5th Avenue Café, village market: A hideout perfect for a low-key third date
5th Avenue Café, village market: A hideout perfect for a low-key third date.
What you need to know:
- The prices are higher for what you actually get but the service was fast and the waitress was really nice.
- They do not serve alcohol because the establishment is owned by Muslims.
I thought I had been to every restaurant there possibly is around Village Market, and was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover 5th Avenue Cafe.
Where had this spot, named after one of the world’s most expensive shopping streets in Manhattan, New York, been all this time? It’s the cutest little spot I ever did see.
There’s a lot of greenery hanging from the ceiling, crawling up the walls and growing from the ground so it feels like you’re in a serene garden, even though you’re actually not.
There’s also a pool which on one of those scorching Nairobi days would be perfect to cool off in.
The service was fast and we had a really friendly waitress. The menu has a nice selection – whether you want pulled beef sliders, focaccia, all-day breakfast, oxtail pasta or a good old burger and fries.
I got the nicoise salad which had assorted lettuce, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, olives, onions, radish, boiled eggs and poached salmon, for Sh1,400. It came with the classic nicoise vinaigrette which tied the dish together.
My friend got the salmon avocado salad for Sh1,300, and that had lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon and tomatoes.
The dishes and cutlery are simple and look elegant, and I quite liked how the dishes were plated.
To be fair, the prices are higher for what you actually get, but it is near the United Nations and US embassy so they cater to a certain type of crowd.
I was down for a cheeky glass of sparkling wine or chardonnay, but alas, they do not serve alcohol.
While chatting with the waitress, I learnt that they do not serve alcohol because the establishment is owned by Muslims, so that made sense. There is however a mocktail bar, from which I ordered a berry splash for Sh600.
I really liked the ambience. I would definitely return if I had a business meeting, wanted a quiet place to work for the morning, or even for a low-key second or third date. As we were leaving, I noticed that the restaurant is actually part of a hotel, which explains the pool.
