Crafty Chameleon

February 15, 2024

Located on James Gichuru road, Crafty Chameleon is both an outdoor & indoor restaurant which I really love - you get the best of both worlds 😊

I like the name too, nice play on words; Crafty i.e. Craft beer which they make in house btw and crafty - chameleons can be crafty little creatures … well that’s what I understood from the name, maybe they have a whole different meaning to it.

I came here on a rainy Sunday afternoon, but despite the bad weather, the place didn’t lose its charm. There’s plenty of seating inside and outside, I especially like the patio area by the bar where you can eat and chill and listen to the sound of the rain as you eat and chill 😊

They have such a delightful menu, it feels like it has a little bit of everything from burgers and pizzas (thin crust!), to grilled BBQ and tapas and of course - dessert. They also have a wide selection of craft beers, cocktails, a craft your own G & T section and organic homemade soda (choose the passion one, trust me).

For starters - we had the vegan fried zucchini bites (KSH800) because let’s at least start with some type of vegetable right?? Wrong…😬 It wasn’t great, the zucchini was stuffed with vegan ricotta cheese and that’s where the problem was… Vegan cheese can’t be legal because what is that bland taste?? No thanks. Apologies to all the vegans on here. It was quite a bland dish, thankfully it wasn’t the main dish.

For mains, we got the chicken burger (KSH1,400) and I had to try one of their pizzas because I’ve heard so much about them. Got the pollo (chicken) & funghi pizza (KSH1,500). That chicken burger guys… so delicious! Do you know how hard it is to make chicken breast taste great?😮‍💨 They really nailed it and maybe it’s because it was topped with a sweet mango slaw and a grilled pineapple (watu wa no pineapples in food leave the chat please). That burger was so sumptuous 😋 That mango slaw needs to be bottled and sold everywhere please!

The pizza is my favourite kind of pizza - super thin crust, clay oven baked, cheese melting off… perfect 🤤 Usually I’d prefer to have ham & mushroom but this chicken & mushroom wasn’t bad at all. It was BBQ chicken so you know that smoky bbq sauce really elevated the dish. The chilli lover in me sprinkled fresh chillies on top and I spent the time eating it between tears and happiness because sometimes you bite into a chilli too quickly and have to suffer the consequences okay? 🥵

For dessert - which I really didn’t need to have but life is short so dessert was had. It was a tough choice between sticky toffee pudding and churros because I really love both… churros (KSH650) won as I figured they wouldn’t be as heavy. The churros I’m accustomed to are nice thick and fluffy yet airy sugar pastries… the churros I got here were thin, and definitely not fluffy or airy. They were still tasty, esp with that salty beer chocolate sauce poured on top.. just not worth it for the size and the price.

Special mention to this beautiful cold brew frappé (KSH600) I had to sample because iced coffee drinks are a fave 😊 First of - their coffee is fantastic, they sell their own brand of coffee, I’ll get a bag the next time I’m there. Second - this drink is topped off with whipped cream, caramel sauce and bits of biscuit… the sweet tooth in me was very very happy. They have a boozy version of the same for those who want an extra kick to their caffeine fix 👌🏾

We had decent service, nothing too out of the ordinary and I appreciate how attentive the servers were too. The vibe of this place is really dope, the music was nice and mellow, not too loud but still audible enough to enjoy. I like that they have a big cabana in the garden where a large group can sit together and enjoy happy hour when the sun is out. It was raining that day but the cabana was still very full so it looks like even on rainy days it’s still a vibe. I loved the artwork inside the restaurant, very eclectic and the masterpiece of a mosaic in the foyer will for sure make you stop and stare on the way to the bathroom - stunning!

For a first impression, this was a great one, and also the company I had made it all the better. This is a place that’s perfect for a catch-up with friends, celebratory events like birthdays etc., perfect for a casual date and even just a small happy hour on a Thursday. It fits various vibes & I appreciate that versatility. I’m ready to come back for that chicken burger and try out more stuff off of their crafty menu 😋