I spend most of my days thinking about other people's nights out. Building Nairobi Feast means reading reviews, comparing menus and arguing with myself about which places deserve a spot on a list. So there's something funny, and quietly lovely, about the people closest to you picking the restaurant for once.
On Saturday, 26 September, I turned 23. My friends Charity, Valerie and Emmy decided the night would happen at Artisan Blend Kilimani, and my co-founder, Jeremy, joined us. All I had to do was show up.
The plan I wasn't in charge of
Charity, Valerie and Emmy organised everything. I didn't choose the venue, the time or the table, which, if you know me, is a rare thing. That evening the table held the people who know me best from both sides of my life: friends who have been around for years, and the person I'm building a company with.
There's something meaningful about being taken to a restaurant by people who know you run a restaurant platform. They knew I'd notice everything, from the room to the food to the service, and they picked somewhere they trusted to get it right. That trust turned out to be well placed.
Mirror check with Charity & Emmy
Jeremy, co-founder, all smilesA room that feels like a night out
Artisan Blend Kilimani is the kind of place that makes you slow down when you walk in. The first thing you notice is the ceiling: glowing, moon-like globes hanging at different heights over the dining room, with woven pendant lamps further in. Add marble tabletops, a little brass lamp on every table and warmly lit arched alcoves along the walls, and the whole room glows.
It photographs beautifully, but it also just feels good to sit in: relaxed enough for a long dinner with friends, and special enough that a birthday feels like an occasion.
What we ordered
We ordered to share across the table, and it turned into a very chicken-forward evening that nobody complained about: chicken fajitas, chicken suqaar and chicken skewers, while Jeremy went his own way with the creamy fusilli. To drink, a blueberry mojito, a passion mojito and a mango juice, plus a vanilla milkshake for Jeremy.
The suqaar is a good reminder that Artisan Blend's menu goes well beyond café fare, with Somali-style dishes sitting comfortably next to the wraps and grills. If you're sharing with a group, that mix means everyone finds something.
The cake, the song and the dancing
Then came dessert. Across the dining room came the Artisan Blend team, singing and dancing, carrying a slice of chocolate cake topped with strawberries and a tall purple candle, with Happy Birthday Dave piped in chocolate across the plate, hearts and all.
They didn't just drop the cake at the table and slip away. They made it a moment, singing and dancing around us as if they had been planning it all week. Then my friends took turns wishing me well, one by one. With the cake in front of me, the team still gathered round and everyone taking a turn, it was one of those moments you can't plan and can't quite recreate.
My friends also surprised me with gifts, which I'm still smiling about. Wholesome is an overused word, but it's the right one for this night.
Emmy & me, birthday mode on
Valerie & me, two thumbs up for 23Why it stayed with me
In hospitality, the food gets you through the door, but it's how people make you feel that brings you back. As someone who writes about Nairobi restaurants for a living, I notice when a team goes beyond the order, and it's rarer than it should be.
The team could have done the minimum. Instead, they treated a Saturday-night birthday like it mattered.
Planning a birthday at Artisan Blend Kilimani?
The girls handled the details, so I can't give you their exact playbook, but here's what I'd tell a friend:
Tell them it's a birthday. Mention it when you book or when you arrive, so the team can plan the moment.
Order to share. The fajitas, suqaar and skewers were easy to pass around a table of five.
Leave room for dessert. You'll want to be there when the cake comes out.
Don't rush home. From Friday to Sunday the Kilimani branch is open until 4:30 AM, so a birthday dinner can comfortably turn into a long night.
You'll find the full menu with prices, opening hours and directions on Artisan Blend Kilimani's Nairobi Feast page.
Thank you
To everyone who made 23 start this way:
- Charity
For planning the whole night and choosing so well.
- Valerie
For the thumbs up, the energy and making sure I just had to show up.
- Emmy
For the planning, the photos and the warm wishes.
- Jeremy
My co-founder, for celebrating with us and for building this with me.
- Artisan Blend Kilimani
For the cake, the song, the dancing and the care. You made my birthday.
Here's to another year of good food and better company. See you at the table.
Dave
Artisan Blend Kilimani
David founded Nairobi Feast to help people find the right table in Nairobi. He writes about the city's restaurants and, occasionally, about being taken to them.
