Tin Roof Cafes pride themselves in “delicious home-made delights such as hotpots and soups for those damp winter days and healthy, delicious salads for the hot sunny times of the year”. They have 2 outlets: one at The Souk, on Dagoretti road, Karen, and another at the Langata Link Shops, Hardy (also Karen).

The Souk, I imagine, was once someone’s house. It’s a cute peaceful pocket in Nairobi’s craziness, that is home to a book shop, jewellery shop, cafe and even an art gallery (which unfortunately was closed when I visited). 

I took my sister out to lunch at the Tin Roof Cafe Souk branch, and this review is solely on that. At Tin Roof Cafe (the Souk) there was one thing that left me unimpressed, for every one that I loved, . Love-hate emotions exemplified. Read on…

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Ambience

The good: The ambience is charmingly old fashioned with cute round tables and simple chairs spruced up with cushions clad in floral print covers. There is porch seating, garden seating and cozy indoor seating. The trees and vegetation lend a relaxing atmosphere, making you forget for a second that you are in busy Nairobi. Inside, there are interesting black and white portraits displayed on walls, and book shelves with books that one can help themselves to over a nice hot beverage.

The bad: Hygiene was lacking. The toilet had muddy footsteps all over, there was no toilet paper, and it reeked of urine. The cushion covers were filthy and there were cobwebs all over the house… If that was the look they were going for, it did not sit well with me.

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Food and Drinks

The good: Tin Roof Cafe has great wholesome food. I had a savoury chicken and feta crepe which I loved, but was a little too ‘eggy’. Nothing I couldn’t stomach though. My sister had the Tin Roof Mega Burger which was on the best burger roll I’ve tasted in a long while. Both dishes were served with a lovely Ottolenghi-style salad. Their salad is like none I’ve ever had. It’s packed with goodness in the form of mung beans, sugar snaps and everything in between (see vlog).

The drinks were fresh: I had the pineapple and mint juice and my sister opted for the passion fruit juice.

The bad: Presentation was wanting; I did not find my food to look appealing at all.

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Menu 

They have a wonderful refreshing menu. Savoury crepes and a salad bar tickle your fancy? Quiches and croissants, maybe? For drinks, they have teas and coffees with soya and decaf options, fresh juices and wines. Their menu is not extensive, which makes the selection process easy, and there’s something for everyone!

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Service

It was underwhelming. I think we went on a bad day, or to the wrong cafe, or both. There seemed to be only one waitress who would disappear for minutes. There was never any waitron on standby and we could often hear staff members laughing away in the kitchen while we needed to be attended to. Needless to say, I wasn’t tipping.

They also wouldn’t let me take pictures, even after I politely asked for permission to, and explained that they were not for commercial purposes. Sure, they have the right to refuse photography on their premises, but it’s a real peeve for bloggers.

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Value for money

One thing Tin Roof gives you, is value for money. Our meals and drinks came to about KES 2600 (USD 25). The cherry on top? My DisCoucher voucher that took off a whopping KES 1100 from the total bill. Talk about wins! Check out DisCoucher here and you can always buy your own voucher book here.

Total bill: KES 2750

Savings with DisCoucher: KES 1100

Bill payable: KES 1650

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Last words

I really think Tin Roof Cafe, the Souk, has great potential. We quite possibly went on a bad day. I am dying to try out their sister branch at the Langata Link Shops. The pictures and reviews I’ve seen are amazing! Check out the vlog for a video element, and thanks for reading! ❤

LOVE AND LIGHT