Here we go with some tips about the some of the best Restaurants in Kampala.
Kampala’s fast-growing food scene is easily home to some of the region’s best restaurants. Drawing influences from India, the Middle East and Africa as a result of Uganda’s historical trade routes,
Centred around upmarket neighbourhoods like Nakasero, Muyenga and Kololo. The capital’s spread of restaurants showcases international cuisine at its finest — albeit often with a distinctly local twist.
Rather than flitting between dozens of dining options in every genre, diners tend to flock to a core catalogue of spots that have long been known for their consistently high standard. Be it for the full flavours of West Africa and the rich spices of Ethiopia. In addition the hearty helpings of traditional dishes from closer to home.
Here are Condé Nast Traveller Middle East’s picks of the best restaurants in Kampala.
Kampala, the best Restaurants
Asian Fusion
The menu may be pan-Asian, but the standout dishes at this rustic open-air restaurant in the Fairway Boutique Hotel can be found in the extensive Indian section. Where locals rave about the curries and samosas, with many ardently insisting they are the best in the city. Start with the smoky paneer tikka, where marinated cheese melts in your mouth, or the sizzling hot chicken malai kabab. Infused with creamy spices. Main courses like the Goan fish curry, simmered in rich coconut gravy, and the chicken tikka masala, bursting with ginger and garlic, are highlights from a long list of options. Complement the classics with sides like fluffy cheese naan and aromatic jeera rice. Then finish your meal with sweet Indian desserts like syrup-soaked gulab jamun and milky cardamom ras malai.
Address: Fairway Boutique Hotel, Kafu Road, Nakasero, Kampala
Bight of Benin
Come with friends and dig into bowls of buttery spinach sauce, utterly moreish black-eyed beans and feather-light puff puff balls to start. Then feast on a spread of rich meat stews, whole tilapia flecked with sweet slivers of red pepper and fried spiced goat served by the kilo. This atmospheric restaurant, in a gated compound next to a thatched Ganda hut bar blasting bass-heavy Noughties beats, will quickly get you hooked on the full-bodied flavours of West Africa. The colourful 15-page menu features more than 100 dishes plucked from the region’s coastline. Which are spanning from Cameroon to Cote d’Ivoire. The jollof rice, as hotly contested in Africa as hummus is in the Middle East, leans towards the Ghanaian version. Shunning Nigeria’s sturdy long-grains for aromatic basmati simmered in tomato paste and a kitchen cupboard’s worth of spices. It drips with flavour, and goes with everything.
Address: Plot 20, Kyadondo Road, Nakasero, Kampala
Dancing Cup
This bustling community café is the go-to spot for big breakfasts and fusion specials that blend Asian and Italian flavours. Owned by a British expat who’s made Kampala home, the garden is always buzzing with international visitors and locals. Catching up over sweet, citrusy Ugandan coffee and comforting slices of home-made cake. Don’t miss the dense banana and chocolate bread – it’s a crowd favourite – or the Kampala Road, offering a sub-Saharan twist on an American classic. Digital nomads tuck themselves away under the shady trees, while the outdoor verandah comes alive with local jazz trios. Enabling plonking away on the baby grand piano, poetry slams and bring-your-own potluck festivals. Keep an eye out for the resident tortoises roaming the flower-filled grounds.
Address: 71 Luthuli Avenue, Bugoloobi, Kampala
Endiro Coffee
You can find branches of Endiro Coffee all over the city. But the one just off Muyenga’s Tank Hill Road is best. Sheltered from the sunlight by a series of cavernous sloping rooftops made from warm eucalyptus wood, the popular café spills out into a breezy garden dotted with tables and chairs. Along with a strong selection of bakes served in gargantuan portions (ordering a single slice gets you a quarter of the whole cake), the kitchen turns out Ugandan rolexes fresh from the grill every morning. Further paninis full of local avocados and meats, plus zesty fruit salads that make use of juicy watermelons and pineapples from local farms.
Address: Plot 733, Tank Hill Road, Muyenga, Kampala
Ethiopian Village
Forget the menu at Ethiopian Village — perch by the traditional wicker mesob tables, order a platter, and let the kitchen work its magic. A painter’s palette of richly spiced stews and sautés arrives, soaking into a layer of sour, spongy injera bread that doubles as a plate and scooping utensil. The earthy dollops of lentils and meats may look similar, but each packs its own distinct explosion of flavour. Bright red berbere is the central ingredient — a fresh, fiery mix layering more than a dozen spices, toasted to perfect pungency. It’s stirred into simmering pots of chicken, shredded dabo firfir bread and marinated Nile perch to create a spread of vastly different dishes that’ll transport your taste buds straight to Ethiopia.
Address: Muyenga Road, Muyenga, Kampala
Kampala, the best Restaurants
The Roots
Ugandan food has had little attention on the world stage. London has just three restaurants dedicated to the country’s cuisine and among New York City’s 25,000 dining rooms there are none. Kampala is the ideal place to dig in. Head for The Roots to try traditional leaf-steamed luwombo stews and mashed matoke slathered in ash-pink groundnut sauce served as they’re supposed to be — without fuss and in interminably large portions. To lock in the flavours, the kitchen limits its use of salt, and completely shuns oil and artificial spices, relying instead on a smoky charcoal grill to cook most dishes. Sweet fried plantain is hidden away in the sides but is a must-order. For the best experience, skip the simple indoor dining room and go al fresco at the garden’s shaded tables in the shadow of Nakasero Hill.
Address: Plot 4, Kafu, Nakasero, Kampala
Yamasen Japanese Restaurant
Kyoto-born Fumiko Miyashita, long captivated by Africa, moved to Kampala in 2014 and quickly set about launching one of the city’s first Japanese restaurants. The exceptional menu makes subtle changes to traditional dishes by making extensive use of organic local produce — one of the most popular is Ugandan cassava that’s simmered in dashi broth then fried, similar to the way potatoes are prepared in the south of Japan. The striking timber complex housing Yamasen, built by Miyashita herself, is also home to a branch of Endiro Coffee, a steakhouse and several quaint craft stores that sell handmade furniture and locally made trinkets. Never one for the quiet life, the entrepreneur is now working on supporting Kampala’s farmers in exporting their chilli peppers and shea butter to Japan. Address: Plot 733, Tank Hill Road, Muyenga, Kampala
