Samaki Samaki Seafood & Jazz

Samaki is the Swahili word for fish so Samaki-Samaki, as its name suggests, is all about fish and seafood at its best. When I first heard of the name Samaki Samaki, I knew it was one of the Luo-style restaurants that served Tilapia and Kenyan food in an upmarket setting with Ohangla music. LOL! I was wrong. Samaki Samaki restaurant is located in the heart of Lavington, 28 Othaya Road. It originally started as a bar and restaurant in Dar es salaam Tanzania and joined the Kenyan market in December 2021. When you have outgoing sisters like mine, the chances of you not knowing all the newly opened restaurants in Nairobi are very minimal. We went for an impromptu meal on Saturday. At the entrance, you will be met by a polite, beautiful host who will show you to your table, I find this very welcoming, it helps you avoid wandering around aimlessly trying to find a seat. The restaurant is very clean and the service is great, the space is really beautiful. It’s very cozy indoors, and if dining al fresco, the bar area is the centerpiece, decked in a series of lampshades that look like small upside-down bamboo fishing nets, and when these are lit in the evening, you won’t help but stare. We ordered a platter that came with Octopus, Kalamari and Lobster served with coconut rice. This was going for 5500Ksh. Honestly, none of our cameras did any justice in showcasing the platter. My expectations of the restaurant meal were high because of the ambiance, guess what? I was not disappointed. As a seafood lover, nothing hits home as good seafood. Samaki Samaki offers different fish dishes such as Swahili fish curry, baked oysters, and king prawns pili pili. Every Saturday they have live jazz music from 2 pm, and the band played an array of international songs, as well as Kenyan classics. The core crowd is generally mature, so if your looking for Jazz, seafood, and a cozy space to dine this is certainly the restaurant to go to.

I had heard of Samaki Samaki Restaurant as a great place to have seafood and enjoy jazz music on Sunday from their different social media pages. I had been looking forward to trying it out and so when the opportunity arose, I accompanied my friend Marylynn to have a nice dinner and catch up over a nightcap. The restaurant is located on Othaya Road and is easily accessible by normal transportation ( Uber/self-drive). The restaurant has adequate parking near the back of the restaurant from where you will walk about 50 meters to the entrance. We arrived around twilight which is the best time to appreciate the lights in the restaurant and especially at the bar with netted chandeliers. My favorite place to sit is at the bar so I was definitely thrilled by the ambiance. We sat at the bar and got to looking at the menu soon enough. The food is reasonably priced but the side dishes are sold separately. I ordered the lamb chops (KES 950) while my friend ordered the pork ribs with a side of roasted sweet potatoes (KES 450). While we waited for our order to be prepared, I had Pina Colada (KES 800) which was absolutely delightful. The food was not as great tasting as it looked but the drinks more than made up for it. The restaurant has nice couches and lanterns for when it gets chilly in the outdoor seating area. The bar has a last call at midnight but the restaurant remains open till late. I would recommend this restaurant for a nice nightcap or to hang out in the evening with friends.