Delicious food, bold elegance

A luxurious dining experience. That is what to expect at what is easily one of Nairobi’s more exclusive eateries. Its Italian name; Oro, does after all translate as gold in the English language. Oro is a family business run by Italians whose roots are in Milan, one of the fashion, style and food capitals of the world, a background which in itself lends to the majesty of this restaurant. Furniture at Oro is not the run-of-the-mill kind that is ubiquitous in most establishments of its kind. Large tufted dining and suede accent chairs with studded perimeters demonstrate a flair for the dramatic which I absolutely love. I mean, if I am going to pay to eat out, you might as well make it worth my while.

The rapid speaking Italian proprietors are friendly and are always on site to ensure standards are maintained by their well-trained kitchen and wait staff (whether this actually happens is a different matter altogether).

 The establishment boasts a bold elegance where décor is concerned and features striking antique pieces. Oro’s unique cutlery and crockery make for great food presentation and the gold theme is recurrent through the entire restaurant.

Perched at the top of a building which hosts luxury furnished and serviced apartments (Suite Life) at the corner of Dennis Pritt and Nyangumi Roads, Oro has an indoor dining room, well-stocked bar and open area which is fantastic for watching the sun set on Nairobi over cocktails.

 In the evenings, you can enjoy the company of a friend in the relative privacy offered by the canopies and potted plants on the terrace. The loom style wicker chairs are comfortable and when the inevitable chill strikes, there are Maasai blankets available on request.

While all this might sound quite exciting, be warned that Oro gives first priority to residents of the apartments and registered members so before you go there, you might want to call ahead and see if they are admitting walk ins.

As long-time members, my cousin and I had for some strange reason not eaten at Oro for an inordinately long time, so we agreed to meet there for dinner a few days ago. Our reception was warm, and we quickly got ourselves settled with our cocktails of choice. The waiter assigned to us, who might have been a trainee though his badge didn’t say, was a mess of wrecked nerves and didn’t seem to fully understand the menu so we abandoned the idea of requesting him to suggest options. Because I was ravenous, I ordered the Molo Lamb Chops with a side of chips with basil and almond pesto sauce but when it was served, I threw a fit so severe, I felt my veins start to throb. The chops looked like they had been carved from an emaciated animal and there was hardly any meat on them. I considered requesting an extra portion but changed my mind considering how long I had waited for the first serving.

 That said, I was not disappointed by the quality of the food. The meat was tender and packed with juices. The marinating had obviously not been done for too long as I could hardly lift the flavours but the lamb was well aged and the pesto rather fresh which when as hungry as I was is all that matters. It was served on a bed of carrot and zucchini sticks which I gobbled up with glee. Happy with both our meals, we moved outside to watch the city lights with a large pot of tea and agreed that the team at Oro was still very much in the game.