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Karen Blixen Cottages & Restaurant - Nairobi
The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant and Cottages are located in Karen, Kenya, a beautiful, peaceful suburb approximately 20 miles from downtown Nairobi. The cottages serve as a perfect alternate accommodation to the traditional Nairobi city hotels when visiting the capital city of Kenya during your African safari overnight, Kenya countryside vacation or even on business.
The cottages are located in the midst of one of the oldest formal gardens in Kenya, which have huge jacaranda, candelabra, cactus, bottlebrush, and other trees. Over 200 types of flowers bloom through the year and numerous bird feeders attract hundreds of varieties of birds.
Why Select Accommodations At Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant And Cottages As An Alternative To Nairobi City Hotels and Kenya Accommodations?
• Karen Blixen Cottages facility houses a maximum of 34 guests giving it a homely feeling for the discerning visitor.
• Eight of the cottages have two individual suites and other eight have two bedroom suites with a large sitting room. The honeymoon cottage has a large bedroom and sitting room with two fireplaces. The cottages have been designed after the historic Swedo House to give a sense of reliving history in elegant style. Four cottages have two private suites with a separate dressing room.
• All well appointed cottages have hi-beam ceilings with fireplaces, wood and mazeras stone floors. Mini bars and satellite TV's have also been installed.
• Each bedroom has a large bathroom with its own shower and bath. Internet connections and phones are available in all rooms.
• All cottages have a verandah for relaxing while enjoying the birds, butterflies and flowers of the garden.
• Residents can also enjoy twenty-four hour room service.
• A private swimming pool and private garden bar are available for a relaxing afternoon or for small group get together.
• Private outdoor dinner parties by the pool can also be arranged.
Why Visit And Stay At The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant And Cottages Located In Karen Area, Suburb Of Nairobi City, Kenya?
• The Karen Blixen Cottages are located about a half mile from the famous Karen Blixen Museum, which is one of principal tourist attractions in Kenya. The museum property does not have facilities for meals or lodging and the Coffee Gardens have historically been a major draw for the tourists visiting the museum.
• The Karen Blixen Cottages are near the Wilson airport, which is used for all local safari flights in Kenya.
• The Coffee Garden is located outside of Nairobi so guests coming on safari do not have to deal with the
traffic and other problems of large city life.
• The Coffee Garden is within a few minutes drive to the Nairobi National Wildlife Park. On route to the Coffee Gardens guests can be taken from the international airport and within 10 minutes be on their first safari game drive through Nairobi National Park. They will exit on the Langata side of the park to arrive at the Coffee Gardens and Cottages within 10 minutes.
• The cottages are located within 15 minutes of the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters and zoo and within 10 minutes of the Sheldrick elephant and rhino orphanage.
• All shopping and banking is accessible in the nearby township of Karen where residents will have easy access to banks, pharmacies, local restaurants, and medical facilities.
• The cottages are located about a half mile from the Karen Country and Golf Club. Guests staying at the cottages have access to the country club golf, tennis and pool facilities.
• Karen Blixen Cottages is only two miles from the Institute of Primate Research, an 800 acre designated wildlife sanctuary managed by the National Museums of Kenya. Nature walks and horse back riding through the sanctuary can be arranged as excursions from the cottages.
Dining And Culinary Experience At Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant And Cottages Located In Karen Area, Suburb Of Nairobi City, Kenya
• The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant verandah is popular place to spend a relaxing lunch and afternoon. The Restaurant is open for breakfast from 7 00 AM daily and the kitchen remains open until 10 00 PM. Diners have their choice of five areas for lunch or dinner. Residents can also enjoy dinner in their rooms or by poolside.
• The dining room also has large framed window overlooking the verandah and gardens and its two large fireplaces provide a warm and cozy atmosphere for raining or chilly days.
• For many, the bar and bar verandah are a fun place to have lunch or dinner while playing pool, darts, board games, or watching news or sporting events.
• The refurbished 1910 Swedo House is available daily for tea or cappuccino or for dining in a romantic and historic atmosphere. The Swedo House is also a popular venue for receptions, small meetings and formal dinners by reservation.
• The international menu at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden restaurant has large menu with over 40 items and we provide weekly specials. Special food theme evenings or outdoor barbecue or Mexican food buffets provide additional variety. Examples of menu items include:
Cold starters:
:- Malindi smoked sailfish topped with onion cream and vinaigrette dressing;
:- Crab salad with croquant vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette, avacado prawns.
Hot starters:
:- Avacodo fries with red bullet ketchup;
:- Jumbo lump crab cakes with mango salsa;
:- Creamy garlic mushrooms severed on toast.
Soups:
:- Carrot and ginger soup;
:- Seafood bisque;
:- Fresh asparagus soup;
:- Chicken noodle soup with chili and coriander.
From the Grill:
:- Grilled beef skewer on a bed of vegetable rice topped with Madagascan sauce;
:- Pepper steak with red wine sauce served with gratinated potatoes and seasonal vegetables;
:- Blixen mixed grill with pepper sauce, potatoes and vegetables;
:- Baby spring chicken with potatoes, vegetables and rosemary sauce.
