The not-so-hidden gem

The new restaurant in Lavington Green, Nairobi – The Hidden Gem – wasn’t hidden from me. James Kinuthia, the owner, had told me about his plans a few months ago.

He opened in December, but even though it’s only a hundred metres or so from my office, I had not been there.

I was quite sceptical. It is certainly hidden away down a narrow passageway. James had had his wine business down there, in a charmless backyard. But after realising that there was a lot of positive chatter going on about the new place, I took a peek last Friday evening after work.

I was surprised – very surprised. The backyard has been transformed. It is like a courtyard restaurant you might find in a Bohemian quarter of a European town. 

Around two sides of the scatter of tables on the ground floor, there are two rows of what used to be small offices but are now depicted as a boulangerie, a charcuterie, a café du pain and a maison du Chocolat. 

At each end, whichever painter was responsible, has transported us to vineyards and green hills of somewhere in southern Europe. Some metal stairs lead up to the wide balcony seating, with views across the rooftops and the greenery of Lavington.

I was also surprised that the restaurant was full – full of young people. So The Hidden Gem has been quickly found by a smart young set; perhaps not quite as smart a set as those who frequent the Inca lounge across the road at the Social House – a little more hip than those, I would say.

Though the ambiance is mainly French, the cuisine is Italian. Each of the two chefs, I found out, used to work at one of two long established Italian restaurants in Nairobi – the Mediterraneo and Osteria del Chianti. 

Spanish wine

I went back to sample their food at lunchtime the following day – Saturday. It wasn’t as crowded as the previous evening, and I did not feel so out of place, especially when Maurizio from La Tasca in the Mall joined me.

I was delighted to see that the pleasant Spanish wine, Vina Pomal, is sold by the glass, so I quickly ordered one before settling to browse the extensive menu. 

James knows his wines; he is a well-known importer. I reckon he will soon be holding one of his excellent wine tasting sessions at his new place.

While considering his food offerings, a complimentary Tomato Bruschetta arrived. Otherwise, I could have had a warming Minestrone Soup, a plate of Spicy King Prawns, or a few other more conventional starters.

For the main course, there was a good choice of chicken or fish dishes; there were various steaks and a Lombard speciality, an Ossobuco. I am told it’s the marrow in the bone that makes it so special – but that I don’t fancy. What I did fancy was a pizza.

There were plenty to choose from, but I went for the promisingly hot Diavola, with its chili salami, black olives, signature pomodoro sauce, and mozzarella cheese. It didn’t disappoint. I ate the whole thing – and it’s a long time since I have managed to finish a whole pizza. 

Lavington is so different from what it was when we moved there in the mid-1980s – much more alive. Since all its trees came down and its mall went up, a good number of tempting eating and drinking places have opened in Lavington Green.

So how about an energising English breakfast at its Artcaffé, a Spanish Chorizo de Rioja spicy lunch at the La Tasca wine bar, an after work pasta dish at the Italian Hidden Gem and, after that, a nightcap at Kenya’s own Kengeles – before taking a taxi home to beat the curfew?

Not at all a bad day; especially if you can also squeeze some work in as well. 

John Fox is Chairman of iDC Email: [email protected]