Unique Restaurants in Kigali (from local to global)

There are so many unique restaurants in Kigali to try out. For a relatively small city, the variety is honestly impressive: Rwandan, Italian, Indian, Korean, Lebanese, Chinese… the list is endless. I’ll keep updating this list as I eat my way around town. I’ve just scratched the surface.

When we first moved to Rwanda, people warned us that food takes an hour (or more) to prepare, but I’ve found that most places can serve between 20-40 minutes.

If you’re looking for cafes with good food, coffee, and wifi, check out my list of where to work remotely in Kigali.

You can add all the restaurants from this guide directly to your own Google Map by checking out my Google Map Saved List. Just click “save” when the map opens.

Middle Eastern

Damasquino

Damasquino has excellent Lebanese food. It’s the only restaurant that I’ve ever seen serve a veg version of Kibbeh (a minced meat stuffed fried ball). The owner/chef is friendly and can suggest great options. I love the beet hummus, kibbeh, and all the eggplant dishes.

Fayrouz Restaurant

Fayrouz Restaurant is Yemini restaurant in Kimihurura. The food is great and I just love the decor.

Efes Cafe Bistro

Efes, a Turkish restaurant, serves up manti, a type of tiny (ravioli-like) dumplings in yogurt sauce that is hard to find. The garden vibe is calm, and the service is friendly.

Mocha Cafe

For unique Yemeni dishes made in a traditional clay pot, head to Macha Cafe. We got a lentil dish and a foul (bean) dish, and they came literally bubbling from the oven!

Ethiopian

Gebeta Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant

Gebeta is a great, chill spot for a veg platter. The firfir was also delish. There are some unique items like blackened shiro,  which I need to try…

Habesha

Habesha has all the classics and serves up a great veg combo platter. They also have Ethiopian honey wine, tej.

Gogo Habesha Coffee and Restaurant

I’ve got Gogo Habesha on my list to try out. We have been for coffee, and that was great.

Fusion

Kōzo

Kōzo has a swanky vibe that reminds me of the high-end restaurants in Sandton (iykyk). The food is a fusion of Afro-Eastern. I think it’s great for cocktails and tapas. For sushi with a Kigali twist, try the tilapia version. This isn’t your classic sushi—it’s fusion! Dress up a bit and go out.

La Creola

With great sunset views, dinner and drinks at La Creola is a great vibe. I’ve tried pumpkin sauce with dodo (a spinach-like green) tortellini and the jackfruit curry. Both were good! I’ve heard it’s better to order from the main menu than their buffet options, but sometimes they have themed buffet dinners.

Rua

After a few months of living in Kigali, I finally went to Rua. It made the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Hot List. The ambiance is cozy and stylish in the evenings when the restaurant opens at 5 pm. Sunset is around 6 pm, so start with drinks and stay for dinner. Make a reservation for a table in advance or plan to go earlier, as the tables fill up quickly from the Kivu Noir crowd. Head downstairs for indoor seating.

I went back a second time with my mom, and we split the avo salad and the grilled salmon. WOW. I was blown away by how great the salmon was. Get it.

Nyurah

Wilhelm and I went to Nyurah for my birthday dinner. It’s fine dining and has delicious-sounding (and tasting) dishes from crayfish soup and cauliflower & cassava coconut velouté, to Madagascar peppered steak. We spent about 138,000 RWF for two people with apatizers, mains, and desserts each.

Asian Vibes

Borneo Indonesian Restaurant

Borneo Indonesian Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Kigali. The authentic Indonesian food is fantastic. Be sure to come with a huge appetite. I love the gado gado, a peanut-rich dish with rice.

Sizzling Plates

The best place to satisfy your Chinese food craving… Sizzling Plates has excellent noodles, rice, and more. I loved the eggplant and couldn’t stop myself. Since we moved to Kigali, they moved locations, and it’s best to order via VubaVuba (a delivery app), or visit their High 5 Food Court location.

Eyamya

The Kimihurura location of Eyamya is so cute! I experienced fast service, great dumplings (veg option on request), and delish scallion oil noodles. I’ve also tried the braised tofu, kimchi, and Chinese curry. I highly recommend a dinner here. To top it off, try a flower pastry! It tastes as good as it looks and is probably one of the only restaurants in Kigali where you’ll find Chinese pastries

There are two kiddie areas (inside and outside) with playthings as well.

The OG location of the restaurant has great reviews, too.

Sakae Japanese & Korean

The dumplings and sushi are great at Sakae, though I’m still on the search for the best sushi in town.

Soy Asian Table

Soy Asian Table has a good selection of generic kinda “asian” vibes that combo Chinese, Thai, and Japanese flavors. It will satisfy your craving for a good noodle dish for sure. The drinks are really unique, like this tom kha cocktail. I like their sushi a lot as well as all their dim sum dishes!

