Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and an amazing place to live and visit — especially as a vegan!
Nairobi has the bustling pace of any big city, but with many calm retreats in the form of natural forested land, hiking trails, and a national park nearby. Nairobi’s rich culture can be felt from the lively music scene and popular matatu public transportation culture to the Maasai and thrift markets, to the nightlife and the foodie culture. As a vegan, Nairobi is an accessible vegan travel destination with many delicious options and a growing vegan economy. We’re here to show you just how easy it can be to maneuver Nairobi as a vegan!
One of the great things about Kenya is that fresh produce, cereals, and different flours are easy to get year-round and quite affordable! This gives every vegan in Nairobi a great place to start off. For shopping, visit markets such as Marikiti, City Market, Fig Tree, and local neighborhood sokos (markets). Our favorite grocery store is the plant-based haven Beyond Fruits, though you can also find many vegan options at Zucchini Green Grocers, Healthy U, and Pantry & Provisions. It is easy to find all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables in Nairobi! Cereals and different flours such as cassava, sweet potato, sorghum, millet, and more are easily found in supermarkets, wholesale stores, and local markets as well.
Now to get into it… the 100% vegan operating businesses in Nairobi are growing, and these are the places to go for the less common vegan items such as plant mylks, pastries and snacks, plant-based cheeze, tofu, nutritional yeast, and the like. Vegan Kenya Shop is a great place to start looking for these items. They stock vegan meat and dairy alternatives, condiments and sauces, baking supplies, and other pantry essentials. There are also small businesses like Podmylk, Healthy Kajuju, Mtofu, Hey Vegan, Just Granola Treats, Pieces and Slices, Linda’s Nut Butters, Jars of Goodness, Tempeh Nairobi, Alphajiri Grocer, and Furahi Bites that will make your vegan life that much easier.
Now that we’ve covered shopping, let’s get to the most anticipated part: where to eat out or get take out. Luckily, many of the local Kenyan dishes happen to be plant-based so when you visit a kibanda or local restaurant you’re sure to find lots of yummy vegan foods such as chapati, coconut beans, bhajia, pea and potato stew, pojo (green gram stew), coconut rice, mahamri, and more. In addition, you can still have a lovely dining experience and a variety of cuisines in Nairobi. Some places that aren’t vegan but have vegan options include Peppertree, Chowpaty, Honey & Dough, Roro’s, Mister Wok, Artcaffe, Boho eatery, Enjera Kitchen, Pallet Cafe, Oh Cha Noodle Bar, Zucchini, Urban Gourmet Burgers, Falafel House, Geco Cafe, and Nook Cafe.
For finger-lickin’ take-out that is 100% vegan, try Mtofu, Momo’s Love Kitchen, Furahi Bites, Soul Vegetarian Cafe, and Organic Delights! We love supporting plant-based businesses and encourage you to do the same.
Of course, vegans love the environment, and we want to give you an opportunity to connect with nature in Nairobi. To explore green spaces around the city, you can find beautiful nature trails such as Ololuua, Nairobi Safari Walk (a nature trail set inside Nairobi National Park), and Giraffe Center. Other beautiful places to visit are the Karura Forest, Ngong Forest, Ngong Hills, Nairobi Arboretum. The Forest at Kereita is also quite breathtaking when zip-lining over it.
With all those options, we’re sure you can now live your best vegan life in Nairobi while enjoying the rest of the amazing culture. That’s all for today folks! Have a lovely rest of the day, and let us know how we leveled up your vegan experience in Nairobi :)