Mercado – Mexican Kitchen and Bar

This joint is quite popular in Nairobi. I had heard a lot of buzz about it and only recently visited the restaurant with my partner. It is located in kenrail towers in Westlands some 15 minutes from Nairobi. A cab costs about kes 200. I had heard about their happy hour from 5:30 pm so you know what time I got there. The decor is somewhat rustic but not among the best I’ve seen. What I did like was their lighting. Very unique and warm. They also have a crazy view of Westlands, which is a plus. The service is also fast. I had a tortilla and some tacos. To be honest, I didn’t like it much. On the upside, it was happy hour. We got three cocktails for the price of one. We were buzzed by the time we were leaving the joint. The ambiance is on point but they can improve on the food.

Mercado is my favourite Mexican restaurant in Nairobi and had earned its title because of the quality of meals they offer. The restaurant is located at Kenrail Towers in Westlands area. Immediately you get off the elevator on the fifth floor, you will see the entrance to Mercado neighboring Blue Door Bar and Restaurant. The reception is immediately to the left after the entrance which is convenient when you have a reservation. The lighting is composed of dim, warm colors and the tables sit parties of different numbers. I particularly enjoy sitting either on the terrace or on the swing chairs indoors. There is always music playing at Mercado I usually have Mexican food at least twice every month so I am a frequent customer. I love the ambience and consistent good service every time I dine here. The prices are always within budget with tacos going for about $4 to $7 depending on the type and they have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Happy hour at Mercado is from 4pm with a BOGOF offer on their cocktails. I like the fact that the bathrooms at Mercado are located in-house being that Mercado is located within a mall. I recommend Mercado for a night out with friends for cocktails and food and large parties.

This Mexican restaurant is located in Westlands at Kenrail Towers. It’s about 20 minutes from the CBD with mild traffic. Happy hour comes in a double portion from 7:00 pm to 9pm, then again from 10:00 pm to 11:30 pm, which is pretty generous and something I haven’t experienced anywhere in Nairobi. Drinks have the buy one get one free . The elevator to the restaurant opens up to a small corridor leading up to the entrance. It had a more vast eating space than I expected, with options to sit indoors or on the terrace. The interior decor had very warm and earth tones. The reception and bar are in the middle of the restaurant on opposite sides of each other. I had purposely come to try out the tacos and I couldn’t wait. The haven is pretty and the lights are a bit dim adding onto the ambience. The atmosphere is the same as a lazy Wednesday evening when all you want to do is indulge (and most probably do not have to work the next day) A waitress came to our table promptly and offered us the menu. We all decided on varieties of the tacos – beef, chicken and vegetarian. As I waited for my meal, I decided to use the bathroom. These have an unusual set up- with no gender assignment and having them accessible to everyone. I loved the idea and execution. The food was anticlimactic however, with the tacos being absolutely bland. Considering this was my first time trying out Mexican food, I wasn’t at all captivated nor impressed. The shells were too dry and the salsa was just chopped up tomatoes and onions. The margaritas that we had after were top notch. The service we received was great as well. This restaurant is part of the JTL group that also owns INTI and Honey & Dough and of the three, I’d rank it second.

This is a Mexican bar and kitchen. I think this place is pretty gorgeous. All the colors,all the lighting fixtures, the decor and generally the whole design is pretty exquisite. Before I got the food the only thing that left me baffled and not in a nice way was the shared toilet space for both men and women. I had a not so nice encounter with a stranger here and it left me quite shaken. I think that’s an important thing to note. They specialized in serving Mexican cuisine and even more their drinks are tailored that way. I find their food very tasty especially their quesadilla and their chicken .Quite savory. I prefer their chicken tonga quesadilla which was 1050/=. It’s basically grilled wheat tortillas with pulled chicken breast that has been cooked in chipotle chicken chilli. The quesadilla was pretty tiny and if you eat a lot either order several plates or just don’t do it. To me it was like a snack They used classic Mexican ingredients and you an taste the authenticity just from one bite. I ordered a pitcher of their Cancun pina colada and it was 4200/=. It’s basically Malibu rum blended with pineapple infused milk topped with coconut cream an cinnamon. A glass goes for around 800/= if you don’t want a pitcher. We were just two and we downed the whole thing. I’d like to say that by the time I was done am pretty sure there were four bartenders who looked exactly alike no lie. One thing that stood out for me is that their menu is all inclusive with gluten free, vegetarians and vegan options. Their menu is relatively pricey and a filling meal plus a drink should cost around 3000/= per person. If you are looking for first date ideas this is definitely one of the places you should consider.

