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Italian food served al fresco at hidden gem in Nairobi

Sunday October 24 2021
Restaurant

Matteo's Italian Restaurant. PHOTO | KARI MUTU

By KARI MUTU

An outdoor ambience, great food and wine at Matteo’s Italian Restaurant characterised my first visit to Matteo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Karen, Nairobi.

It took me a while to find the rather obscure signboard at the gate and it is hard to tell from the main road that there is an eatery behind the wall. Once I entered the restaurant I realised why I did not recognise the place. The extensive grounds were formerly a residence and horse farm. Some of the barns have been converted into the indoor part of the restaurant.

My friends and I sat outside on the patio as it was a beautiful sunny day. The white table cloths and full table settings brought a smart look to the place, and the big potted plants and a garden view created a relaxing ambience.

We started our meal with a typical Italian appetiser of focaccia bread topped with cherry tomatoes, chunks of mozzarella cheese and rucola leaves. Drizzled with olive oil and a shake of black pepper, focaccia bread is a great way to whet one’s appetite.

For the main course I chose the marinated grilled lamb chops, which may not sound like a quintessentially Italian meal. But in the highlands of Italy where sheep are raised, lamb is consumed more than any other meat. The chops were nicely seasoned, came with a pepper gravy and accompaniments of chips and creamy spinach.

One of my lunch companions went for ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli in creamy butter and sage sauce. It is a simple Italian dish and delicious, especially with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. My other friend selected the grilled calamari with a lemon butter sauce that she really enjoyed.

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Calamari

Calamari served at Matteo's Italian Restaurant. PHOTO | KARI MUTU

On the menu I saw that Matteo’s has a wide selection of seafood dishes. The fritto misto is a combination of deep-fried seafood, served with chips and vegetables. A thick fish soup made with a tomato base sounds like a heart-warming option on a cold day and the crispy octopus in potato cream piqued my interest.

The beverage menu has a substantial selection of wines, cocktails, juices and fruit smoothies. For our lunch, we ordered a chilled rose wine that was light-bodied enough to pair well with the main courses that we chose.

I can rarely resist a good cheesecake so that is what I had for dessert. Matteo’s makes a wonderful, soft-filling cheesecake topped with sliced strawberries and a coulis sauce.

Because of the nice garden setting, fine weather and good wine we ended up staying at Matteo’s until early evening.

Due to Covid-19, Matteo’s had stopped their weekly jazz nights and live bands but I understand they have restarted the events. I will definitely be back for that

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