Welcome to Eastleigh Nairobi, a neighborhood also known as Little Mogadishu.
Mogadishu is the capital city of Somalia.
Eastleigh won the nickname for the vast presence of Somali people in the neighborhood.
Initially, Eastleigh was the home of Asians who later moved to Parklands a neighboring area to the
west.
“Isilii” as most people pronounce it, is a business hub with people of Somali and North-East Kenya
origin being the majority.
Walking in the streets of Eastleigh, you may think you are out of Nairobi.
However, this neighborhood is a 10 minutes drive from the Nairobi Central Business District on a
smooth moving traffic day.
The busiest streets in the Eastleigh
area are three streets; The First Avenue named after Mohammed Yusuf Haji, Second and Third Avenues.
It is almost impossible to walk on these streets on most evenings if you are impatient with human traffic.
Here, you will meet lazily walking women all covered in veils and super tall with nicely kept beard men in flowing robes.
Young children dodging through people as they run from school or Madrassa. If you don’t like loud
music in the streets, then Eastleigh is the place to hang out. However, vendors and roadside sellers singing choruses of how affordable their goods are will deafen you.
Where and What to Eat In Eastleigh
A buzzing area like Eastleigh needs places to eat. With its massive presence of Somalis, Eastleigh is rich in the Somali culture more than any other place in Nairobi.
Jamia Mosque in the Central Business District has a majority of Somalis who normally come for prayers. Therefore, restaurants offering Somali delicacies found a home and market.
The language you’ll hear passing through places is one of the languages spoken in Mogadishu. Little Mogadishu.
Competition for providing the best catering services in Eastleigh is high. However, it’s difficult to walk into a restaurant without buying anything.
Different restaurants offer uniquely prepared meals and special Somali delicacies.
Here is a list of some restaurants that stand out in Eastleigh Nairobi;
Nomad Paradise Hotel
Nomad means people who move from one place to another in search of fresh pasture for their animal. They do not have a permanent home.
However, Nomad Paradise Hotel is a true home. It provides ample space to keep your camel (car) a clean compound with good security.
And you will be met but different flags hanging as you walk in. The environment from the outside makes you feel at home and appreciated.
The ground floor houses the reception and a waiting lounge for arriving guests. What makes it better is the residents’ restaurant just behind the reception.
Nomad Hotel’s main restaurant is on the first floor of the building. Continental class and services. Good light, clean floors, organized waiters, and a very cool manager one Mr. Yusuf.
If you are passing by Eastleigh, you can check out this restaurant serving good continental food. Mr. Yusuf insists that the hotel’s cook is perfect.
If you haven’t tried camel meat cooked with international standards. For just $7.5 Nomad The hotel offers a quarter kilogram of boiled camel meat. On the menu, served with rice or spaghetti. Super healthy and tasty.
However, as mentioned it is continental they do not offer a lot of Somali cultural foods and traditional eating methods.
Kilimanjaro Food Court
This is a top-of-the-mountain type. Loaded with enough waiters. It has a dedicated takeaway section that is loaded with a variety of goodies.
Kilimanjaro Food Court has deals running every day with unique recipes. Burger Tuesdays
and Pizza Thursdays with a buy one get one free offer. The only restaurant with dates smoothies and shakes.
It is worth mentioning, Kilimanjaro Food Court is not just a modern restaurant. It has an isolated family room. This room is for women and families. This doesn’t mean that women cannot sit in the main restaurant.
However, if a woman is shy then the room is the best hide-out to enjoy meals.
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters, and the believing women, to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies. That will be better that they should be known(as a respectable woman) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” –Al-Ahzab: 59 (Qur’an)
The room is meant for Muslims strict to the above word.
If you are in little Mogadishu and have the urge to try Somali delicacies, then this is the place to be. They have Saren a Somali cultural drink made from oats mostly taken by old men. You can also try aleso.
The downside of the Kilimanjaro Food Court is that some waiters are rough. The handling of tea and coffee may not match a high-standard restaurant like this.
However, there are more careful ones. If you meet a slightly careless waiter it is your unlucky day. But try Saldato (Rice cooked together with beef or camel stew) in this restaurant and you will surely come back.
Kilimanjaro Pavilion Hotel
If you are Muslim, you will love it here. First, they will welcome you with an IDD MUBARAK decoration at the entrance,
well guided following all Covid-19 protocols. Cozy lights with crescent moon and stars The five-pointed star reflects the Five Pillars of Islam which are central to the faith, and the crescent moon and stars are symbols relating to the greatness of the creator you will want to stay here.
The arrangement and type of furniture in the Kilimanjaro pavilion are in a different league.
If you ever get a chance to meet the manager, a young man of Somali origin, Mr. Abdi you may want to order everything.
He says some of their foods are a secret only shared for people who go to dine there. They also have a separate family or ladies’ room.
If you and your family or friends are thinking of dining here, they don’t only have underground parking but they have group packages.
They allow families to eat from the same large plate (Sinia) a cultural practice in the Somali and Islamic communities.
Ismariot Hotel
It is amazing to find out that managers took time to create the best spaces possible to give look and class to their businesses.
Mr. Qadhar, the manager at Ismariot Hotel just got the right outstanding urban look. Minimal installments but warm and welcoming.
Sitting on the first floor, Ismariot Hotel’s main restaurant nicknamed Bella Restaurant is one of a kind planned restaurant in Eastleigh.
Very clean continental and rich in traditional Somali delicacies. Garissa travelers who want to grab something quickly can find a corner with a view of the bus station.
Bella restaurant has a special meal; Bella mixed grill, a mixture of chicken, fish, and goat meat in one.
They have group deals for four to five people at KSH. 3150 approximately $30. This deal includes the special Bella mixed grill. They also allow group feasting the traditional way.
Dessert and Snacks on the go
In the busy streets of Eastleigh, you will meet women and men selling snacks.
These people try to maintain a good level of hygiene there should be no worries. Here is a list of what you should try when you visit Eastleigh;
Halwa is a sweet sticky dessert. It originates from India but there are different recipes of preparation. Women in Eastleigh have their unique way of preparation. It costs less than a dollar but more depending on the potion.
Mabuyu and Achari. These are common in the coastal city of Mombasa but they are also in plenty around Eastleigh.
Mabuyu is baobab candy made from baobab seeds. Achari is made from dried unripe mangoes with added sweeteners.
Kakaa these are cookies but special ones are only found in Eastleigh. They probably are made from a recipe onlyknown in Eastleigh. They are not sold anywhere else apart from here.
Dates are known as tende in Swahili. Dates are usually in plenty during the month of Ramadhan. However, sellers in Eastleigh never seem to run out of this sweet commodity. There are wet and dry dates but they all taste almost the same.
In conclusion
Eastleigh is a busy but good place to hang out especially for shoppers. People who love culture will feel at home in Eastleigh.
But most importantly Muslims will be at their best in this area. You want to know a few Somali words, come to Eastleigh.