Mesmerising menu at Tapas

By Caroline Nyanga

I was at the Village Market recently when I decided to check out Tamambo Tapas Bar, which is situated on the top floor. On walking in, I was immediately ushered to the comfortable seats by friendly waiters eager to attend to customers.

The restaurant’s open terrace has unique furniture designed in rich brown earthly colours that create an intimate relaxed atmosphere. Besides it breathtaking dÈcor, the bar has a distinct alfresco feel designed in a unique manner that is ideal for dining and relaxing.

Soothing music played on its high-tech system allowing me to relax and feel quite at home. The indoor cocktail lounge has a more intimate cosy ambience. Its interior dÈcor shows off many portraits of renowned artistes and actors hung prominently on the wall. The cool dark colours make it right for relaxing. It also brings out the romantic mood and inspires you to stay on longer.

As I went through the menu, I was mesmerised by the extensive meals on offer….from Tapas main dishes to coffee boosters, desserts, freshly squeezed fruit juices, appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches….the list just went on. There is also a separate menu for children.

In case you are not familiar with the foods, the manager, Janet Yegon, or any of the waitresses and waiters are ready to guide you. My friends and I started off with fresh juices. Each cost Sh300. For appetizer, we chose tomato soup with freshly baked bread. It was delicious.

Exotic Meals

For the main course, I chose a plate of chapa kazi nyama sampler, a combination of sumptuous skewers of chicken, tender beef, wings, pork ribs and lamb chops. That cost Sh720. My side order was a plate of mouth-watering cornet of Belgian chips at Sh190.

One of my colleagues chose grilled pepper steak for Sh980. The others opted for Moroccan chicken tagine served with rice, deep-fried calamari and crisp rings of calamari served with tartar sauce, and crispy fried prawns dipped in tempura batter and served with tartar sauce and sweet chilli. They cost Sh980, Sh460 and Sh880 in that order. By the time we were through there was no more room for dessert. Generally, food prices range from Sh150 to Sh1,480 depending on your choice. Tamambo Tapas Bar was launched last year in February. It has a sitting capacity of about 100 and is open from 11am for lunch and dinner. Regular live acts perform on weekend nights. Friday night, though, is strictly for jazz while Saturdays and Sundays have different forms of entertainment. Some of the artistes who have performed here include Iddi Achieng, Sauti Sol, Chris Bitok and Mya just to name a few. Quiz nights take place every first Wednesday of the month.

Tamambo Tapas Bar is associated with the Carnivore, Tamarind (city centre), Tamambo Bar and Grill (Westlands). In Mombasa, sister restaurants-cum-pubs include Tamarind Dhow, Tamarind, Tamarind Village and Golden Key Casino.