Nairobi, Kenya is a hot bed for burgeoning artists and fashion designers. Naturally, where creativity abounds, a sizzling nightlife follows suit. As a stopover on our way to safari in Kenya and Tanzania, we spent a few days at the African-chic Tribe Hotel with Sunny Dolat checking out the fashion, art and bar scene in Nairobi.
Although Nairobi’s craft cocktail movement is still in its infancy, gadabouts in Nairobi know how to shake a groove until the wee hours (most bars are open until 4 am on weekends), so a night out in Nairobi is more about the people you’re with rather than paying a visit to the hottest new bartender.
“In the last few years, the cocktail and club scene has gotten much more cosmopolitan. There’s a whole street called Electric Avenue with club after club,” says Sunny Dolat, brand ambassador of Tribe Hotel.
Part of Nairobi’s stylish jetsetter crowd and co-founder of African fashion e-store Chico Leco, here are Dolat’s 5 favorite bars in Nairobi:
Gipsy Bar: Gipsy has a little something for whatever mood you find yourself in with three bars and a restaurant under one roof. The Crimson Lounge, with its euro-Moroccan décor, is ideal when you want a low-key night out, sharing some shisha with friends. Gipsy Bar takes you north to a rustic Spanish feel with low-slung ceilings, arched doorways and flowing Sangria. To watch the summer Olympics or a football match, Boxer Bar booms with sports bar energy with two plasma screens and a 5-foot screen for big events. Boxer Bar has offer 50 cocktails/shooters.
Champagne & Fishbowls: In homage to their moniker, Seven Restaurant’s Champagne & Fishbowls bar serves up Veuve Cliquot champagne and giant cocktails in actual fishbowls. It’s a swimmingly good time for you and about a dozen of your closest friends. Their signature fish bowl cocktails are Seven’s Tsunami (like a massive beergarita made of Heineken and tequila), De-fish-ency (vibrant ocean blue colored of vodka, blue curaçao, and pineapple juice) and The Piranha (tequila, dark rum, raspberry liqueur, fresh strawberries). The Ice Cream cocktails are also a favorite with specialties like Cookies & Cream and Strawberry Shortcake.
Nest: Located on the fourth floor of Tribe Hotel, Nest offers a upscale yet relaxed experience to enjoy shisha (over 20 flavors to choose from) and a Dawa (Kenyan cocktail of vodka, honey and lemon) underneath the stars. Martinis are also a must-try at Nest. The lemongrass martini, hot chili passion martini and lychee martini are all stellar sips. Unlike most bars in Nairobi, get there early as it closes at 11 pm.
Mercury Lounge: After your fishing excursion at Fishbowls, mosey next door to Mercury Lounge, a swanky club and cocktail bar similar to one you’d find in London or Los Angeles. On weekdays, it’s a mellow place to listen to jazz and on the weekends it’s hopping with house music from live DJs. Cocktail menu covers the basics like margaritas, mojitos and caipirinhas.
Havana Bar: If you like a little Latin flavor when in Nairobi, a visit to Havana Bar is a must. Order a Cuban cigar and mojito, which they are famous for serving up the best in town, and mingle with a crowd of both locals and expats. Thursday nights at the Havana Bar, get ready for a packed house with DJ Zelalem spinning everything from techno to Louis Armstrong.
Nairobi Shopping & Art Guides
We’re not normally the typical shopping types, but in Nairobi, with the gorgeous hand-crafted African jewelry and clothes, we turned into serious shop-a-holics.
Read on for the best places to shop (meaning most authentic, artisan clothing,etc):
And don’t miss out on the art scene in Nairobi either. Read on for Lindsay’s Nairobi art and shopping guide:
A Look at Brilliant Art & Design Emerging from Kenya
For our full review of Tribe Hotel, head HERE.
Subscribe to our email to get the latest news, travel tips, tricks of the trade, and our most recent posts delivered straight to your inbox monthly. 