Lord knows that Karen needs more eateries, and I’m glad that it’s growing in that respect. So when I heard that there was a new joint around, best believe this girl dragged her butt there.

Brioche table d’hôte is tucked away in the corner of the Watermark Business Park, Ndege Road, Karen. I discovered it through the talented food and wine blogger, Jean Wandimi (check out her post here).

Brioche labels itself “Table d’hôte” as an experience and not as in menu items. Table d’hôte is a place where people come together to experience and enjoy food and ambience. It is literally translated as “Host’s table” in French; a place where the host (Brioche) shares their home and food with individuals that stop by in need of this experience.Let’s get into it a little.

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VLOG

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Ambience

Brioche has an indoor and outdoor seating. Victorian-style faux-leather button-tufted chairs feature indoors, making it cosy; while the peripheral glass panes let in a lot of natural light and give a light and airy feel. Outdoors, a small garden with flowering plants bring some life to the otherwise concrete canopied patio.

The  pastry display is certainly the focal point of the restaurant, with tonnes of options. Overwhelming even. We’ll chat more about that under ‘Menu’.

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Menu

Their menu is an extremely wide a la carte menu: breakfast, quiches, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas et cetera. A little bit of everything, for everyone.

WHOLESOME. That is how I would describe their menu in one word. They use evidently fresh ingredients and pride themselves in healthy, organic, free-range, handmade food. They have the best vegan/vegetarian menu I have seen in a long while, which is something I am passionate about!

Besides their a la carte menu, they have a wide variety of pastry options. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed, because you would want EVERYTHING. They told me that their most popular pastry is the Apple Turnover, so you might want to try that if you ever find yourself that side of town.

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Food

We were there for breakfast, so I ordered a cappuccino and the Brioche’s Club Sandwich . The sandwich was really fresh and they were not miserly with their vegetables. Old cheddar cheese, tomatoes, carrots, ham, lettuce and boiled egg on a house-baked baguette. They were extremely generous with their pastry fillings, both apple and chocolate, which my friend had.

One criticism that I have of the food is that not much is put into plating and presentation. No garnishing was employed and the food was simply placed on a large white plate. They could do more to make it attractive.

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Service

I had a chat with Eunice, the manager, as I explained that I wanted to take pictures and vlog while at the restaurant. She was nice and gave me the greenlight to. Dan, our waiter, was soft-spoken, respectful and good at his job. He brought everything in a timely manner and chatted with us about how Brioche boasts in being healthy.

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Pricing and value for money

I’ve been to equally nice places that are significantly cheaper than Brioche. My sandwich cost Ksh 940 and it didn’t come with a side. Salads cost between Ksh 900 and Ksh1200, quiches can cost up to Ksh1300 and the breakfast menu goes for between Ksh950-Ksh1600. The average meal costs Ksh1000. However, it is worth it if you bear in mind that only the freshest ingredients are sourced and there is no gunk and horrible preservatives. My sandwich was quite large; I couldn’t finish it and packed some in a doggy-bag. Their pastries go for about Ksh 220 which make for an affordable breakfast on-the-go.

Check  out my vlog and take time to love the little things!

Love and Light.