Since I was a child we have taken all our tourist friends and family to Carnivore restaurant and you should see how my family pimps and preens whenever they visit it, you’d think it was their own home.
Anyway if you love meat and are looking for a truly unique experience, where you are fed every type of meat imaginable in the open-air restaurant (closed side as well) where your nyama is roasted on traditional Maasai swords (skewers) over a huge, charcoal pit then head to Carnivore.
I love Carnivore, the atmosphere of the restaurant is rustic, rural, classy and very warm and can be enjoyed for lunches and dinners.
Before the meat is paraded around you, you are usually served a soup, which I have always enjoyed but never loved nor cared for (I want to keep my belly full for the endless supply of nyama).
After the soup, waiters come around to your table brandishing the skewers serving you an unlimited array of meats ranging from delicious ostrich, soft camel, juicy lamb (pork) chops, legs of lamb and pork, succulent ribs, crocodile (quite tasty surprisingly), beef, chicken pieces, turkey, chicken wings, haunches of venison, rumps of beef, sirloins and sausages onto your sizzling, iron plates.
(the lovely Rakhee from Spain)
A wide selection of salads, vegetable side dishes, and a variety of exotic sauces like the delicious mint and cranberry sauces escort the meat spread.
But I advice you to not fill yourself up on these as the meat is the highlight.
Dessert like cheese cakes, choc chip blondie and coffee follow this. The full meal including the soup, meat and dessert is a flat price.
Make sure you also try the Carnivore Dawa cocktail, truly delicious; however I wasn’t brave enough to try the ox balls.
(The popular dawa man-Samson)
The pigging out only stops once defeat is declared by patrons who signal they have had enough by lowering a white paper flag perched atop their sauces and salad tray and it can take a long time, so go there with 2 hours to spare, an elastic waistband and an expectation of meat sweats.
Service varies, a few times it has been exceptional and at other times we felt like forgotten children as we kept seeking waiters to serve us. I have never felt like Oliver Twist more.
But staff are always polite and with their popularity it is understandable that you get ignored but definitely not acceptable.
It will definitely be worth your while if you are a curious eater, don’t mind spending and aren’t vegetarian-though vegetarian dishes are served-they have delicious pizzas.
It truly is one of Africa’s greatest tasting experiences and is worth a visit.
(pub in The Star on September 16th 2010)
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