Kenya’s national dishes appear on most hotel menus. The country’s beef, chicken, lamb and pork are outstandingly good, as is the wide variety of tropical fruits. Local trout, Nile perch and lobster, shrimps and Mombasa oysters are included on menus in season. Indian and Middle Eastern food is available in most areas. There is a wide range of restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa, otherwise hotels in smaller towns offer restaurant service.
National specialties:• Some game-park lodges serve game, including buffalo steaks marinated in local liqueurs and berries, often
garnished with wild honey and cream.
•
Nyma Choma literally means roasted meat, and is one of Kenya's best known specialties.
• Most Kenyans eat maize, beans and maize meal.
• At the small ‘hotelis’,
chai (tea boiled with milk and sugar) and
mandazi (doughnuts) are popular.
National drinks:• Locally brewed beer (
Tusker and
White Cap) and bottled sodas may be found throughout the country.
•
Kenya Cane (spirit distilled from sugar cane).
•
Kenya Gold (a coffee liqueur).
• Traditional beer made with honey (
uki).
• Locally made spirit distilled from maize (
changaa) may sometimes be found.
Tipping: This is not required. Most hotels include a 10 per cent service charge in the bill. If the service charge has not been included, a KES20 tip is usual, although the amount is entirely at the visitor’s discretion.
NightlifeMost of the major hotels in Nairobi and the tourist resorts have dancing with live bands or discos each evening. There are also a few nightclubs. There is a large selection of cinemas in Nairobi which show mainly British, European and US films. Theater is popular in Nairobi. There is a National Theater and several small groups of dramatic companies; probably the best known are the
Phoenix Players.
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