Karen · Nairobi · Kenya
TheTalisman
A 1920s garden bungalow on Ngong Road, where pan-Asian, European and African kitchens meet beneath carved pillars, Afghan rugs and lantern light.
Google rating
Guest reviews
Restaurant in Nairobi
The bungalow era
Our Story
A mud-wattle bungalow, a century of evenings.
Talisman began life as a 1920s mud-wattle bungalow on Ngong Road. A hundred years later the house still stands — its colonial fireplaces kept warm, its Afghan rugs worn soft underfoot, carved wooden pillars from Pakistan holding up the veranda — while the gardens around it have become one of the most loved dining rooms in East Africa.
The kitchen wanders gladly: pan-Asian heat, European technique, Kenyan produce. Organic vegetables and a seasonal menu carry the famous feta-and-coriander samosas, beef carpaccio, grilled salmon and braised lamb shank — served on sweeping lawns beneath mature trees, made for romantic dinners, family tables and long celebrations.
At night, the lanterns take over — and the whole compound glows amber.
- I.Carved wooden pillars brought from Pakistan
- II.Afghan rugs & original colonial fireplaces
- III.Sweeping lawns under a century of mature trees
- IV.Lantern-lit gardens, every evening after dusk
The Menu
Three continents, one garden table.
Pan-Asian warmth, European technique and Kenyan produce — organic, seasonal, and cooked with fire wherever it can be.
Gallery
Evenings at Talisman
Lantern light, long tables and plates worth photographing — select any frame to view it full size.
Word of Mouth
What Nairobi says
4.6 out of 5, across 4,060 verified Google reviews — and ranked the #2 restaurant in Nairobi.
Reservations & Finding Us
Reserve your evening
Address
320 Ngong Road, Karen · Nairobi 00502, Kenya
Telephone
- MondayClosed
- Tuesday — Friday11:00 – 22:00
- Saturday09:00 – 22:00
- Sunday09:00 – 21:00