A Guide to Karen Nairobi
Where to eat, drink, shop, work and relax in Karen Nairobi.
Karen is an affluent, leafy neighbourhood on the outskirts of Nairobi. A few years ago, Karen was a rural backwater where rich white folk rode horses on vast tracts of land. There’s still a lot of Mzungu’s, horses, and land, but in recent years, Karen has seen an explosion of malls, restaurants, offices and affordable housing. Read on and discover what there is to see and do in Karen Nairobi.
Why live in Karen?
Croton trees wave at the clouds, and 100-year-old stone-built mansions vie for the best view of the rolling Ngong Hills. Dusty red roads are slowly replaced by tarmac, and farms are divided into smaller dwellings. But even as more people squeeze into this compact community, the animals are king. In Karen, you have Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Elephant Orphanage. In Karen, warthogs guard the school gates and monkeys pinch mangoes from dining tables. Karen Nairobi is undeniably affluent, and lush – a desirable place to live with a solid community spirit.
Karen Hotel Nairobi Kenya
Before you settle in, let’s find you a place to stay. My favourite Karen Hotels are below:
The Residences at Karen Country Club
These stunning apartments used to be just for members but have opened up to the public. Karen Country Club is a private members’ club with a glorious golf course, gym, three restaurants, bars, spa, padel/tennis – you get it. Highly recommended
The Residences at Karen Country Club
Karen Gables
Karen Gables is a lovely Cape Dutch Style boutique hotel crammed with antiques, fine furnishing and individual rooms. Meals are served in the dining room, there is a pool and a lovely deck to sit at and enjoy Karen’s wildlife. Intimate and exclusive.
Hemingways Nairobi
Hemingways is Karen’s shining jewel, a five star plantation style hotel with views over the Ngong Hills. it has all the facilities you would expect from a high-end hotel; a pool, spa, several restaurants and bars, and a gift shop.
Hermosa Hotel
A relatively newly built 5-star hotel, it’s very luxuriously appointed and has a pool, fitness centre, spa and restaurants. High-end, not quite to the scale of Hemingways but the difference is also seen in the price.
Where to Eat and Drink in Karen Nairobi
Under the Swahili Tree
Emma at Under the Swahili Tree has been supplying Karenites with food for years. Her pies, pizzas and stews saved many marital arguments during Covid. Emma opened Under The Swahili Tree in Karen to fill the gap for a family-friendly restaurant that delivers good quality food and wine at reasonable prices, and she’s succeeded. UTST puts on a lot of events from quiz’s, to live bands, art exhibitions and theme nights. Follow their Facebook or Insta to find out what’s going on.
Under the Swahili Tree Facebook page.
The Talisman
The Talisman is a Nairobi institution, loved by people all across Kenya and visited by tourists all over the world. We are lucky enough to have the Talisman right here in sleepy little Karen.I’ve written a blog on The Talisman so I won’t waffle. Suffice to say that at The Talisman there’s truly excellent food, exemplary service and gorgeous Swahili / North African décor. If that’s not enough, then most Friday nights, Talisman has a DJ that has folks young and old dancing bare-chested till the early hours. On Ngong Road.
Organic Farmers Market on Marula Lane (formerly Purdy Arms)
The Organic Farmers Market takes over a 20-acre plot every Saturday. The former pub is now an excellent restaurant and the Organic Market has 40 odd stalls selling cocktails, wine and food from around the globe. You can munch on sushi, boerewors, pizza, burgers, empanadas, and Nyama Choma. There are plenty of crafts stalls and places to buy veggies and preserves, and a huge kids’ area with bouncing castles and climbing walls. With lots of wine and scrummy food, the OFM is the perfect place to spend a Saturday.
SATURDAYS ONLY – 10 – 6. Organic Farmers Market website.
Matbronze
A bronze sculpture art gallery set in tranquil gardens, located just off Langata Road. Matbronze serves sandwiches, pasta, burgers and curries and do a mean coffee and cake. A favourite meeting point with the yummy mummy’s as the garden has lots of space for kids to run around. The Bronze Art Gallery is incredible and worth wandering inside to have a peek.
Artcaffe
There are Artcaffe’s all over Kenya – in Karen, there’s one at The Hub and Hardy Post shopping malls. Open for breakfast, lunch, and supper with great coffee and a wide wine and cocktail list. The offering is constantly improved with the recent addition of a noodle bar and wings menu.
Artcaffe has a selection of fine foods to buy, and in some shops, a deli counter. The flagship store is on Rhaptor Road in town, but the Artcaffe in The Hub has an extensive selection – the Pichana steaks are the best in Kenya. I promise.
