EATING OUT: A dining experience like no other

Completed with fries, the meal was surprisingly filling, and I all but had to waddle out of the restaurant. PHOTO| MADAME CONNOISSEUSE

What you need to know:

  • A reservation had already been made and so upon arrival at the hotel, we took the elevator upstairs to the 7th floor.
  • The view from up there is absolutely breathtaking!
  • There is a pool with a transparent glass wall, which overlooks this part of Nairobi.

It was my birthday recently, and a few friends decided to treat me to dinner.

I was simply instructed to dress up and show up, and the venue turned out to be a place I had actually never dined out before — Meze on the Deck at Four Points Nairobi Hurlingham.

A reservation had already been made and so upon arrival at the hotel, we took the elevator upstairs to the 7th floor.

The view from up there is absolutely breathtaking! There is a pool with a transparent glass wall, which overlooks this part of Nairobi.

On the opposite end of the space, a door leads into a classy, well-furnished and executive-looking lounge, the perfect “grown up” spot from which to have some cocktails to mark my new “grown woman” age.

The entire space is well lit with large glass windows allowing for a rather scenic view of the city, with distinct buildings such as an unmissable KICC standing proud in the distance.

Once it started getting dark, after a decadent chocolate cake with a surprise raspberry filling had been passed round and demolished, it was time to eat.

SMALL DISHES

Meze, as the restaurant is named, is a Middle Eastern dining concept where several small dishes and dips are served as a whole meal or as the introduction of a meal, somewhat like tapas.

With an array of Mediterranean dishes available, we were simply spoilt for choice- shawarma, biryani, classics like hummus, fattoush, falafel, spanakopita and more.

Whether we would be enjoying fresh Meshwi or a vibrant Tabbouleh drizzled with olive oil, I expected the food to be steeped in tradition and packed with flavour as is the norm with Mediterranean/ Arabic cuisine.

If you’re here with friends, like I was, the mezze platter is the best option.

It’s great for people who can never seem to decide what to eat, or simply for gluttons like me, who want to try various options off a menu without paying for an entire separate meal.

It came with everything ranging from chicken kebabs, chicken shish taouk, beef kebab, lamb rack and grilled fish. The fish. A fresh red snapper, was certainly the star of this platter.

The steaks were tender and very juicy, and coupled with lime, I wouldn’t mind having this as its own meal next time. The rest of the meat was spicy, skewered and downright delicious- the lamb rack had me forgetting my table manners for a second.

Completed with fries, the meal was surprisingly filling, and I all but had to waddle out of the restaurant.

For anyone eyeing the hot mezze section, try the spanakopita.

This warm spinach and goat cheese wrapped in crispy filo pastry with a mint dip will be just what the doctor ordered.

Since we were dining al fresco, it got a little chilly and my outfit simply wouldn’t allow me to hang around much longer, and so we gobbled the fries, downed the wine and said our goodbyes.