Description: With a name like Carnivore, I would imagine most would expect that they'll be dining on "meat" for dinner. What makes Carnivore unique is the variety of meats offered to those willing to be a bit adventurous with their dining selections.
We planned for our last dinner in Kenya to be here, en route to the airport for our redeye departures to the USA. Due to concerns for traffic, however, we moved our dinner plans up to a "late lunch" arrival. With the reservations made by our tour operator, we were immediately greeted and seated when we arrived at the very end of their lunchtime service. It was nice to be seated in the open air area overlooking a small garden.
Our server arrived for drink orders and an explanation of the dining process. While offered soup, we all took a pass in favor of saving room for the all-you-can-eat feast that would follow. We were each provided a very hot plate, still sizzling when placed on the slightly damp table. There was also a lazy Susan style tray of condiments to accompany the various meats that would be offered tableside.
As our meal began, there was a flurry of activity with carvers working through the restaurant with spits of meat including at one point a whole turkey! Because many exotic game animals are no long allowed to be hunted for commercial food production, the choices seemed a bit tame to me . . . pork ribs, chicken (liver, gizzards and wings), crocodile, beef sausages, leg of lamb and lamb chops, and ostrich meatballs. I was really hoping to see if Wildebeest tasted like beef!
Everything was good and it didn't take long to fill up on the assortment of meats offered. Some of the items were better than others, with the crocodile being probably my least favorite given the chewy nature of the meat. After everyone was done, we were told to put down our "flag" to signal our surrender. Next came dessert which was a pleasant surprise. Going back to our safari mantra that "everything is better with chocolate sauce" most of us had the brownie with ice cream and chocolate drizzle over them. It was a very good ending to a nice meal.
Because we booked through our tour company, the price was probably inflated by a few bucks especially since we had planning and paid for dinner but ended up having lunch. That said, we couldn't have eaten any more regardless of what it was called, so $25 for the buffet meal seemed reasonable. Beverages (soft drinks and alcohol) were additional.
Carnivore is located adjacent to the Wilson Airport which is the hub for safari flights to the bush. It is located about 30 minutes from the main Nairobi International Airport, but with the traffic and road construction, visitors should probably allow an hour, just in case.
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