A five-course dinner where the table becomes the stage. Here's what happens at The Magic Table in Nairobi, what it costs, show times, and where to eat at the Kempinski.
Imagine your dinner table going dark for a moment. Then it lights up: animated scenes spread across the tablecloth, a magician's illusion unfolds between the glasses, and the next course arrives just as the story reaches its twist. That is The Magic Table, the immersive 3D dinner that opened in 2026 at Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi. It's already one of the most talked-about tables in the city.
Five-star hotels in Dubai, Hong Kong, Toronto and Singapore already host this show. Now Nairobi has one too. Here's everything you need to know before you book: what happens at the table, what it costs, show times, and where to eat at the Kempinski if you'd rather have a quieter night.
The Magic Table is a five-course dinner and live 3D show in one. Projectors above the table beam animation straight onto your plate settings, a technique called projection mapping, so the table itself becomes the stage. Between courses, the show mixes the animation with interactive moments and classic sleight-of-hand illusions. Guests don't just watch; they take part.
Your hosts are The Clairvoyants, the Austrian magic duo Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass. They were finalists on America's Got Talent and helped shape the concept, and they guide the evening as digital hosts. The whole dinner runs for about two and a half hours, and the menu is told in five acts: Prelude, Vision, Disappearing Act, Perfect Harmony and Grand Finale.
Most dinners give you something to talk about afterwards. This one gives you something to talk about during.
If a tiny animated chef cooking on a dinner plate sounds familiar, you've probably seen Le Petit Chef. It went viral around the world and became a fixture at luxury hotels. The Magic Table comes from the same company, the German studio 2Spicy Entertainment, and trades the little chef for magic and illusion.
It now runs in more than 20 cities, almost always inside a five-star hotel: Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Andaz Dubai The Palm, Park Hyatt Jakarta, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec and InterContinental Toronto among them. In Africa, only two cities have it so far: Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. That makes Villa Rosa Kempinski's version a genuine first for Kenya's dining scene.
Nairobi's food creators have started filming it, and the reels show why: the table visuals are made for your camera roll. Here's the night as creator @nadia_albana_ saw it, in a reel posted with Villa Rosa Kempinski:
At the time of writing, the official Nairobi booking page lists three menus, all priced per person:
Grand Illusion Menu: KES 17,500. The main five-course experience for adults.
Enchanted Garden (vegan): KES 16,250. The full show with a plant-based menu.
Young Magician's Feast (ages 6–12): KES 10,000. A kids' menu, so the whole family can come.
Adults' show: every evening at 7:00 PM. Kids' Magic Table: Sundays at 2:00 PM, which makes it one of the more unusual family outings in Nairobi. Times and prices can change, so check the official booking page before you plan around them.
Book ahead. It's new and in demand, and a non-refundable deposit is taken when you book.
Need to move your date? Rescheduling is free up to 48 hours before your show.
Flag dietary needs early. Gluten-free and allergy-friendly menus need 48 hours' notice; the vegan menu can be picked when you book.
Arrive 30 minutes early. The show starts on time, and you don't want to miss the prelude.
Make it an occasion. At this price it works best for anniversaries, birthdays, proposals and visiting family. Tell the team when you book.
At KES 17,500 a head, it costs more than most fine-dining menus in Nairobi. But you're paying for a show and a five-course dinner in one, at a Kempinski. If you're after a date night that feels different, a birthday surprise, or something to wow visitors from abroad, it's hard to beat anything else in the city right now.
If you just want an excellent meal and a long conversation, a regular dinner will suit you better, and you don't have to leave the hotel to find one.
Villa Rosa Kempinski's Italian restaurant, LUCCA, is a calmer way to enjoy the same hotel. It serves hand-made pastas, artisanal pizzas and classic mains in a bright room with tall glass doors, copper pans and a patterned mosaic floor. It's rated 4.4 on Google from more than 200 reviews, opens daily from 12:30 PM to 11:00 PM, and costs from about KES 1,400 a head.
It's an easy way to build a full evening at the Kempinski. Book The Magic Table for the celebration, then come back to LUCCA another night for pasta and a bottle from the wine list. Or bring the family for Sunday's kids' show and make lunch at LUCCA part of the day.
At Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi, on Chiromo Road in Westlands.
KES 17,500 per person for the Grand Illusion menu, KES 16,250 for the vegan Enchanted Garden menu and KES 10,000 for children aged 6–12, according to the official booking page at the time of writing.
The adults' show runs every evening at 7:00 PM, and the kids' Magic Table is on Sundays at 2:00 PM. Check the official booking page for current times.
About two and a half hours, including a five-course dinner. Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes early.
Yes. There's a Young Magician's Feast menu for ages 6–12 and a dedicated kids' session on Sundays at 2:00 PM.
No, but they come from the same company, 2Spicy Entertainment. Le Petit Chef follows a tiny animated chef; The Magic Table centres on magic and illusion, with The Clairvoyants as hosts.
Yes. There's a full vegan menu, and gluten-free and allergy-friendly menus are available with 48 hours' notice.
LUCCA, the hotel's Italian restaurant, serves pasta, pizza and classic Italian mains daily from 12:30 PM to 11:00 PM. See LUCCA on Nairobi Feast.
Looking for more nights out with a difference? Browse our guide to Nairobi tables where there's something to do besides eat and the best meals hiding inside Nairobi malls and hotels.
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