Eat
Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant
Diani, Kenya
A restaurant inside a natural coral cave. That's not a metaphor — you descend a staircase into an actual cave formation with the night sky visible through the open roof above you. Candles on every surface. White linen on the tables. Stalactites overhead.
The menu takes the location seriously. Fresh seafood, beautifully presented. The grilled lobster is the signature dish and it earns its reputation — split, grilled over coals, served with drawn butter. The coconut fish curry is rich and fragrant. The wine list is better than you'd expect for the Kenyan coast.
It's romantic bordering on theatrical. The kind of place that was either designed by a genius or discovered by accident. First-date-material if you're trying to impress. Anniversary-material if you've already succeeded.
Book ahead. Maybe fifteen tables total, and they fill up fast. Worth every shilling.
Cuisine
Fine dining seafood
Price range
KES 3,000–6,000 per person
Must try
Grilled lobster, coconut fish curry
Booking
Essential — only 15 tables