A little piece of Spain floats in the tranquil serene suburbs of Nairobi, on the rooftop of the newly built Spring Valley Business Park, Lower Kabete is the new Spanish spot- La Rioja which is open from Tuesday 12pm to Sunday till late. A typical hangout, La Rioja offers an unpretentious space to come together with your colleagues ‘baada ya kazi’, friends to play catch up and enjoy some time with your date and or family.
The balcony-my favorite space offers a beautiful landscape of the lush leafy-green suburb and an open-sky to enjoy the current full moon and starry nights.
It may be a Spanish spot but it is not only a favorite to the Spaniards, the supple menu caters for all-spicy, mild, vegan and vegetarian dishes. There is something for everyone. I went psychologically prepared and ready for my taste buds to have a treat and that is exactly what I got.
Spanish bread is the main accompaniment for most of the offered dishes in Spain and so it is in La Rioja Tavern. Can you imagine a Spanish (Yes, it came inflight from Spain) ham reserved for 24 months to marinate and served with a crunchy crusty piece of bread? My two favorite two things combined together, give me a minute to savor the tasty juices and the contrast of the dry crust!
Chef Patrício, the main chef at La Rioja comes from Spain, he got me tasting a little bit of everything, over caña pint and nostalgic memories of his home. I had the lovely chicken salad, broken eggs and potatoes and the mixed rice cooked and served in a big flat plan prepared justly by himself.
To grab more than a biting apart from chicken they have sea food options for a good fill on a hungry day-try the calamares a la andaluza.
This World Cup season, catch your favorite game at the La Rioja with delightful snaking of croquette (crumbed blended ham and chicken), spicy chicken wings done to your liking, chistorra (spicy sausages) and tortilla de patata (Spanish potato omelette).
The drink menu is just as flexible as the food menu bringing in a touch of the co-owner’s skills and experience- Juan. A glass of sangria isn’t just a glass of sangria but a Juan Sangria (secret recipe).
But apart from the menu be-wilding options, what was most interesting was the underlying truth that 15% of every glass of wine sold at the Tavern goes to the humanitarian organization -Soles de Africa. Modest, right?
Photos courtesy of Stephen Mdunga
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