Osteria - Karen, Nairobi

Osteria

Osteria in Karen is a place I had always wanted to give a try. Being a fan of the one located on Lenana road and having visited the village market one, when the invite came, I was in it. I have heard mixed reviews about it but wanted to know for myself.

Walking in to Osteria,I already felt good. Its one huge garden with seating by the pool. I think its simplicity is part of its appeal. It just feels laidback. I am sure this is popular with families. It makes you just feel like you're at home in your backyard.
 The waiter approached us as we walked in. He greeted us like we had been there before. Very friendly guy. Showed us to our seats and left to get the menus.

As usual, it seems like I was the only one eating, as my lunch mate decided he was now full (eyes rolling). I ordered the fish and the house wine. Really, the wine list I was offered was only selling by the bottle. Seeing as I am trying to control my drink portions, I opted for wine by the glass.No name was given. I was just asked red or white....ofcourse I said Rose. He repeated red or white...I repeated Rose. Took me a minute to realize that wasn't going to happen...so white it was.

While we....I...waited for my meal ,they brought the bread. Its really yummy....I love it. However, portion is large so if you're alone or just two...be careful as it might fill you up too much, leaving no space for the actual meal.

My meal finally came. I had ordered the grilled red snapper with grilled vegetables. Once again, portions are huge, so go prepared. The fish was really good. Nice and moist. Cooked just perfect. The veggies however, there was just something I didn't like about them. Don't get me wrong, they didn't taste bad...just...I think they could have done better. They tasted more char grilled...emphasis on the char....than grilled.

 

 

It was a lot. So a doggie bag it was, to finish at home.
Osteria is a nice place to go and just relax with your friends. So I would recommend it for a nice Sunday afternoon with the family.
 

Rhapsody's - Lagos, Nigeria

If you ever plan to be in Lagos, this is one place to check out. Rhapsody is your trendy wine bar cum restaurant chill out place. It is in Ikeja City Mall. Once you get in, you get a sense of it being modern, sophisticated but simple and clean. All the seats are white leather  with wooden tables, very nice. There is a smoking and non smoking section inside (You can choose to also seat outside.), we opted to go inside as it is quite hot in Lagos and the air conditioned space seemed more welcome.

By the entrance is a display of wine and I already feel at home :-) . There is a bar in the middle for y'all drinkers, with a large selection of drinks...and tables on the side for the diners.

 

We are seated and the waitress....whose name is.....wait for it....Sexy!!for real!!!her name badge said Sexy....*eyes rolling!! Well Sexy gave us our menus and gave us some time to go through them. The interesting thing about the menu is that most of the food items were paired with a wine. If you're a wine lover this is fantastic as you get to taste and experience different wines and combinations of wines.
I ordered the seafood espetada, no wine:-( and my friend who decided he wasn't hungry ordered the deep fried calamari. So I see Sexy write my order and even nod that she has it and go the kitchen to deliver the order. What came to my table though was a chicken espetada. I ask Sexy if she confused my order and she says no that's what I ordered. She then opens the notepad and realizes that she has made a mistake. She then takes the time to try to convince me to stay with this order and not return the food. Mennnnnn!!she was lucky I did not have the time to wait for a new order...so reluctantly I agree.
So I was mad and even forgot to take a pic of the food. This is the point at which I remembered.
Sorry guys.....I didn't want the chicken..but clearly it was really good. It was flavorful, cooked just right and made you want to order another plate. Yum!!

 

I then noticed that there was a lady over on one of the other tables who had the same order as I did...so with as much zooming as I could do....this is it. The  presentation of the food is amazing. Makes your mouth water just looking at it.

So I would definitely give it a 8....food is good, ambience is good, staff are friendly...yes even though Sexy clearly didn't get my order right. The manager goes round speaking to the customers and ensuring they are fine, so it keeps the waiters on their toes. The only thing is..if you ever happen to visit...it is a bit on the pricey side..be well prepared.