Kenya’s national dishes appear on most hotel menus. The country’s beef, chicken, lamb and pork are outstandingly good, as is the wide variety of tropical fruits. Local trout, Nile perch and lobster, shrimps and Mombasa oysters are included on menus in season. Indian and Middle Eastern food is available in most areas. There is a wide range of restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa, otherwise hotels in smaller towns offer restaurant service.
National specialities:
• Some game-park lodges serve game, including buffalo steaks marinated in local liqueurs and berries, often garnished with wild honey and cream.
• Nyma Choma literally means roasted meat, and is one of Kenya's best known specialities.
• Most Kenyans eat maize, beans and maize meal.
• At the small ‘hotelis’, chai (tea boiled with milk and sugar) and mandazi (doughnuts) are popular.
National drinks:
• Locally brewed beer (Tusker and White Cap) and bottled sodas may be found throughout the country.
• Kenya Cane (spirit distilled from sugar cane).
• Kenya Gold (a coffee liqueur).
• Traditional beer made with honey (uki).
• Locally made spirit distilled from maize (changaa) may sometimes be found.
Tipping: This is not required. Most hotels include a 10 per cent service charge in the bill. If the service charge has not been included, a KES20 tip is usual, although the amount is entirely at the visitor’s discretion.

Most of the major hotels in Nairobi and the tourist resorts have dancing with live bands or discos each evening. There are also a few nightclubs. There is a large selection of cinemas in Nairobi which show mainly British, European and US films. Theatre is popular in Nairobi. There is a National Theatre and several small groups of dramatic companies; probably the best known are the Phoenix Players.

Khanga, kitenge and kikoi cloths may be bought in markets. The Masai market is held in Nairobi city centre on Tuesdays. There is a particularly good cooperative shop in Machakos which sells kiondos, bags stained with natural dyes and with strong leather straps. Makonde woodcarvings are sold throughout the country, and young Kamba and Masai men sell carvings and necklaces on the beaches of the south coast. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1230 and 1400-1730.
Note: The sale of souvenirs made of wildlife skins (this includes reptiles) and shells is forbidden.