KSPCA Farmers Market
The KSPCA Market has been a staple of Karen Nairobi for a few years now. What started as a place to stop off and buy your veggies morphed into so much more since Opa’s opened their fabulous bar and café. Drink grapefruit gin & tonics and munch on food from Emma Forbes delectable food stall.
There is a large seating area and a convivial atmosphere that can’t be beaten. With only a small bouncy castle, there’s less to do for the kids here than at the Organic Market, and so this is a more grown-up option for a Saturday market. I love them both.
SATURDAYS ONLY – 10 – 16
Tin Roof Café
Tin Roof Café has two outlets, both embraced by boutique shops – House of Treasures on Dagoretti Road (insanely desirable home items, clothes and jewellery) and Langata Link shops, which are a collection of local artisan crafts, clothes and foods. The Tin Roof Cafes are mostly outside, and despite being surrounded by shops, they have a relaxed bohemian ambience. Fresh smoothies, coffees, wraps, burgers & salads with an emphasis on healthy, local ingredients. Both venues have playgrounds for small kids.
Cultiva
Run by Ecuadorian master chef Ariel, Cultiva is a magnificent space of raw wood, trailing plants and dappled light. The food matches the décor in its authentic simplicity. Cultiva describes their food as ‘fusion’ and ‘farm to fork’. Locally grown and sourced from sustainable suppliers, the focus is on South American and Asian fusion dishes and you won’t get a better plate of food in Nairobi. Cocktails are stupendous – be warned- Cultiva ain’t cheap.
Read my blog on Cultiva.
Haru Japanese Restaurant
Haru is the best Japanese restaurant in Karen. Read my blog on Haru Japanese restaurant. Excellent sushi and noodles, good service and a wine list with a couple of good bottles. Haru is always full at lunch and in the evening, which speaks to its consistently good delivery.
Haru Japanese restaurant Facebook
Where to shop in Karen Nairobi
Karen, Langata and Hardy in Nairobi have big malls, boutique shops and craft markets… the secret is to uncover the best of them.
The Hub Karen Nairobi
The Hub is certainly the biggest of all the shopping malls in Karen, and it has the most brand-name stores. At The Hub, you will find the vast French supermarket Carrefour, which is the best place to shop for food and household goods in Nairobi. LC Waikiki, a Turkish store which stocks western fashion clothes at competitive prices, Woolworths, a slightly higher-end clothing shop from South Africa, and Decathlon another French giant and the best place to buy sports stuff in Kenya. There are a ton of other shops and some good restaurants too – of note are Artcaffe and La Cascina.
Check out The Hub Karen Website here.
The Waterfront Mall
The Waterfront was built a couple of years ago and designed to be a one size fits all centre for everyone. There are shops, restaurants, a clinic, beauty spas, a bowling alley, horse riding, running tracks, boating, a water adventure park and a supermarket.
You can find Naivas here, CJ’s restaurant, an excellent wine shop, Mama Ashanti, Game, and the lovely Saab cafe. I rarely head here to buy stuff (unless I’m going to the party shop upstairs for balloons and dress-up,) but it’s a great place to bring the kids on the weekend. Maji MagicWater Ppark and the bowling are a firm favourite with the kids, and for adults, the outside restaurants and cafes overlooking the water are a pleasant place to relax.
Galleria Mall
Galleria is in Langata, opposite Nairobi National Park. A well-established mall which a large Carrefour, Artcaffe, Java, Planet Yoghurt, Urban Burger and KFC. There’s a Woolworths, Mr Price Clothing, and Accessorize, so it’s a good option for shopping. It has a very good wines and spirits shop and is the only place in Karen & Langata with an Animet (school clothing) shop plus the Text Book centre, so it is the best place to shop for kids’ uniforms and back-to-school items.
It is also home to an outreach branch of The Nairobi Hospital.
Hardy Post
Hardy Post shopping centre along Ushrika Road has a few sparkling gems to tempt you. HPS – an all-rounder supermarket (with a sister store in Karen Crossroads) sells lots of cheeky treats, UK / US chocolates, cereals and various imports. There is a spa/hairdresser – called Nothing Like It where most people that I know head for a trim. The Shop is a small store crammed full of delightful surprises like cashmere jumpers, delicate pottery, perfumes, infusers and beaded safari hats… last, but not least a bike shop where you can buy and service bikes.