Traditional Dishes:
:- Steak and Kidney pie served with creamed potatoes and fresh vegetables;
:- Texas Chili with Taco;
:- Traditional English cottage pie;
:- Rack of "mbuzi choma" served with roast potatoes and vegetables.
Curry Dishes:
:- Chicken, vegetable or lamb accompanied with Arabic rice and sweet condiments and papadum.
Seafood:
:- Grilled filled of Red Snapper "meuniere" served with parsley potatoes and seasonal vegetables;
:- Prawns masala on a bed of rice with sweet condiments;
:- Chili crab with vegetable rice;
:- Garlic prawns with vegetable rice;
:- Deep fried king Prawns in butter with French fries and tartar sauce.
Vegetarian Corner:
:- Tomato and spinach quice gratinated with cheese and fresh herbs;
:- Mixed spring vegetable pancakes with steamed rice;
:- Stir-fried vegetables served with French fries and tomato sauce;
:- Vegetable lasagna served with French fries and tomatoe sauce;
:- Spinach and mushroom pancake gratinated with cheese.
Pasta Dishes:
:- Spaghetti Bolognaise;
:- Penne pasta with olive marinara sauce;
:- Fettucine sautéed chicken with onions, mushrooms and spinach in roasted pepper pesto;
:- Cannelloni di casa house made pasta stuffed with spinach, mortadella ham and cheese sauce;
Children's Corner:
:- Fried beef sausages with French fries;
:- Chicken provencale with mashed potatoes;
:- Fish and Chips.
Sandwiches:
:- Chicken club sandwich, a classic triple decker of chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon and mayonnaise served on toasted white bread;
:- Ham, cheese and tomato sandwich on toasted white bread;
:- French dip sandwich, of warm roast beef on baguette bread with fried onions and mustard sauce;
:- Open prawn sandwich served on toasted brown bread and cocktail sauce.
Desserts:
:- Baked cheesecake with strawberry caulis;
:- Traditional cream Brule with caramelized sugar crust;
:- Pan-fried Pineapple flambé with orange sauce and strawberry ice cream;
:- Apple pie with whipped cream;
:- Chocolate mousse gateau with vanilla sauce in a cage.
Bar Menu:
:- Spicy Chicken Wings;
:- Spicy meat samosas;
:- Pizza and more.
Personalities Behind The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant And Cottages Located In Karen Area, Suburb Of Nairobi City, Kenya
Dr. Bonnie Dunbar of Houston, Texas was given the rare opportunity to buy the property previously known as the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden in Karen, Kenya (about 20 minutes from Jomo Kenyatta International airport and downtown Nairobi). The property was purchased from Mr. Frank Sutton, a former Safari Guide and long time friend of Bonnie's before he passed away in December 2000.
This company was awarded the new name of the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden and Cottages Ltd. by the Kenyan Government. It is the site of the original farmhouse of the property, which now is near the Karen Blixen Museum (of "Out of Africa") and about half a mile from the Karen Golf and Country Club where guest can enjoy golfing, tennis, squash as well as other activities.
During Dr. Dunbar's years
of working and traveling in Africa, she has made special friends with numerous Kenyan ranchers, farmers, wildlife scientists and safari guides. She would like to share her experiences and her passion for Africa through this special project.
The outdoor garden is spacious for those who enjoy watching birds and butterflies while dining. On weekends and holidays, numerous live music groups featuring African Music or Easy Listening Music play for additional enjoyment and relaxation.
Histological Background On The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant And Cottages Located In Karen Area, Suburb Of Nairobi City, Kenya
The Historic Swedo House at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden and Cottages was the original hunting lodge/farm house, which was built around 1906 to 1908. It is located approximately a half mile from the Karen Blixen (Bogani House) museum, and is 20 minutes from downtown Nairobi. When the house was built, it was surrounded by indigenous forest (bush and grasslands), most which was cleared for use as agriculture, particularly coffee in the first quarter of the 20th century.
Aake Sorgren, who was the Swedish Consul in British East Africa until 1913 formed the Swedo-African Coffee Company. Sorgren and Sir Northrup MacMillan formed the Swedo African Coffee Company from this house and later commissioned Bogani House in 1912 (the house featured in the movie "Our of Africa" (now known as the Karen Blixen Museum).
Bror Blixen bought the Coffee Company in 1913 for his wife Karen. The Swedo House played a central role in the Coffee Company and served as the farm manager's house. Karen Blixen (known by her pen name Isak Dinesen) spent a great deal of time at the Swedo House and her brother, Thomas Dinesen, resided in this house for several years.
While the Bogani House represents the second generation of colonial residential architecture, the Swedo House represents the first generation of houses. These houses were constructed of wooden structures on raised stilts. This typical example of architecture of the pioneering days of Kenya was raised on stilts and had corrugated iron walls, which were lined with wood inside and had railed verandahs with arched roof supports. Later removing the corrugated iron and replacing it with cement plastered over chicken wire modified the outside walls. The colored windowpanes still present in the front sitting room were installed early in the history of the house and exist in the present day form. The Swedo house can now arrange for breakfast, lunch or afternoon teas and for an "Out of Africa" style candlelight dining by the old stone fireplace.
Karen Blixen
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