vegetarian menu with an emphasis of organic, locally sourced ingredients. Sara the chef, is a culinary whizz, every single item of food that leaves her kitchen is a work of art that tastes as good as it looks. For a breakfast in Nairobi that has food unrivalled in taste and beauty this is this place to go.
Located at 114 Ndovu Road, Hardy, Karen. No need to book for breakfast but it does get filled up for lunch and dinner. Boho now offers an evening tapas an enviable selection of gin’s and cocktail on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Artcaffe
Artcaffe is another chain. Shock! Horror! It’s a bit fancier than Java, a ‘Tasha’s or Prezzo equivalent. It’s a light and airy space with a simplistic but funky decor. It serves meals throughout the day and becomes a bar at night, hence the huge cocktail bar.
Artcaffe’s appear all over Nairobi. You can find one by following the smell of freshly made bread. Artcaffe runs a bakery too and cleverly they place the counter of freshly baked pastries, breads and cakes right by the front door to lure you in. The sourdough is divine. The menu is tad healthier than Java, with muesli, oats, and smoothies up front followed by some gorgeous variances on the benedicts. My favorite is the vegan breakfast: a picture perfect bowl of eggplant and zucchini cooked with garlic and chilli and topped with tahini and little crunchy pink radishes. It’s the best item on the menu, you can always follow it up with a croissant if its not soaked up Friday night’s excesses.
Mugg and Bean
Mugg and Bean used to be my hangout of choice when I lived in South Africa. Mugg and Bean serve bottomless coffee, muffins as big as your head, huge pieces of lip smacking cake, lunch, supper and, of course, breakfast. They are relatively new to Kenya, with just three outlets in the Village Market, Sarit Centre and teeny petrol station offering in Hurlingham. If Mugg and Bean moved to Karen, you’d be hard pressed to find me elsewhere in the mornings. They say the want people to arrive as customers and leave as friends, and Mugg and Bean is definitely a place where it feels comfortable to spend hours writing, or mulling over coffee with friends. Another contender for best breakfast in Nairobi, Boho does organic elegance, but Mugg and Bean do stonking great portions of scrummy tasty food. Big breakfast sandwiches, a farmer’s breakfast which it like an extra big English breakfast, omelettes, oats, smoothies, eggs benedicts, avo on toast… they got it all.
Talisman
Another hot favourite for best breakfast in Nairobi. Local favorite The Talisman doesn’t just do sumptuous lunches and fabulous nights of dancing then do a mean breakfast. Talisman has a gorgeous garden decorated in a laid back Swahili style, with stained Kitengela glass and carved wooden archways. Sit back and enjoy pancakes loaded with berries, eggs in 6 different ways, toasties and sandwiches and a healthier option of oats / fruit etc. Talisman is definitely one of the best breakfasts in Nairobi and one of few the places you can sip a cheeky mimosa with your eggs. Check out their breakfast menu here.
Under The Swahili Tree
A new contender for the best breakfast in Nairobi at Under the Swahili Tree. This local restaurant does a great great breakfast, choose from healthy options such as as the Healthy Me – granolia, yoghurt, honey and fruit, to the divine Swahili Kedgeree with coconut rice smoked snapper and quails eggs – yum. Pancakes, a full English, a full Kenya, a selection of croissants and good coffee.
Wasp and Sprout
Wasp and Sprout is a quirky little shop / cafe filled with things to buy and things to eat. This is a pretty cool looking place, rustic local furniture, African textiles and stunning art. Located in Loresho this is firmly on my best breakfast in Nairobi list. Chose from a selection of different types of Bloody Marys or a range of ‘breakfast cocktails’ – totally my kind of place and then dive into the huge breakfast menu. So lengthy I’ve included it below. Really cool little breakfast place on the outskirts of Nairobi which is definitely worth a visit.
Zen Gardens Japanese Restaurant
You may be forgiven for thinking Zen Gardens is all about Japanese food and sushi and it excels in both. Read the blog review here. But Zen Gardens is surprisingly big on breakfasts too. Zen Gardens stomps all over ‘ordinary’ breakfasts with a series of stupendous innovations First up is the ‘muffle’, a combination of muffins and waffles where you can infuse waffle batters with savoury flavours such as bacon, porcini mushrooms, chilli cheddar & cinnamon. Breakfast bowls are big, filled with whole grain oats, quinoa to chia seeds & mixed berry topped yogurts. Eggs come with not just bacon but chorizo, smoked beef, herby sausages and hams, and you must surely end your visit with the famed Freakshake Nairobi… see below.. a picture speaks a 1000 words.
This is great place to come with kids as it’s one of the few Nairobi destinations that caters for little ones, with bouncy castles on weekends and a kids playground tucked at the back of the large, leafy garden.
CJ’s
CJ’s are the final chain restaurant in the best breakfast in Nairobi category. They have three outlets at present in the Waterfront in Karen, Village Market and Koinange Street. They are hugely popular and always packed, with light bright restaurants, lovely cakes, happy staff, good coffee. CJ’s breakfast menu is huge with omelettes, waffles, pancakes, unusual breakfast combos like crispy chicken with eggs. They also cater for children at breakfast time.CJ’s serve no alcohol so this isn’t the place to come for hair of the dog, but I’ll happily recommend you give them a go.
All that talk of mimosas getting you thirsty – here’s a blog on the best bars in Karen, Nairobi.
Further Reading
Book Your Kenya Trip – Insider Tips
Find everything you need for visiting Kenya on my TRAVEL RESOURCES page.
Find everything you need for moving to Kenya in my THE EXPAT GUIDE TO LIVING IN NAIROBI book.
- Kenya Accommodation: Booking.com has the cheapest rates for hotels and guest houses in Kenya.
- Accommodation Reviews: TripAdvisor is my go-to portal for checking reviews on accommodation/restaurants in the local area. I never book without checking TripAdvisor first.
- ESIM: Airalo allows you to access the Internet from virtually any country without paying roaming charges
- Car Rental: Rental Cars is managed by Booking.com – guaranteed reliable.
- Tours and Guides in Kenya : Check out Get Your Guide and Viator – reputable companies that do tours within Kenya and East Africa.
- Travel Insurance: Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I recommend Visitors Coverage, which covers you for East Africa and offers ‘special insurance’ for safaris and adventure sports:
- Visitors Coverage
- Compensair – if you have a cancelled or delayed flight, you may get a refund.
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