Here are Nairobi's Best Secret Cafes

The city safari is a unique experience only possible in Nairobi
The city safari is a unique experience only possible in Nairobi
Jackline Wambugi

Nairobi’s coffee culture has been growing rapidly since the beginning of the millennium, and coffee houses have sprung up to meet this growing demand. There are several café chains with shops all over Nairobi and its suburbs, but here are those hidden gems that only true coffee connoisseurs know about.


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Point Zero Coffee

Point Zero cafe in Nairobi

The cultural ambiance at Point Zero Coffee is exhilarating, perhaps because of its close proximity to the Nairobi Gallery. It is wedged between two magnificent buildings; the iconic Nyayo House on one side and the Victorian-style Nairobi Gallery on the other. The café itself is a tent with an African-inspired décor. The location of this café was not a coincidence, it was a well-calculated move, as this is the point where the outbound distance from Nairobi is measured.

Valley Best Coffee

This café occupies the rooftop of a small shopping centre right in the centre of the city. It is tastefully decorated, with a fish tank taking centre stage. The balcony overlooks Biashara street on one side and Koinange street on the other. The cool breeze defines this as a perfect hideaway on a scorching afternoon.

Urban Coffee, Hurlingham

Urban Coffee in Nairobi

The Urban Coffee brand combines Kenyan coffee with coffee from Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia to form unique coffee blends. They are building on the ever-growing coffee culture. As Kenyans acquire a sophisticated taste for coffee, Urban Coffee is there every step of the way, to quench the thirst and tantalise the taste buds. Although this is a cafe chain, their Hurlingham branch really stands out.

Vida e caffe

Vida e caffe in Nairobi

Nestled in the leafy suburbia of Lavington, Vida e caffe caters to the exquisite taste of coffee lovers in the area. This café is a franchise of the South African coffee brand, vida e caffé. All its coffee is made to the European standard using their own coffee blends.

Gibson’s Coffee House

Gibson’s Coffee House is eponymously named after a coffee brand, Gibson’s Coffee. It is located at the heart of the city but on a secluded street. Their patio setting is inviting especially on a hot summer day. The comfy sofas in the lounge make this the perfect hangout spot.

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