Location: Kigali
Top Restaurants in Kigali
Where to eat Italian food in Kigali: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Find out what Italian restaurants to try in Kigali. Inhabited since the 11th-century, what is now Kigali has been the home of Twas, Tutsis and Hutus. The city sits on a series of verdant ridges and lush valleys, and has a Muslim Quarter and a bustling market. Rwanda's capital is the site of battles that left over a million, mostly Tutsi and moderate Hutus, dead. Kigali Memorial Centre is a permanent memorial to 1994's Genocide, built on a mass grave where 250,000 are buried. Kigali City Tour Bus offers an excellent introduction to this now safe, friendly city.
Things to do in Kigali
10. Billyâs Bistro Bar
We are a Bistro in Century Park in Nyarutarama, one of the most beautiful location in Kigali. Our dishes are a fusion of Italian tradition with local product. Not forgetting some international dishes. We can host cocktail receptions, small conferences, pr
Reviewed By laurel_s1717
Some friends had recommended that I try the "Fancy Fridays" at Billy's Bistro Bar, and since I live in Nyarutarama but had never been to this new place, I decided to try it out. I was not disappointed! The ambiance of the place is very nice, from beautiful tiles on the floor to lovely light fixtures and booths with elegant but cozy tall seats. The service was excellent; our waitress was very kind and helpful, and though they didn't have a cocktail menu, she sent someone over to help describe the cocktails. Both my friend and I got the "Fancy Friday" special, with comes with an amuse-bouche, a choice of a starter, a choice of the main course, and a dessert for 9500 rwf. I chose the avocado bacon salad to start and the steak medallion, and my friend had the chicken tenders starter and the tilapia for her main course. All of the food was delicious and well seasoned, and it came out very quickly since they are the prepped specials for the night. The desserts were a sample of three cakes which were all divine. Overall, and excellent deal for what you get, and a really nice place to have your meal. I will definitely be back!Dear Laurel, We would like to thank you very much for your review, we appreciate that you find time to review us. We are glad that you enjoyed your evening at our Bistro and we will promise that we will do our best to keep the standards and improve all our services. Fancy Friday is becoming very popular and we are pleased that our Guests are enjoying it.Looking forward to see you again. Yours sincerely, Federico e Marco
9. Gusto Italiano
Reviewed By leonetraveller
I wanted an accessible place which offered a special buffet for 40 people and gusto italiano fitted the bill exactly. I can't believe that it isn't better known as it is so good. Our Italian-African buffet was well prepared, promptly served and very tasty. The bar is well-stocked with all sorts of drinks, service is friendly and helpful, and they also have a small garden for children to run around in and even a swimming pool. During the week they offer a standard lunch-time buffet which is also good value and worth tasting. Instead of going to those expensive neighbouring places in Kimihurura give gusto a try.
8. BWOK Cafe Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 12 reviews
Cafe / Bistro / Bakery / Salad bar / Brunch / Korean fusion / Kids play ground Social enterprise in Rwanda. Brunch, lunch, dinner dining & Cafe bakery. Beyond Africa, unique restaurant and cafe. [Pasta, Steak, Kyukatsu, plate dish, Bwok burger, sandwich]
Reviewed By Elisabeth T
BWOK is an offshoot of the popular RZ Manna cafe that first opened in Kigali in 2013. Originally just a bakery/coffee shop, it expanded to have one of the most popular import-ingredient, salad lunch buffets in the city. As expected, prices rose with the restaurants popularity. In 2018, RZ Manna shut down for renovations, announcing major changes were coming. The primary aspects of RZ Manna were shifted to this new BWOK cafe (first floor of the Kwetu Film Institute in Gacuriro). The original RZ Manna location eventually reopened with just a lunch buffet and dinner options (NO baked goods). To be honest, I've been perplexed by the business decisions that were made however I have to say that BWOK has delicious food, tasty pastries, and decent coffee. The salad bar has maintained it's high standards and is well worth a lunch stop. The staff at BWOK are fantastic. Very polite, attentive, and overall excellent customer service. You can pay by cash or card. Prices are high for a cafe in Kigali - with the buffet and most entrees costing around $10 or more. However, the food is exceptional. Wine is now available in the evenings, also priced higher than