I’ll never get enough of Artcaffé, it seems
Now, you all know what they say about Art Caffe – go there if you want a tasty treat with a side of racism. But honestly, I have never experienced any form of racism at Art Caffe – which is why I keep going back.
On this particular evening, we went to the Art Caffe at Nakumatt Junction. There was a threat of rain, but we sat outside anyway and hoped for the best. The hostess ushered us in very politely and we sat at our table.
Funnily enough, cigarettes at Art Caffe (yes, they do sell in house) cost as much as they do in the supermarket – something that I did not expect. It makes it an even more convenient place to wine and dine.
One of the things I love about Art Caffe is the ambience. The walls and décor are very tastefully done, and the music playing is always understated and enjoyable – and usually something I want to go back home and track down.
I also appreciate the fact that it does not take too long for a waiter to bring you a menu and/or clear your table.
I ordered something I had been craving for a while – a chicken burger with a side of mashed potato. Yes, it is as fattening as it sounds, but it is also positively delectable.
The mashed potatoes are creamy with a smooth consistency that tends to make one forget how much they are eating until their plate is cleared.
Round the table respectively, we had Nicoise salad (which is a veritable meal by itself, consisting of salad leaves, tuna, boiled eggs and potatoes), minestrone soup and chicken schnitzel.
Our food came promptly. The Nicoise salad is huge, and should not be ordered if you are not relatively hungry. Though the minestrone soup is tasty, the consensus at the table was that we prefer the leek and potato soup to the minestrone.
The chicken schnitzel was very good, as was my burger, which came on a patty so large it dwarfed the bun about one and a half times over.
Some portions at Art Caffe are very generous (like my burger) and some are not (like the lasagnes, for example). However, it seems that one will still get full regardless- the smaller portions may be small, but they certainly pack a punch.
Full meals (the pastas, the pizzas, the main courses) generally retail at an average of 1000 KES per meal. A drink at Art Caffe, depending on what you have, is an average of 350 KES – a mixed tea is 190, a smoothie is 250 and a glass of wine is 400.
The smaller meals such as the sandwiches and salads are 600 KES on average. One thing you must try on the dessert menu is the vanilla éclair, one of my persona favourites.
Something else you must try is the smoothies. They also do a very nice non-dairy strawberry smoothie at Art Caffe, with just the right blend of ice and chilly delicious fruit. Though some may argue that more sugar is needed, I think it is just right.