Kimchi

Get your kimchi stew and gimbap fix at Kimchi. I think the food quality can be varied, but I’ve taken to sticking to the veg gimbap so I’m fine with it. Plus, the location in Kimi between Mamba and my apartment makes it an easy stop for a snack after padel.

Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant

Dae Jang Geum has great gimbap and sizzling bulgogi. It also has excellent kimchi, and I even bought a 1kg bag to take home with me.

Indian

Khana Khazana

There are two locations of Khana Khazana in Kigali, in Kiyovu and Nyarutarama. Both provide the same excellent standard of reliable and quality Indian dishes. The menu is huge and includes dishes from Pakistan and China as well.

Preet Indian Food

For a great downtown lunch option, check out Preet. It’s hidden away, but it’s worth finding because the lunch comes out quickly!

Kurry Kingdom

Kurry Kingdom is a Kigali staple. It will satisfy your cravings, whether you do delivery or dine-in. I love the okra masala and shahi paneer dishes.

Mediterranean

Luma & Lua

Luma & Lua is quickly becoming one of the most popular spots in the city for a fun night out. Come as you are after a day of exploring or dress up a bit… you’ll feel welcome either way. The menu features fresh ingredients with a Mediterranean focus and a subtle Rwandan twist.

The restaurant sits on the rooftop of the Luma & Lua hotel and carries the same Mediterranean-inspired feel. Instead of the elevator, walk up to the 3^rd floor so you can see the murals painted by a local artist.

We visited for the special Valentine’s Day menu, which had a standout salmon with a lemon butter sauce and pumpkin soup.

Next time, I definitely want to try the garlic shrimp and pan-seared snapper. The vegetarian options also look excellent, especially the veg moussaka and tagine.

Pasta & Basta

There’s no point looking for a better Italian restaurant in Kigali than Pasta & Basta. Italian chef Fernando gives this homemade pasta spot real character. The menu is short—just two pages, with one page of mains (pasta and protein combos) and another for desserts. But the real magic isn’t on the menu.

Each day, the chef brings around the special pastas and explains them table by table. You can also customize your dish by simply saying what you like. When we visited, Wilhelm and I both had a pasta of the day. The chef stopped by to ask about our preferences, and my mushroom pasta ended up with a hint of truffle, on par with one I had in Florence during truffle season. Wilhelm got the crab pasta with lobster bisque, served with extra shrimp and a side of wasabi-encrusted calamari.

This is seriously the best pasta out of all the restaurants in Kigali. I also love that it’s at the back of a wine shop.

Pastas from the main menu were 22k, and specials were 29k.

Pizza

Fire and Stone Pizza Company

Fire and Stone Pizza Company is a pickup pizza spot. Sit out on some of the chairs or take the pizza home. Be sure to order 30-40 minutes in advance. Afterward, get ice cream at Kuna (it’s amazing!).

Mexican

Lavana

Lavana has a fantastic Mexican menu with a range of tacos, enchiladas, tamales, and more. I love Mexican food, and it’s hard to find great places internationally. However, Lavana really delivers great food out of the restaurants in Kigali. The corn tortillas are housemade and taste so legit. I ordered a yuzu margarita along with the spicy yuzu fish tacos (you can choose two or three), and they were so good!. The chips and salsa were another highlight, and I finished off with a tres leches for dessert. Now I’m already planning a return visit so I can try the rest of the menu.

The cocktails are excellent too! The dog was a fun addition to our party for the evening because he’s also painted on the wall!

A Taste of Local Rwandan Cuisine

Repub Lounge

A favorite for expats and visitors, Repub Lounge serves up a variety of local food. Here, you can get isombe, which is a delicious pounded greens and peanut dish with spices. The grills, eggplant, and fish are all great, too.

Fika Cafe

During the weekdays, Fika Cafe serves a traditional Rwandan buffet 12pm-4pm for 12k RWF per person.

Now Now Rolex

Now Now Rolex is a classic restaurant in Kigali, though the concept of a Rolex is borrowed from Uganda. A classic Rolex is an egg omelet wrapped in a chapati. Though this spot has creative spins like the French (brie & caramelized onion), Mexican (chili con carne & guac), and a Rwandan version with steak and kachumbari.

Rolexes are served with fast, friendly service in a covered patio setting. It’s a go‑to spot for both locals and expats looking for a quick, filling, and uniquely Kigali meal. When we visited in 2022 on holiday, Now Now Rolex was the first spot we ate at after arriving from the airport!

Sundowner

Sundowner in the Kimihurura neighborhood is a local hot spot for Nyama Choma, which is roasted goat. There are several sides, like the Special Sukuma wiki (green with onions and spices), fried plantains, and chips, that will complement the meal. Two hungry people can easily share the leg, which, after several visits Wilhelm thinks is the best option. The meat comes around the chef, who cuts it up in front of you. I made a reservation in advance, and I had to show that I actually made the call to the waitress before they offered me a table. The restaurant was already packed by 7pm on a Friday.