I’ve always enjoyed trying food from different cultures, unfortunately I had never gotten the chance to try Mexican food. And I honestly never thought I would get an opportunity, so when I heard there is a Mexican restaurant in Westlands, I jumped at the first opportunity to go. Mercado is located in Kenrail Towers, along Ring Road Parklands, in Westlands. The restaurant is large and spacious with beautiful interior décor. The restaurant is divided into two, with an indoor dining area and an “outdoor” dining area with a view of Westlands. We arrived at the restaurant at 5.30pm and sat on the table closest to the door, with a view of the bar. The tables were well spaced inline with COVID19 regulations and the waitress sanitized the table before we sat down. The Mexican décor was really beautiful and the lighting created a surreal atmosphere. I ordered the fire grilled chicken taco and a long island cocktail. It was my lucky day, since they had happy hour and the offer was really good: three cocktails for the price of one. The god of happy hour must have been smiling down at me that day since I didn’t expect the restaurant to have a happy hour. The price of the long island was KSh950 and the taco was KSh800, the taco portions were really small but the three cocktails made me more forgiving for this transgression?. I highly suggest using an uber if you are planning on buying any of their cocktails, especially during happy hour. I really enjoyed my time at this restaurant and am looking forward to going back.

I visited Mercado Mexican Kitchen and Bar during Nairobi Restaurant Week 2018 edition. Nairobi Restaurant Week is a culinary event that is set in Nairobi with diverse and a number of Nairobi restaurants participating by showcasing the vibrancy of their food and restaurants. All through the week, food lovers are given a chance to enjoy fine dining through customized menus and at affordable prices which is usually at a highly discounted price from the normal prices. So when I found out that Mercado had an NRW lunch menu that was Kshs.1000, the budget student in me had to make my way to Mercado. At the time Mercado was new and was making its way into people’s hearts and well, stomachs ;). Every foodie in my circle of friends and foodies I follow on Instagram had a lot to say about Mercado and I had it on my to-go list, so this was the most perfect time to try out Mercado.

DÉCOR:

Mercado has a warm and inviting décor, slightly rustic with warm lighting, a modern twist of interior design with a nice kick of vibrant, colorful, and playful Mexican culture. It’s a space curated in a way that you can comfortably hang out the whole day just sipping on wine or their special margaritas as you enjoy the scenic view of the busy Westlands. FOOD: – The mains, Chicken Enchiladas served with chipotle sauce and gratin with cheddar cheese and sour cream. The corn tortilla was crunchy and tasty, the chicken was buttery and juicy and to top it off the chef went hard on the cheddar cheese (the cheese pull was amazing), the filling was so rich and delightfully delicious. I had the salmon especial which was salmon with lentils stew cooked with smoked bacon, tomatoes, and roasted artichokes. This was a well-put meal, carefully executed and beautifully flavored.

All the flavors from these ingredients merged so perfectly. However, the portion was too little for this girl with a big stomach, so the party was, you know, short-lived 🙁 .

The dessert really showed up though!

DESSERT:
Aspic de Frutos Rojos, this is gelatin candy made with sweet white wine, red fruits, and mint, served with home-made basil ice-cream. This is an interesting combination and an ice-cream flavor that I never thought existed, it was a creamy, delicate, and completely delicious . It was so damn good. We then ordered house wine to sip as we watched the sunset. Truly a great experience. It’s worth noting that it’s a incredible space for romantic dates as well as for large groups and families with little kids. They have a private dining room for private occasions too. They have a reservation feature which I highly suggest you use as the restaurant gets full quickly. Check them out for a happy hour and taco offers too.

PRICE RANGE
Food, cake & drink items range from Kshs. 550- Kshs. 3000

Mercado is a Mexican Bar and Kitchen serving authentic and various Mexican delicacies as well as drinks. It is located in Kenrail towers in Westlands. Very easy and convenient to locate. I only have amazing things to say about Mercado because their food and drinks allowed me to go through a whole different culinary experience. Firstly the decor! If you’re a fan of beautiful spaces and decor this is the place for you .I went here on a first date and I highly recommend.We decided to go on a cocktails and taco experience with my partner and yes!Absolutely yes! They have happy hour on cocktails and mocktails so buy one get one free from 4pm. We had the strawberry horchata mocktail priced at 850/= and long island cocktail priced at 950/= .We got 4 for the price of 2.We then went on a taco journey and the blending of the flavour was one for the books!! The prices vary. Lowest price at 750/= for the buttered snapper as well as fried avocado taco. The highest at 1150 /= for the fish and chips taco.My favourite of course was the fire grilled chicken taco going for 800. I could literally taste the Mexican herbs.It had so much flavour .They also offered a variety of side sauces which made the experience a whole lot better. Currently running is their crazy bottomless taco offer Thursday’s at only 2000/= for vegeterian and 2500 /= for non vegetarian : you really don’t ant to miss this .The service was pretty good and food was delivered within 15 minutes .I would rate it at 4/5.