Top 5 Of The Best Places to Eat in Malindi!

Howdy! As promised, here’s part 2 of our Love Malindi Experience series with ideas of the Best Places to Eat in Malindi! I hope you brought a healthy appetite because it’s about to get scintillating… 😀

But first, have you read Part 1 of our #LoveMalindi Series? Thanks to Love Malindi and Jambojet, we got to tour Malindi & discover how much there really is to do when you go…

>>You can check out the Part 1 blog post right HERE.

Now that we are all caught up, let’s dig in, shall we…?

5 of the Best Places To Eat in Malindi!! 

Before this trip, I had no idea that there’s such a wide variety of places to eat in Malindi… And looking back now, our visit played out like an arts & culinary journey with plenty of surprises around each corner.

Hopefully you’ll come back to this blog post many times so that you’ll have plenty of options at your fingertips the next time you go. Plus, if you are an adventurous foodie, I bet you’ll enjoy discovering these places to eat in Malindi… 

Sail For Breakfast on the Alfajiri Dhow

Someone wise said: a good day is seen in the morning. I would add- the vision is improved with a great breakfast… 😀

And, what better way to breakfast than sailing on a dhow over the Indian Ocean?

One morning, we were treated to a sunrise safari on the Alfajiri Dhow, with a continental breakfast in tow. 🙂

The Alfajiri Dhow is a traditional Swahili-inspired sea-craft that is available for sunrise/ sundowner safaris as well as day trips.

We got to the beach at the crack of dawn, where the crew picked us up with a small boat, to ferry us to the dhow.

Although the sky looked pretty glum & the ocean felt rocky, our Alfajiri Dhow crew maintained an upbeat spirit throughout the cruise… And later on, when Polly & I got sea-sick, they offered us lemons which really helped to ease the nausea. Bless them for all their helpful efforts! 🙂

For breakfast, they’d prepared an assortment of pastries, fresh fruits along with coffee & tea. It all looked so enticing, which the team enjoyed thoroughly.

We got a glimpse of the sunrise, though it quickly disappeared behind the grey clouds… The best part for me was when fish leaped in & out of the water, right before our eyes. Oh the wonders of Mother Nature! 😀

This experience is best experienced with a group of friends or your family. And on a good day, the sunrise views over the ocean would be sublime!

• It costs Kshs. 3,500/- per person; the minimum charge is Kshs. 14,000/- for 1-4 people. This also includes: continental breakfast, tea, coffee & water. 
• The sunrise safari starts runs starts at 6:30a.m till about 9:00am. 
• If you are prone to get sea-sick, take nausea meds at least 30 minutes before you sail.

Go Lunching at Osteria Beach Bar & Restaurant

Osteria is well-known in Malindi for their unforgettable gelato. Initially, they had two restaurants… Today, however, Osteria maintains only 1- the Osteria Beach Bar & Restaurant. 

We got to visit the Osteria Beach Bar & Restaurant for lunch… It’s located along Casuarina Beach, with direct views of the ocean. I like how they’ve played with bright colours making it feel warm & cheery.

Their menu is Italian themed with dishes like risotto, pasta and sea-food pizzas. You’ll also get a selection of fish & meat dishes, as well as salads.

I had the Pasta Bolognese which is Pasta with minced meat, and it was rather tasty. I have to say, their freshly pressed juice was amazing, while the ice cream did not disappoint! 🙂

Osteria makes for a nice place to go for lunch with friends, and enjoy the afternoon right by the beach.

• Their meals range between Kshs. 750/- and Kshs. 2,400/-
• They seem to get pretty busy around lunch hour, so it helps to come in a little earlier.

La Rosada Restaurant 

La Rosada Restaurant is located along Casuarina Road, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best places to eat in Malindi.

We got to have dinner at La Rosada one evening, and it happened to be a Monday. As you walk into the restaurant, you get such warm & easy vibes making you forget what day of the week it is. 🙂

I really liked how the low lighting provided a mellow, yet uplifting ambiance. The owner walked over to say hello, showing us to our table. La Rosada’s menu is a fusion of Italian, International, European, Mediterranean cuisines.

We had the option of ordering à la carte or from their buffet, and we opted to try the buffet. Their food certainly lived up to its reputation.

I would have loved to see the restaurant in the daylight, as it’s located right next to the beach & is highly famed for their lovely beach lounge area.

They have a beach party, so you’ll get to experience Malindi night life- on a Monday! The party starts much later though, so it helps to go in when you are not rushed. 

Bonus: Bar Bar Restaurant & Pizzeria

If you’d like to get an English breakfast while in Malindi, then you might want to try Bar Bar. Located at Sabaki Center, along Lamu Road, Bar Bar offers a fusion of an Italian & European menu. 

We stopped by, on our way to the Golf Club so we didn’t have much time to dine… However, their servings are pretty generous, making it an ideal place to dine before a busy day.

The place gets pretty busy; plan to go when you have more time to spare.

Take a Day Out at Malaika Estro Beach Restaurant

Located in Mayungu, about a 30 minutes’ drive out of Malindi, Malaika Estro Beach Restaurant is a haven of sorts. 🙂

With a beach-front restaurant and cabanas facing the ocean, it’s amongst my favourite places to eat in Malindi. And with its location being a little out of Malindi, you get access to an expansive, white beach all to yourselves.

Furthermore, you’ll get treated to panoramic views of the blue sky reflected in the clear ocean water into different shades of azure…

Their menu changes daily, depending on what is in season. However, they serve a mix of both local African and Italian cuisines.

We got to relax in the Cabanas as lunch was being prepared, with the gentle ocean breeze whispering its cooling secrets in our ears.

When lunch came out, it was a rich assortment of sea-foods. While I am not a huge sea-food fan, it was a new experience and I had fun trying to eat (battle) with chopsticks. 😀

Thankfully, my companions were more adventurous foodies and they gave an excellent report on each of the dishes…

• The food costs in the range of Kshs. 1,000/- to Kshs. 2,500/-
• There’s a bit of an off-road section before you get to Malindi, but it’s quite manageable.

Baby Marrow Art & Food Restaurant

We paid a visit to Baby Marrow restaurant one evening… Maurizzio, the owner, received us at the gates of his beautiful restaurant. 

As we walked in, Sabina pointed out the striking art pieces hanging around the restaurant. It all fit in very well with the lush & lively ambiance… 

They’d reserved a table for us in the garden, which was perfect to enjoy dinner with a light breeze blowing in. And trust me, with the current hot Malindi weather, dining out at night is always a welcome idea! 

I always have a hard time ordering food, so it helped that Maurizzio came round to make suggestions. He was generously intent on making sure each person had the best of the best from his menu. 🙂

 When the food came, it all looked so delectable! And I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken curry, pizza and fresh bread!

I think the best part for me, was probably the desert… Mostly because I got to eat Pistachio ice-cream, after what’s been like an eternity! That moment was everything!

Baby Marrow is the ideal place to go for a romantic dinner, or even with friends and family. You will enjoy the warm & cozy vibes. 🙂

• The food ranges between Kshs. 350/- (for the starters) to Kshs. 4,500/ for the main courses.

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Many thanks to Love Malindi and Jambojet for affording us this opportunity to explore some of the top places to eat in Malindi.

I would have loved to sample some African-themed restaurants to add to this list of best places to eat in Malindi. I look forward to more Malindi visits to sample more local food restaurants and establishments.

Photography Credits

ABU MBURU

&

MARION MITHAMO

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the #LoveMalindi Series! I would love to hear back from you…

Leave a comment down below with your questions and inputs/feedback. I’ll be certain to respond!

See you on the next one… 🙂

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