African

I’ve got more on African restaurants in the foodie neighborhood sections below for Kisimenti and Biryogo, too.

Boho

Boho has more than just African dishes, but the African Gastronomy section of the menu is pretty unique. The restaurant is also super vibey and plays great music in the evenings. The dishes can be made with or without meat. If you want a table, make a reservation in advance but otherwise you can sit in the high-top table with a view of sunset.

We got the Mandika, made with a Bamako mafee sauce made with peanut paste (SO GOOD) with beef strips and yam fufu and the Saka-saka sauce, a special from Kinshasa with cassava leaves and peanut paste with prawns.

I took my colleagues here when they were in town for a conference, and we came here two nights during the course of 6 days because they loved it so much. It’s a good option for a business dinner or to wow guests.

L’Abidjanaise

Get fresh fish dishes in the Ivorian style here.

Foodie Neighborhoods

Kisimenti

Kisimenti has a hugeee range of African restaurants in Kigali that serve up Nigerian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, and Eritrean food. Start walking down the street from here.

Burger Bros

There is Burger Bros for burgers… This is apparently the best burger restaurant in Kigali. I had a weird situation there that tainted my experience, but sure, the burger was good when I got it eventually. Basically, they served me the wrong burger and wouldn’t admit it until I asked the chef to come over and explain each of the ingredients to me. Only then did they make the burger I ordered. They apologized at the end.

Boriska

And Boriska for Russian food. The dumplings were really good. We also tried the “weird salad” and the mushroom-filled pancakes.

Jollof Kigali

Jollof Kigali has great jollof rice and Egusi (a melon seed soup that Wilhelm loves). There is just one location on Google Maps, this is their more fancy sit-down kinda vibe. But down the street, music is pumping from their second location, near here. Double check your bill amount, we had an extra 2k added “by mistake.” We had “food” listed as a lump payment and it felt a little more than we expected so we did the math and I think one other dish cost more (but that’s likely from a misunderstanding on how many brochettes came with the order). It was all part of the experience and we left in good spirits (the music was great too!).

Other Spots

I’ve been to Gebeta for Ethiopian food too.

The street has a lot of fun bars and is a cool vibe in the evening. It’s near the Amahoro Stadium and is pumping after a game.

The fish at Master Grill is good for an evening out. It will take about an hour to get the fish, but it’s filled with tomatoes, green, and garlic. So good!

The newly opened (July 2025) Zaria Court is a quick walk away as well.

Zaria Court

Zaria Court is a modern mixed-use sports complex with a basketball court, football pitch, outdoor exercise equipment, and a playground. It’s complemented by an airy, modern courtyard space with a nice mix of bars, cafes, shops, and restaurants in Kigali.

Kivu Noir has a location, Kweza Craft Brewery (amazing, women-owned) has moved there, and there are a few smaller food court-like spots for burgers and snacks. There is a large sports bar in the center of the complex as well.

Zaria Court Hotel has two restaurants as well as a rooftop bar with snack options. We went to the rooftop bar and it has a sleek vibe, perfect for dressing up a bit.

Biryogo Car Free Area

The Biryogo Car Free area has a ton of restaurants in Kigali that mostly focus on Sudanese and Rwandan cuisine.. Enter at Macoco (also popular among locals) and then walk up and down. The vibe is calm in the daytime, but the neighborhood really comes alive at night. This is in a Muslim area, and no alcohol is served at any of the restaurants.

You’ll likely have a few waiters try to get you to visit their spots. They are pretty friendly, but to get them to stop following us, we usually say something like “we already ate, next time,” “we are meeting our friends, and they have already sat down,” or just “I’m just walking but will come back.”

Macoco Resto Nyamirambo is always poppin’. It’s mostly filled with locals and a few adventurous expats. Food comes quickly and is delish. We overordered before my sister’s flight back to the U.S. with a 6-egg rolex, fried fish, chicken skewers, and fish skewers. I’ve also ordered the biriyani veg rice here before, and it’s insanely cheap. Come with a HUGE appetite.

Foul and Falafel is one of my favorite restaurants in Kigali. Everything on the menu is great! Note: I haven’t been since they moved locations to Kimihurura, as it’s temporary closed (as Jan 2026).

We’ve also been to Sudanese Restaurant, which was also good. They had a donut-style falafel, which I’d never had before.

Around the corner, check out the Somali Restaurant. I suggest coming for breakfast to try the unique Somali bread/injera; I haven’t had the chance to order it because it was too late when we visited. Instead, we had some fish dishes!

I’ll continue to add to this list as I eat at different restaurants in Kigali!