It’s easy to ignore the huge tree that’s poised by the roadside, right outside Kaldis Coffee House, until you try to make pictorial memories. The large glass windows at the front of the Coffee House, located on Nairobi’s Kimathi Street, reflect the exterior just enough to hold in the activities inside. It’s only a few minutes past 4 and the twigs are swaying gently to the evening breeze as my friend and I make our way into the half full coffee house.
We spot a few unoccupied booths but find ‘Reserved’ tags on all so we settle on a table for two. Peak hours must be during meal times and after work and it would explain why guests would want to reserve. That, in addition to my impression of those we find, tells us a lot about the kind of crowd that Kaldis attracts. There are sockets so you can charge your phone, tablet or laptop and work as you eat. For the ladies, they have these hooks beneath the tabletop where you can hang your handbag so it doesn’t get in the way of your comfort during the meal.
The menu includes an amazing selection of drinks, pastries, steaks and burgers but we settle for drinks and cake because we do not have the luxury of time. My friend opts for a Strawberry smoothie while I go for my usual Latte and we choose the Red Velvet and Black forest cakes to go with our drinks. Although the Black Forest Cake was great, the Red Velvet would have tasted better with more moisture and our waitress promised to look into it. I do not relish thick drinks so I didn’t mind the Smoothie though my friend thought it should have been thicker. We were both greatly delighted by the service.
The atmosphere at Kaldis is cozy and the lighting brings a relaxed and somewhat intimate feel to the place. The Coffee House is a work of art in itself and the aptness of the interior décor and architecture proves that a great deal of work went into setting up the place. There are huge paintings on the wall too, some in colour and others in black-and-white. One displays an expanse of trees and thickets while on another, there’s a sailing vessel floating on a large water body. They are quite a great distraction as you wait for your order to be served.
With 120- 240 shillings you can have a single or double of coffee or enjoy tea or juices. Cakes including the carrot and fudge cake would cost you 250-300 shillings though you can opt for Croissants or other pastries. Although I enjoyed our coffee date, I’ll probably want to sample the variety of steaks served with chips, rice or potato wedges next time I’m there. You’ll need at least 450 shillings to indulge in burgers and over 600 shillings for the steaks.
Many people want a piece of Kaldis so it may not be as exclusive as you wish particularly in the evenings but you can call to make reservations or place orders for deliveries within town. It doesn’t get too noisy though and at least the hushed background noises make it a great place to have your conversations. Besides, the coziness and great ambiance at Kaldis is the kind that makes you know that there NEEDS to be a next time.