The Norfolk Hotel’s Lord Delamere Terrace

There are many great and historical dining sites in the world and in Africa, but none can match the grand tradition of the Lord Delamere Terrace and Bar of The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi.

One notable credential is its incredible history of die-heart patrons it has hosted ever since 1904 when the hotel first opened - over the recent years the guests of note range from Audrey Hepburn to Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro to Mick Jagger.

In the earlier days, the terrace was the hang-out and the watering hole of Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, Richard Burton, Peter Ustinov and Michael Caine.

And the historically important credential for all Kenya visitors, be they in Nairobi for gastronomic tour, safari, business or pure pleasure of reliving rich history of Africa, they join the likes of the 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt during his two year safari, Lord Baden-Powell, the Earl of Warwick, Lord and Lady Cranworth, Sir Winston Churchill, and the Baron and Baroness von Blixen, all the way to today’s Royals.

Having proved to be a popular rendezvous since 1904, the Terrace and Bar have been patronized by almost all the first European pioneer settlers. Steeped in history, the Terrace continues to be a favorite watering hole for all those who visit and live in East Africa. The Norfolk is a Kenyan institution that has to be experienced. From this terrace, guests can see and be seen, plus take breakfast, lunch, supper or an excellent coffee.

And not be missed, at the far end is a delightful bar, patronized regularly by Kenya's old and new 'safari-hands'! When you are in Nairobi, you should contribute the history of this venerable African culinary treasure.

When The Norfolk Hotel first opened on Christmas Day 1904, the Savoy Hotel in London was 5 years old and the London Ritz was still a year away. The Norfolk Hotel and the incomparable Lord Delamere Terrace and Bar service and cuisine was a major draw - when it opened in 1904, the hotel boasted a French chef from the Waldorf Astoria in New York, who established the heritage of the offerings – from incredibly tasting steaks, to the most incredible vegetable cutlets to a camel's milk ice cream, resting on a simple, macadamia nut tart baked with acacia-infused honey – to superb Club Sandwiches. The Norfolk tradition and the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts executive chefs have kept up the culinary tradition and keep reinforcing it with today’s innovative offerings.

Pre 1975 The Norfolk bar coaster – RSM Private collection

No other hotel in Kenya captures as much of Nairobi's splendid past and exciting present, and few hotels anywhere can claim a more romantic history. It needs to be placed on your African itinerary.

JIKO - New Restaurant and a New International Chef at the Award-Winning Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya

Great news for traveling safari or business foodies!

Nairobi has launched one of its newest signature restaurants, JIKO (stove in Swahili), at the Tribe Hotel, in downtown finance district. The new Executive Chef Luca Molteni, has created a unique menu with exotic dishes that marry and melt the nouvel international cuisine with Africa, using the very best of local meats and produce.

The focal point of Chef Molteni menu is the grilled meats, a staple of Kenyan cuisine, but prepared using the newest BBQ technique called a “vapor grill.” The grill plate has a bottom drawer that stores water and when the grill heats up the water vaporizes helping to tenderize the meat and create an even cooking surface. This promises to be new and tasty way to have steaks “au natural!”

Mark Somen, General Manager of Tribe Hotel, the home of JIKO says, "We are excited for the launch of JIKO and to have Chef Molteni as part of Tribe's team. He brings such varied and interesting flavors to every dish he creates and JIKO will surely be a place for visitors to experience a unique, localized dining experience in Nairobi."

Chef Molteni's goal for JIKO is to create a menu of internationally favorite dishes along with what he believes people are looking for when they visit Nairobi – the Africa taste experience that you would not get elsewhere.

The menu includes intriguing dishes with local, authentic ingredients such as pork terrine served with light tuna mayonnaise and olive oil, sautéed fennel and pickled baby vegetables, veal shank in red wine, capsicum Wellington, and fried whole Dagaa from Lake Victoria, served with a fennel and orange salad and Ugali-polenta.

Chef Molteni's Daaga dish is a fresh take on local ingredients, combining international technique with local favorites. The dish takes a traditional fish that is indigenous to Lake Victoria served with an African twist on Italian polenta, by making a 'polenta' from traditional Kenyan Ugali (maize meal), a staple of the Kenyan diet.

Chef Molteni said of the new JIKO menu, "I always try to incorporate local and simple ingredients and turn them into something special."

An additional and welcomed side to Chef Molteni being in Nairobi is that he brings with him the culinary knowledge to enhance the dining in East Africa and expose the African chefs to the international nature of the African cuisine, and how to intergrade their know how into the nouvelle international cuisine.

Your Africa Dining Resource For the U.S. and Canada

http://africandinner.com/

This is your resource for locating local African restaurants in your town. We encourage you to support them and let everyone enjoy the tastes of Africa…