Eating Out: Some Spanish delicacy anyone?

This past Saturday a friend and I were looking for a place to eat and she suggested Mercado. When we got to the entrance, however, people were dressed to the nines, particularly the ladies (Nairobi women are beautiful, eh?), and since we hadn't called ahead to make a reservation, a host politely told us that there were no tables and if we were allowed in we would have to stand. Of course, it wasn't that serious, so we strolled out of Kenrail towers and walked down the street to Westgate Mall where it was a toss-up between Artcaffe and Tapas Ceviche. We settled on the latter.

Indoor Space

The days special is written on a chalkboard right outside its main door. Walking in, the indoor space is lively, intimate, and full of charm. The large wine barrels which can double up as tables are unmissable and there is an element of wood throughout the decor. We decided to dine al fresco on the terrace which has French-style bistro chairs and a small garden.

Menu

Tapas is a Spanish dining concept whereby you get small appetizer dishes, typically accompanied by drinks, before the main meal. Ceviche, on the other hand, is often made from fresh raw fish marinated in lemon or lime with spices such as garlic. You can therefore expect a lot of miniature Spanish and seafood at this spot. The ceviche section averages Sh500 and has dishes like fresh fish carpaccio and spicy fresh fish ceviche. There's a vegetarian section with roasted peppers, salads, fried cauliflower, and more, a seafood section averaging Sh650 with grilled salmon, sauteed octopus, prawn casserole, and more. Keep in mind, though, that these are small dishes so you could therefore order two or three at a go and get to sample different items off the menu.

Valencian saffron rice

We were both quite famished and wanted a substantial dish to start. We figured the sharing platter section would surely offer this, and a waitress confirmed that it would indeed be enough for two. We settled on the seafood, chicken, and chorizo paella (Sh1350), which the menu described as authentic Valencian saffron rice with prawns, chicken, beef sausage, and vegetables, served with a fresh green salad. It was served in a pan, as is typical with paella, but the moment we saw it, we both knew that we could have easily eaten this platter per person. Either order one for yourself, or accompany it with other items on the menu. It was every bit as delicious as it looked.

We also got the half-litre white sangria to share, at Sh1,700. Made with Spanish wine, brandy, fresh fruits, and spices, this is hands down the best sangria I've tasted. When we were done, we decided to swing by Artcaffe and get some more food.

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