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Popular Restaurants | Other Restaurants Tips | All Tips (14) Must be some of the best food on Lamu, at least the best I had.
Wandering along the remoter part of the Southern Promenade, I noticed a blackboard advertising the dishes, otherwise I would never have recognized the place as a restaurant. Closed windows because of the winds coming from the sea, darkish inside, a bit messy but spotlessly clean and only two tables set in the big room where a girl was studying.
She recommended the grilled white snapper. It took the cook more than an hour to prepare the dish; the result was simply fantastic! The grilled full fish came with 3 little bowls of fine sauces (coconut, peri peri and tamarind), a generous plate of coconut rice came with a bowl of tasty red sauce, and a small plate of fresh salad and another one with spinach were added. Cost EUR 3,50.
Next morning I went back for breakfast. A tasty pancake with fresh banana and mango, slightly better and bigger than those I had in more popular places. A container of honey on the table. Cost EUR 0,50.
For my last lunch in Lamu I wanted to order the King of all Lamu dishes, the seafood platter. And because of my experiences at Olympic, I ordered it there. But due to my extensive explorations that morning around the shanty towns, I arrived 1 hour late, so that the food had to be heated again and extra rice added for the 2 girls that had showed me around their neighbourhoods and who I had invited to share the dish with me. Despite all that trouble, the result was excellent. A large plate covered with a full lobster, parts of monster crab, some big prawns and some grilled fish. Again with sauses, lime and vegetables. Recommended! Cost EUR 6,50.
Olympic’s seafront location is great, offering lots of interesting sights while waiting, and the service extremely friendly.
Dishes taken:
· Grilled White Snapper with Coconut Rice;
· Seafood Platter;
· Fruit Pancake (breakfast);
all recommended! Leave a Comment Theme: SeafoodPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Southern Promenade as far South as Zinj Cinema
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Bathawabu Restaurant became soon my favourite spot for breakfast;
Popular with locals but not regularly visited by tourists, still well recommended for its small snacks such as mahamri and loads of other little things made of sweet bread, sticky rice or fritters filled with spicy vegetables and/or minced meat.
Traditionally served with sweet milk tea.
Also available is cheap traditional food such as beans and rice.
Dishes taken:
* milk tea with several sweet bread snacks (at EUR 0,02-0,05 each). Leave a Comment Theme: LocalPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: least expensiveAddress: Main Street near Whispers Restaurant
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Smaller, cosier and cheaper than its more popular competitors. Serves great seafood in large portions. Both the Curry and the Fish Salad were superb, I thought number two best of the seafront restaurants after Olympic! Waiting time is relatively short too.
Two notes:
* Juices were less memorable;
* Views to the Prom are slightly disturbed, which is good of course if you look for a bit more privacy.
Dishes taken:
* Fish Curry and coconut rice (EUR 2,50);
* Fish Salad and Chapatis (EUR 2);
* Passion Tamarind Lime juice (EUR 0,60);
* Orange Juice (EUR 0,60). Leave a Comment Theme: SeafoodPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: Promenade, harbour
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One of the most popular tourist restaurants in Lamu Town, has a fantastic seaside location offering great people watching, and a good breeze coming in.
Hapa Hapa was my single most favourite hangout for fresh juices and milkshakes. Passion Lime juice is really awesome, as well as the Avocado Milkshake!
Such a Juice goes really well with a banana or mango pancake for breakfast.
Extensive menu, including Italian dishes, but food quality seems to vary depending on how busy it is, generally satisfying but nothing outstanding.
Chess and Bao games available.
Dishes taken:
* banana pancake + Passion / Lime juice (EUR 1,10);
* Seafood Spaghetti + big juice (EUR 2,60);
* Fish Curry and coconut rice (EUR2,20).
Absolute favourite here: Avocado Milkshake (EUR 0,60) Leave a Comment Theme: OtherPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: Promenade, near Jetty South of Bush Gardens
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Set in a nice neighbourhood, hidden behind a corner near the Riyadha Mosque more inland of Lamu Town, is a great shop for Ice Creams.
The friendly owner here produces his own icecreams using fresh fruits, the specialty being the avocado taste.
