Bamboo Rooftop Restaurant is one of the few restaurants that has managed to combine different themes to appeal to a large Kigali crowd.

The restaurant is located at the top floor of the T2000 building in the central business district, just next to Kigali City Tower. It is a Chinese restaurant and one of the few rooftop-themed restaurants in town.

Bamboo has a spectacular view of the city overlooking the Nyarugenge area. The restaurant, which was recently revamped, has busts of Cupid and is decorated in themes of red and gold evoking feelings of love. It also has plants like climbers and creepers.

However, the variety in the décor seems to have ruined the overall feng shui of the restaurant. The old 80’s disco music playing in the background appeals to an older audience.

The restaurant is large and cavernous, although I’ve never seen more than five customers for lunch at the same time.

The staff usually outnumber diners two-to-one. They wait by the elevator to push the button for you when you’re ready to leave.

Bamboo is probably the first restaurant in town with digital menus on iPads.

As soon as I settled in my chair, a waiter was quick to attend to me. I chose the lemon chicken for my main course and strawberry ice cream for dessert.

After about 30 minutes, the waiter finally served the glistening chicken in bite-size portions with lemon wedges as garnish. The chicken meat was sautéed and coated with a thick, sweet-lemon flavoured sauce.

It was delicious. The chicken was tender and not drenched in too much fat. However, it was not accompanied by carbohydrates or vegetables.
The ice cream was refreshing, and made with fresh strawberries.

Lemon chicken and strawberry ice cream served at the Bamboo Rooftop restaurant. PHOTO | JEFFERSON RUMANYIKA | NMG

Bamboo offers a wide range of meal options — from the signature Chinese dishes like dim sum, spring rolls, tofu, noodles and seafood, to American and European cuisine like burgers, pizzas and sandwiches.

Prices range from Rwf3,000 ($4) to Rwf50,000 ($59).

It also has a well-stocked bar with a wide choice of beverages — soft drinks, fresh juices, local and imported beers, ciders, wines, sparkling champagne, aperitifs, gins, vodkas, premium and deluxe whiskys and specialty cocktails. The restaurant is spacious and can accommodate a crowd of 300 or possibly more. This makes it a good venue to host large parties.

Bamboo is definitely worth a try, as it is one of the better Chinese restaurants in Kigali.