Shamba Restaurant, Loresho

Our visit was great despite the fear of previous poor reviews by others when I asked about the place a couple of weeks back.

The scenic route from Westlands side through Loresho was enough to whip up an appetite. Google map directions were very accurate.

We arrived at around 2pm when the place was quite packed. The last kilometer or so of the road is full of potholes but manageable. Parking inside was full but the field opposite is available for the overflow. The place is bourgeois going by the clientele it serves but we did not feel discriminated against which happens in many of these upmarket restaurants. We had no reservations so had to deal with the rail seating area.

The garden is strictly for serving drinks. Food is only served within the restaurant and a couple of the patios on the garden which were fully booked.A deep red mini supermarket heralds the entry to the place. Just before it is a garden of organic vegetables with a couple of sunflowers that stood majestically as if in a guard of honour. The garden serves the busy kitchen which is located in the shop. The shop has an assortment of organic produce, snacks and African trinkets.Between the shop and the main restaurant is an open space with more seating area and the pizza oven. Overlooking the two buildings is the grounds that is well manicured and covered with trees. At one corner is a small kiddie slide and the opposite end is a sand pit. Sadly that is all that is available for kids entertainment. Good thing is we carried a football and so the kids kept themselves entertained. The restaurant also allows dogs on a leash.The food was moderately priced with a soda going for Ksh 150 to give you an idea. I ordered a Hawaiian pizza that was delivered in record time. The kids order from their kiddie menu took a bit of time so they devoured my pizza while waiting. They enjoyed their meals and it was amusing explaining to them how the potato wedges (they don’t serve them as fries) had skin on.I couldn’t take photos of the interior of the restaurant since there were people enjoying their meals but the decor is more like a barn with lots of painting and a rustic feel.

The toilets were clean and there is an added unisex baby-changing area.They serve alcohol but I opted for the strawberry kamboocha that I had sampled while coming in. It was delicious and I had a second serving of blueberry kamboocha. All in all, the service was okay. Remember to make a reservation! The food was fresh and tasty. The kiddie activities could be improved unless their target clientele is adults. They also had a portable screen and a raised seating area to watch movies or sports I guess, in the garden which was pretty cool. It gets chilly but they have portable gas heaters, a couple of fireplaces inside the main restaurant and a campfire pit. I would love to visit for an evening meal to see the place lit up.They do have a farmer’s market where they sell organic vegetables.

Overall, it’s a great place. My fears were unfounded. I guess they made improvements after the heavy criticism. Amakove rating 7/10. They would have scored higher if they had more activities for older kids. But again, their target maybe is the adult.