Very refreshing and tasty, extremely popular with local kids. It all makes it well worth the effort of searching endlessly for this spot (otherwise you might encounter vendors on the Promenade selling these products too)!
* Avocado Icecream (EUR 0,07) Leave a Comment Theme: Ice CreamPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterAddress: Near Riyadha Mosque, ask around
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If you need a real Western Style treat while in Lamu, Whispers might be the best choice.
In a secluded, atmospheric garden setting, you may like to choose from a variety of homemade cakes accompanied by a cup of expresso or cappucino, of which everyone seems to rave about.
Magazines and Newspapers are available, as well as a souvenir shop.
Whispers also offers a very distinctive quality and range of food, maintaining Western standards.
The menu includes Italian food like homemade pastas and pizzas that comes with good portions of nice cheese and, if you like, a choice of wines!
Juices were good too, although not better than elsewhere and more expensive; meals were not particularly large and lack of wind can make the hottest hours of the day unappealing to sit here.
Dishes taken:
* Tagliatelle with minced meat, Banana Lime Juice (EUR 4);
* Black Coffee with Lime Cake (EUR 1,50). Leave a Comment Theme: OtherPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: more expensive than averageAddress: Main Street, near Air Kenya office
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Coconut Juice Garden has a great rooftop location overlooking a busy part of the Main street, especially in the evenings. In the daytime a nice and cool place to read your daily newspaper.
The brother of the owner who runs the rooftop area, is great company for a chat.
Especially recommended here are the homemade yoghurts, daily produced from own cow products.
Downstairs (same owner) is a restaurant serving local dishes. I had the beef soup which I will never forget for its incredible greasiness. Hours later grease was still sticking in my mouth.
Home made yoghurt (EUR 0,30 a glass) Leave a Comment Theme: LocalAddress: Southern Main Street
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Bush Garden, centrally located near the jetty along the Promenade, is a relatively large restaurant that definately attracts most foreign customers of all seafront restaurants.
Menu is almost a copy of the neighbour Hapa Hapa restaurant, but I thought Bush Garden was more professional when it comes to service. Still, I didn't especially like this place for lack of cosy ambience.
Food allways fine, but nothing exceptional. When it's crowded in the early evenings, it can take a long while for the food to get ready.
The only special reason to come here was for the awesome Coconut Milk Shake!
Also some rooms available.
Dishes taken:
* various in the EUR2 - EUR4 range.
Specialty: Coconut Milk Shake (EUR 0,60)!!! Leave a Comment Theme: SeafoodPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: Promenade near Jetty
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When we arrived on Lamu Airport, we were welcomed by a number of blokes promoting guesthouses. I said I had already made reservations and when they asked where, I made up "New Star". That now confused them since there's only a restaurant with a name like that. Funny, since I never heard of it before...
So I thought I had to go there for a lunch. A rather big and popular place for locals in unappealing setting along the Main street serving local dishes like rice, beans, ugali etc at very cheap prices. They can also make special dishes on demand.
Waiters were extremely helpful, but with dirty clothes and sweaty faces not really top.
Ugali not recommeded (very dry, almost like a stone), the beef soup much better.
Dish taken:
Beef soup and Ugali, 0.5 ltr CocaCola (EUR 0,80) Leave a Comment Theme: LocalPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: least expensiveAddress: Main Street near German Post Office Museum
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Might be the single most popular restaurant in Lamu for locals. Serves a whole range of local and regional dishes in canteen style setting at very affordable prices.
It all reminded me of the countless fast food chicken and chips restaurants in the streets of Central Nairobi.
To find good chicken dishes in Lamu is hard, but in New Minaa, the Chicken Tikka was outstanding as was the chicken stew with rice.
Chips however were much too greasy and soft, the fresh juice watery, and the salad drenched in a pool of cheap tomato sauce.
Service is extremely fast and friendly, tables are cleaned continuously, and for entertainment there's a TV with local channels.
Dishes taken:
* Chicken Tikka, Chips, Salad, Orange Juice (EUR 1,70);
* Chicken Stew, Coconut Rice, Orange Juice (EUR 2,10).
You may find also "bornless chicken" on the menu, which I din't try... Leave a Comment Theme: Fast FoodPrice: less than US$10 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Main Street, Central Southern End
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on January 1, 2005
