Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant

Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant is not a restaurant that happens to be in a cave — it is a cave that happens to serve some of the finest food on the Kenyan coast. Founded by George and Jackie Barbour, the space is a natural coral formation estimated at between 120,000 and 180,000 years old, reaching ten metres below ground level with a ceiling that opens to the sky in several places. You dine by candlelight while stars appear overhead. There is nothing else like it in East Africa, and very little like it anywhere in the world.

The Setting

You enter through a lantern-lit, makuti-thatched entrance hall at ground level before descending stone steps into the earth. The temperature drops, the noise of the road disappears, and you find yourself in a candlelit cavern where tables are set between ancient coral walls. The cocktail bar sits beneath a triangular makuti umbrella supported by a single blue gum pole over fifty feet tall — sourced, as the Barbours will tell you, from their family farm in Kitale. As the evening deepens, the open sections of ceiling frame the night sky — on clear nights, you can see constellations rarely visible from European latitudes.

The Food

The menu centres on seafood — lobster, crab, prawns, fresh oysters from Kilifi, and catch-of-the-day fish from the Indian Ocean. The seafood platter with calamari, crab, lobster, king prawns, and red snapper is the centrepiece. But the kitchen handles international cuisine with equal care: the black steer beef fillet, lamb choma, and Chef Mohsine's traditional Moroccan chicken tagine all hold their own. Desserts are theatrical — flambéed fruits prepared tableside and the house speciality Coupe Barbour. The wine list is well-regarded, and the cocktail menu takes advantage of the setting.

What to Know Before You Go

Reservations are essential — tables fill up in advance during high season (December–March and July–August). Smart casual dress code: no shorts, no hats. Children under seven are not admitted. The restaurant opens at 5:30 PM for drinks, with dinner service running to 11:00 PM. Main courses range from KES 1,850 to KES 3,850 — expect to spend KES 3,000–6,000 per person for food, more with wine. The cave is accessed by steps and sits ten metres below ground, which may not suit all mobility levels — call ahead if this is a concern. Courtesy transfers from Diani Beach hotels can be arranged through the restaurant.