Langata Link Shops
Oooh I love Langata Link shops. You know those days when you can’t be bothered to work and you just want to wander and dream? Heading to Langata Link is a guilty pleasure. Shops full of jewellery, candles, beauty products, clothes, beads and bags by local artisans.. just a handful include Kitengela, Shuka Duka, Kobe, Koy, Kenyan Kanga, Wild Rose and American Rhino. Tin Roof Café is at Langata Link (see above) with a sweet little playground for the kids. It’s a perfect place to guilt shop and relax.
Utamaduni Craft Centre
A craft centre with fixed prices – which I do like, even if they are a little inflated. They have the widest selection of crafts from across Africa in Karen and, as a result, are often inundated with tourists. Read my blog on Utamaduni here.
House of Treasures
A delicious hodge podge of beautiful items for your home.
Pottery, woven crafts, blankets, jewellery, and clothing. Brands include Bakuli Blue, Sally Dudmesh, Bush Princess, Deepa Shah, Linda Camm, Aman, Dunesi, Fusco Designs, DOA, AliLamu, Penrose, Amy Sandys-Lumsdaine, The Velvet Room, Bumble & Ava.
Things To Do In Karen Nairobi
Karen Nairobi is chock-a-block full of tourist destinations. If you want animals, then base yourself here, as we have the Giraffe Sanctuary, Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi National park, and Ololua Forest, and there’s every chance you’ll bump into a warthog or a monkey just meandering down a quiet backstreet.
The Giraffe Centre and Sanctuary
Read my Giraffe Centre blog here. The Giraffe Sanctuary and Centre offers you the chance to meet, pet, and even kiss a giraffe. The sanctuary was created to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffes. As part of the sanctuary, the Giraffe Centre was built to allow people to come close to the animals. The Giraffe Centre has created an elaborate walkway system that enables you to get head height with our tall friends. Grab a couple of pellets and hand-feed the giraffes. Afterwards, you can buy a coffee, shop for crafts or even take a walk in the sanctuary itself – watch out though, there are tons of warthogs.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Read my David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust blog here. Tourists blaze a trail to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage to grab a photo op with an ellie. As a resident, I tend to forget about it, but it is one of the most stirring and unforgettable experiences you can have. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust or Elephant Orphanage rescues orphaned and abandoned elephants from all over East Africa and brings them home to the facility that borders Nairobi National Park. Carers become substitute parents, which often involves sleeping in the elephant’s pens at night, applying sunscreen and feeding them from gigantic baby bottles.
Nowadays, you need to book in advance to visit the elephants, and the waiting list can be quite long. You can visit DSWT at 11 am each day for a formal talk about the organisation’s work. Even better, sponsor an elephant in advance and bag a VIP visit to the elephants at 5 pm (pre-booking only). On this VIP visit, you can watch the elephant feed, meet the keepers, interact with the elephants one to one and watch them being put to bed. It’s magical.
Visit Elephant Orphanage.
Ololua Nature Trail
Ololua Nature trail in Karen isn’t the best place to walk or hike in Nairobi. I’d rather head over to the Ngong Hills or Karura Forest, but there are thin pickings on any kind of an outdoor meander in Karen and this is the best. It costs the princely sum of 600 bob to have a wander (ok it is not a lot but puts a downer on doing your daily jog there). However, there’s a waterfall and bat-filled cave and the paths are clearly signposted and well cared for. An abundance of monkeys, birds and small mammals abound and I swear I saw a hyena there once.
Read my blog on hiking at Ololua Nature Trail.
Nairobi National Park
You can access Nairobi National Park from gates in Langata so I think I can just squeeze it in here.
Over 100 acres of wilderness packed full of safari animals. Here’s all your favourite safari friends: hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, rhino, lion, zebra and many plains animals packed into a compact area.
Nairobi National Park rarely fails to deliver. Your chances of spotting a lion or rhino here are much higher than in many other parks.. and despite bordering a capital city, you truly feel you are in the wild.
Read my blog on Nairobi National Park.
Giraffe Manor
If you have more money than Elon, and an overwhelming desire to eat lunch with a giraffe, then head over to the world-famous Giraffe Manor. For us mere mortals, head over to the Giraffe Centre. It’s the same giraffes. You can even see Giraffe Manor from the viewing balcony at Giraffe Centre.
Karen Blixen Museum
Karen is named after Karen Blixen, an early European settler who used 600 acres of land near Nairobi to (unsuccessfully) farm coffee. Today, many of the houses we live in have a claim to fame as part of the estate. The house Karen Blixen lived in herself is now a museum and, whilst small, does give an insight into how she and 20th-century Europeans lived. You can walk a small nature trail or wander around the lush gardens which do, indeed, have a view of the Ngong Hills.
