Pallet Cafe

November 23, 2023

Pallet cafe is located just opposite Lavington Green shopping mall, it has quite a small sign so be on the lookout for it so you don’t miss it.

It’s a completely outdoor cafe which I love! The grounds are so green and lush, plants everywhere and the hanging plants on the low corrugated roofing make it feel like an open greenhouse. You can choose to sit within the sheltered section or out on the grass when the weather is behaving.

If it’s your first time here, you’ll notice that the waitstaff are hearing impaired and communicate via sign language. Another thing I love about Pallet cafe - they are inclusive - they train and employ persons with disabilities within the food service community. There is a sign language chart hanging by the pizza oven pit for anyone who is interested in learning the sign language alphabet. The wait staff can also read lips well and you can also communicate by pointing to things on the menu so don’t worry if you’re not well-versed in sign language.

I came here for a very belated birthday lunch with a friend and we really ate! Their menu is quite packed, giving a nice variety of options. We started with the feta & coriander samosas (KSH850)… now this may be an unpopular opinion to some but I really believe Talisman has THE BEST feta samosas in this city. So I always compare others to theirs - and in comparison… these samosas did not hit the mark. Something in the feta & coriander mix wasn’t doing it for me - but the sauce that accompanied it helped.

For mains we tried the beef burger (KSH1,100) & the creamy prawn pasta (KSH1,500). The burger has cheese & this really nice roasted pepper mayo. The burger buns were really dry, which is unfortunate. The patty though was really good, well done, seasoned well, perfectly layered with the cheese and mayo on top. Of course I added ketchup.

The pasta looked amazing, great portions and as creamy as expected - only thing was it was really lacking in salt. That really took away from the taste & flavour a lot. In previous visits here I’ve tried their pizzas & their salmon - no complaints on that, the pizza especially is so tasty, and it’s made right in front of you at the kiln that you’ll definitely spot as you walk in.

For dessert we had the apple crumble (KSH600). I can’t resist baked apple anything🙈😅 Haven’t had a good crumble since Nyama mama’s pineapple crumble so was quite excited for this one. Presentation wise - the apple slice on top I feel wasn’t so necessary but we ate it still. It came warm which was perfect because a warm baked dessert + ice cream is a winning combo always. Did I absolutely love this crumble? Not really. But was it good? Yes.

The juices are a tad too watered down, I feel that’s something they should work on - passion juice needs to have that fresh tart taste to it otherwise is it really passion juice? Service is very good here, we didn’t have to wait too long for food or anything else.

Pallet cafe is great for brunch, lunch, a coffee work date, dinner - the place is quite versatile. Only downside is that because it’s fully outdoors, the weather is a major factor for such decisions.

Bonus! Pallet cafe shares a compound with one of my favourite shops - Lulu Kitololo studios, if you’re a stationery lover like myself, step inside knowing you’ll leave with at least one item (or 3) and they give you a free bookmark when you buy something📚