EATING OUT: Fast fare for travellers

We left Nairobi at 6am for a road trip towards the north to explore some striking and still largely untouched areas of the country.

A little before 10am, we arrived in Nanyuki and being totally famished at this point, decided to pop into the first eatery we saw – which happened to be Barney’s Bar & Restaurant.

I was a little hesitant at first because given that we were scheduled to be on the road for one week, we had to really be mindful of our budget, but I needn’t have worried because when we were presented with the menus, it turned out that the spot is actually a lot more affordable than it looks!

The dishes are largely Italian, with sandwiches (average Sh800) and pastas (average Sh900), and the main section largely having British favourites like fish and chips or pork schnitzel (average Sh1,000).

With listed Italian classic pizzas like funghi, prosciutto and margherita (average Sh800) and a wood fired oven going at the opposite end of the room, I was really tempted to get one. I figured they probably make it from scratch, and given how hungry I was, I opted for the quickest and healthiest option on the menu. My companion ordered a full English breakfast (Sh750) while I got the muesli bowl (Sh500).

Muesli is generally my go-to breakfast at home. I like to get it at restaurants as well, because they always mix in their own ingredients with the rolled oats, with everything ranging from seeds and nuts to fresh and dried fruits. The bowl at Barney’s was huge, and it came complete with pumpkin seeds, which I love for their nutritional value. It however had too much watermelon in it, which always ends up diluting the yoghurt.

We sat out on the garden where it was really cold, in the way that Nanyuki generally is because of the altitude and trees. If it was acceptable to use a pizza oven as a fireplace, I would have gone to sit right next to it.

Given its location, the space is quite popular with travellers in transit (there were actually only tour vans and Land Rovers out in the parking lot) through the town, and it therefore makes sense that they have a well-stocked souvenir store selling everything from hand-knitted dolls made by a local women’s groups to beaded accessories and homemade jams and honey.

The things about souvenir stores in Nanyuki, however, is that their goods are always listed at mzungu prices. Besides, I’m street smart enough to get a matatu to Kariokor, so I only looked around and marvelled at some of the beautiful handiwork on display.

If you’re an airplane enthusiast, Barney’s is located inside the Nanyuki Airfield, and is actually right next to the runway, so there will be airplanes landing and taking off as you tuck into your meal. If you want to have a business meeting, perhaps a quieter spot would be ideal.