Maji Magic
Every kid in Karen Nairobi lives for Maji Magic at The Waterfront. A blowup water park in a man-made lake. The picture says more than I ever can. You pay for an hour, but they always let you on for 2. Wetsuits and lifejackets are provided.
Bomas of Kenya
Bomas of Kenya is an open-air museum where you can watch cultural shows and dances. Created to celebrate Kenya’s 42 tribes, it’s as close to an authentic tribal experience as you will get in Nairobi.
Safari walk at Nairobi National Park
If you don’t have time to do a safari in Nairobi National Park, or you want to guarantee a sighting of animals, then the Safari Walk is a great option. As close to a zoo as you will ever get in Karen and Nairobi. A raised boardwalk allows you to tour various habitats where you will see rhino, lion, cheetah, hyena, zebra, monkey and bongo. A superb option for families with small children.
Escape Room Karen Nairobi
The Karen Escape Room is a building comprising three rooms, each requiring you to solve a series of problems to escape. Being trapped in a room sounds like pure hell to me, but I’m told this is a great way to spend an afternoon. It’s located in Karen Village along the Ngong Road.
Paintball Fury
If you fancy blasting your friends or family with pain inducing balls, then head over to Paintball Fury at The Waterfront Mall. Kids from the age of 8 can suit up, grab a lethal-looking gun and attempt to capture the flags.
Spas and beauty parlours in Karen Nairobi
There are a whole lotta yummy mummy’s in Karen, so of course, there’s a place to do your hair and nails.
I’ve written a blog on Spa in Nairobi, but the best ones in Karen are below;
Nothing Like It (Hardy and Karen)
Nothing like it hairdresser and beauty spa has two locations: one in Karen at Karen Crossroads and one in Hardy within Hardy Post. A modern beauty spa that does a whole range of treatments, from massages, facials, nails and hair – this is where most people head for their regular beauty treatments.
Nothing Like It website
Entim Sidai
Entim Sidai spa in Karen is in the old fairy down Tree Lane. On 20 acres of indigenous forest with views of the Ngong Hills, this is a restful, restorative place that offers a full range of treatments; mani/Pedi, eyebrow/eyelash, waxing, massage, facials and sauna. Specialist treatments include hydrotherapy and a “foot pebble nature pod”.
Imari Spa at Karen Country Club
Karen Country Club is a members-only club in Karen Nairobi, but if you know someone who has a membership, you can go to the Imari Spa. Imari has a bespoke nail salon and treatment rooms attached to the gym. It has a spectacular location looking over an award-winning 18-hole golf course. There’s a pool and a couple of decent onsite restaurants.
Gyms In Karen Nairobi
Want to get fit in Karen Nairobi ? There’s a bunch of us out there cycling and running, but if you don’t fancy doing the dance of death with a Matatu on a Monday morning, then head to one of these gyms.
Read my blog post on gyms in Karen.
Dojo Wellness Centre – Next to Talisman on Ngong Road
Smart Gyms Karen – The Hub
Fitness Revolution – Langata Road
FirstPower Fitness – next to Galleria Mall
Co-working spaces in Karen Nairobi
You’ll find me working from anywhere that sells cakes, but for the more professional among us there are some nifty shared office spaces
Gives Karen –Located across the road from Waterfront Mall, a mix of communal areas, private offices and booths.
Nairobi Garage Karen – modern facilities, shared and private spaces and even showers.
Hospitals and Medical Centres in Karen Nairobi
Nairobi Hospital Outpatient Centre at Galleria Mall– this is my favourite option for an emergency outpatient. Modern equipment, well-trained doctors, and manageable waiting times.
The Karen Hospital – is a good outpatient clinic with plenty of specialist clinics for a wide range of illnesses and issues.
Amber Medical has two branches, at The Hub Karen and Freedom Heights Mall in Langata.
Karen Surgery – reputable surgery with excellent doctors, nurses, and psychologists.
Karen Physio – Julia used to work fixing up the injuries of international rugby teams. You won’t find a better physio in Nairobi.
Further Reading
https://theexpatmummy.com/45-unmissable-kenya-tourist-attractions/
https://theexpatmummy.com/expat-housing-nairobi-find/
https://theexpatmummy.com/21-incredible-family-friendly-resorts-in-kenya/
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.
Good Blog and very informative. In terms of places to work, coworking spaces have increased in Karen and I have had a chance to visit the 2 you have indicated. There is a new coworking space along Karen Langata Road Called Millenium Work Depot that I visited and worked in recently and I loved it.