Beautiful scenery, forgettable food

Every once in a blue moon I come across establishments which, for their near perfect situation, need not rely on furnishings and décor to create a strong, favourable ambiance.

Located along the creek near the Goshi (Voi) river estuary in Kilifi, The Boatyard is one such spot. A full-service facility, it provides secure moorings, repair and storage for the many yacht owners in the locale as well as a floating spa.

At the edge of the water next to the jetty, the Kilifi Yacht Club operates a bar and restaurant which has for years claimed the title of top three best food service providers in the creek area among my friends. If this is true, then my experience at The Boatyard paints a bleak picture of the food scene in Kilifi.

The approximately four-kilometre off-road journey to get to the site of the restaurant took my friend and I through pleasant mangrove up until the dockyard, which is replete with yachts of varying ages, sizes and grandeur, providing a positively nautical festive air to the little restaurant. Parking space is nearly non-existent and I had to squeeze up against a wall to park our rental car.

ACT OF MALICE

As one would imagine, there is no indoor dining area and the al fresco dining space is set under a cluster of palm trees overlooking the water packed with beautiful boats spread outward toward the Kilifi Bridge.

As far as the view goes, I’d be hard-pressed to imagine a more delightful place to be but the cheap plastic chairs and tables left a lot to be desired. For a place where membership fees (Sh100 per day for walk ins) are collected over the food and beverage charges, I feel they owe it to their clientele to provide a space that does not feel like a roadside bar in downtown Nairobi.

But that’s just fussy old me.

While my mate ordered the traditional fish and chips for which the restaurant is exceptionally famous, I went the garlic prawns route with a side of chips. He was disappointed by the fish which, rather than have a proper fish batter, had just been rubbed in breadcrumbs.

I was underwhelmed by the overly chewy texture of my baby prawns which were so heavily salted it seemed like an act of malice.

The chef had gone to town with the butter so my food literally sat in a pool of it but the infusion with garlic was delicious. As with the decor, the food presentation was uninspired and clumsy.

Thankfully for me they had ice-cold beer from their well-stocked bar which I literally inhaled to provide me some reprieve from the oppressive heat. It might be true that this eatery was once popular among residents and travellers alike, but when I went there, there were only four other people and a general sense of neglect.

Going by the quality of the food, it is obvious that along the line somewhere, the ball was dropped and it has since rolled out of reach. I would love to return someday but I can only hope that things will have improved by then.