Mtwapa’s floating restaurant

By Ngumbao Kithi

A visit to Mombasa is incomplete without a stop at the floating restaurant in Mtwapa. Mooring floating restaurant is on Mtwapa Creek and is a quest to keep the Coast a destination of choice

The extraordinary Moorings floating restaurant.

for local and foreign tourists. Guests here have the opportunity to feast on expertly made seafood that includes fish, lobster, crab and prawns.

The floating restaurant is extraordinary. During high tide, seawater splashes on the sides of the wooden floors and makes it sway. While for first-timers this may be a scary experience, there is nothing to worry about as the restaurant is firmly tethered to strong poles. For visitors afraid of the sea and boat rides, the restaurant is a safe bet.

Soothing music blends perfectly with the sound of waves giving the open-air restaurant a classic feel. While food is prepared, visitors can take a ride on a dhow or watch sea activities at the creek while enjoying the breeze from the waterfront setting that gives a spectacular view of the ocean, particularly at sunset.

Fresh seafood

Patrick Wekesa, the hotel’s General Manager, says apart from fresh seafood, a landlubber menu with steak, chicken and pasta is available.

"Several Kenyans book our restaurant for various activities because the rates are affordable," he adds.

The Pomboo dhow where guests can dine as they enjoy a ride around the creek. [PHOTOS: Omondi Onyango /Standard]

Moorings floating restaurant is one of its kind in East Africa. It has a capacity for 200 people. Local and foreign tourists often throng the restaurant particularly during holidays.

For those adventurous enough to enjoy a boat ride, the Pomboo dhow, which has been modified with comfortable seats, takes off at 5pm and sails through the creek, covering six kilometres to allow passengers enjoy the sunset and, if lucky, see saltwater crocodiles. The dhow’s captain, Omar Ali, says sailing along the creek is his most exciting experience.