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If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Diani Beach, Kenya, you’ve come to the right place!
You’ve seen the photos – Diani Beach is one of East Africa’s most stunning destinations and is perfect for a relaxing beach vacation with your family. I spent a week in Diani Beach in September 2022 with my family and loved every minute of it. We were also keen to find out information about the best restaurants in Diani Beach so that we could eat out for the duration of our stay.
Although we had arranged a full-board deal at the hotel we stayed at, we ate out every day, as it’s one of our favorite things to do while on vacation! As a result, we ended up sampling a decent amount of restaurants in Diani Beach, the vast majority of which we thoroughly enjoyed.
So, in this article, I introduce you to five of the best restaurants in Diani Beach, Kenya, which I would absolutely encourage you to try during an upcoming vacation in this gorgeous part of the world.
Five of the best restaurants in Diani Beach, Kenya
I loved my experience of dining out in Diani Beach, and the restaurants that I visited were all excellent. So, here are five of the best restaurants in Diani Beach for you to try during your vacation:
Nomad Beach Bar and Grill
Connected to the award-winning Sands at Nomad Boutique Hotel is the Nomad Beach Bar and Grill – Diani Beach’s best restaurant (at least, in my opinion!). The open-air restaurant is directly adjacent to the beach, providing wonderful views out to the Indian Ocean.
We ate at Nomad twice, and both experiences were memorable for all the right reasons. The food was delicious, and the wine and beer menu was extensive – I’d highly recommend 254’s Niaji Kenyan lager – a delicious alternative to Tusker and some of the other generic beers served up in most resorts in Diani.
On our second visit to Nomad, we reserved a table at 6 pm, just in time to watch the sunset. We enjoyed delicious sushi and craft beer while listening to the live in-house band play some relaxing tunes – it was a truly special evening.
Ultimately, eating at Nomad Beach Bar and Grill was one of our favorite things about our vacation in Diani Beach, and when we return on vacation, we will undoubtedly eat here again!
Find out more about Nomad Beach Bar and Restaurant here.
Leonardo’s Restaurant
When we asked the folks at our hotel reception for a recommendation, they immediately told us to go to Leonardo’s, and we certainly weren’t disappointed!
Few things are as delicious during a family vacation as authentic Italian food, and the fayre served up at Leonardo’s is precisely that. The pizzas are to die for, as is the seafood, and the service is particularly friendly.
The biggest challenge you will face when eating at Leonardo’s is what meal to pick, given the hugely impressive menu and the fact that it covers all bases! There’s even a kids’ menu if you’re on holiday with a little one.
We ate at Leonardo’s at lunchtime, and it was pretty quiet, but it apparently gets super busy in the evenings, particularly during the peak summer months when tourists abound. So, it makes sense to book a table before heading out for a meal.
Find out more about Leonardo’s here.
Apero Bar and Restaurant
At the edge of one of Diani’s shopping malls is Apero Bar and Restaurant, a relatively small venue that offers a great selection of food, beers, and cocktails. Although it won’t win any awards for its view (it’s perched on the edge of a car park), the food served up at Apero is to die for.
I ordered the prawns and washed them down with a mojito – it was easily one of the tastiest meals I had during my time in Diani Beach. When my wife went shopping at the adjacent shops, I popped back to Apero for a flat white, and the coffee was just as delicious as the food.
I would say that Apero is the perfect place to head for brunch while in Diani Beach, but it’s also a great place to go in the evening to enjoy some of their signature cocktails.
Whenever you decide to visit, I’m sure you will be impressed by the delicious food and varied menu served up at Apero, and it’s undoubtedly one of the nicest places to enjoy a meal when on vacation in Diani Beach.
Find out more about Apero Bar here.
Sizzlers Steakhouse and Pub
Sizzlers Steakhouse is very much a pub first and a restaurant second. It’s a tad rough around the edges, and the service wasn’t the friendliest we encountered during our vacation in Diani Beach.
But the food was absolutely stunning! Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our steaks, which were served on a sizzling platter and cooked to perfection. We washed our steaks down with a couple of beers, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
We ate at around 6 pm, and as we were leaving around 8 pm, Sizzlers started getting busy. There was a live band on that evening, and it looked like it would have been a great place to enjoy a lively night out!
However, as parents to a tired one-year-old, we decided to head back to the hotel for an early night after thoroughly enjoying our steaks!
Find out more about Sizzlers Steakhouse here.
The Spice Route
My wife and I love Indian food, and when we sat down for our meal at The Spice Route in the Swahili Beach Hotel, we immediately knew that we had made a good decision!
The food at The Spice Route is delicious, plentiful, and extremely tasty, and we appreciated the friendly and attentive service from the staff.
One thing to note is that The Spice Route was practically empty when we visited, and we were the only table for the duration of our meal! It didn’t matter to us, but I know that some people like a bit of atmosphere when heading out for a meal.
But if you’re like me and you’re a fan of Indian food, The Spice Route is the place to be when you head to Diani Beach on your upcoming vacation.
Find out more about The Spice Route at Swahili Beach here.
Recap: The best restaurants in Diani Beach
So, if you’re looking to experience the best restaurants in Diani Beach during your upcoming vacation, the above five places are undoubtedly worth trying out. They all offer great food and decent service, and my wife and I will definitely eat at all of them again when we plan our next vacation to this stunning part of East Africa.
Be sure to check out my other reviews and recommendations in the staying & eating section of EA Travel Hub, to visit the best spots in the region!