average for Kigali. My complaints are as follows:The original location in Nyarutarama was extremely popular. Whether you wanted a coffee shop, a business lunch, or a dinner venue - it was equipped for everything. The bakery was onsite, which meant donuts and bread were fresh out of the oven. BWOK is not a convenient location as it is in a purely residential neighborhood. Fine for lunch or dinner, but when you want to stop for a quick coffee/donut, it doesn't make much sense to go down to Gacuriro. Further, BWOK does not have a bakery on site. The baked goods are delivered each morning from Nyarutarama. I have arrived several mornings to find no baked goods available. Only to be told if I wait a bit, they'll bring them by car. But when you're stopping into a coffee shop, you dont want to wait half an hour for your donut to arrive. I am hoping that the management addresses this and has baked goods ready to be served everyday at opening time, since this is the only reason you would go to BWOK in the morning (see below). While the new expanded food menu at BWOK has been extremely tasty, I have been confused by the various menus and time schedules associated with each. No food is served before 12noon, unless its Friday or Saturday when the Brunch menu starts earlier. So before noon, you can only get pastries (which aren't always on site as noted above - or waffles). The dinner menu also has set hours (after 5pm, I think). In a city where most people wake by 5am, it would be nice to be able to order something substantial other than a sausage bread before noon. It would also be nice to not have to calculate what menu I'll have access to every time I think of going to BWOK. I understand that the kitchen at BWOK is small and it is easier on chefs to focus on certain items at certain times. I just wish it weren't so confusing with three different menus available at different times and definitely hope they fix the morning availability issues. The decor at BWOK has a warm, sort of modern vibe with painted brick and faux plants. There is a children's area. I don't quite understand why there are at least 4 different types of chairs in the restaurant - I guess an artistic choice but that only works if they're equally comfortable (they're not). Overall, BWOK is a solid choice to eat in Kigali, especially for lunch/dinner when the food menu or buffet are available. Wifi is available and if you're around on Wednesday evenings, there is usually a film showing upstairs in the Kwetu Film school.Dear Elizabeth, Thank you for sharing your experience at BWOK.We are sure it takes much of time to think and write the review, and this is really helpful for us in many aspects on our business. Original location at Rz Manna is now sharing spaces with "Kijami Table" and "Beautiful Coffee" but "BWOK Bakery" will open soon at the corner of the shop. It means that each BWOK shop has different options for customers based on their need.We are really happy that you enjoyed our food, and as you mentioned, we have limited time to serve the food since we want to the keep the consistency of the quality. Once again, thank you for this great review and hope continue to serve you with better services. Best, BWOK Management
7. Terra Restaurant & Grill
Overall Ratings
5 based on 11 reviews
At Terra Restaurant & Grill we combine our passion for the The great test of Lebanese and Middle Eastern Cuisine, high quality Italian illy® coffee and a cozy, familiar atmosphere. We offer a variety of authentic Lebanese dishes, freshly made by our chef,
Reviewed By Marie D
Thanks for welcoming us in that beautiful garden, the view is amazing, so is the food (I had lebanese dishes) and the coffee is delicious as well. Great team, very nice people, enjoy the garden if you got kids (or even if you don't), Cheers, MarieThank you, Marie! We are glad you enjoyed your visit at Terra and liked our food. We are happy to welcome you back anytime soon!
6. Lavana
Artisan-style pizza cooked in our beautiful wood burning oven. Menu also includes eclectic Street Food from around the globe as well as a few East African creations. Taco Tuesday & A Movie on Rwanda's biggest HD Screen in the dining room theater. Game Nig
Reviewed By _bgonzalez98
Me and my friends actually ran into one of the managers of Lavana while at an exhibition across town. They were selling slices of their pizza and we immediately knew we had to visit the actual restaurant. We do have to say, its the best Pizza you can get in Rwanda! Its new and open enviroment made it a great time when we stopped by for the Women's World Cup Final. Fantastic service, not that expensive drinks, and yes once again, amazing Pizza!
5. New Cactus
Overall Ratings
4 based on 202 reviews
Tel, Info: 572 572
Reviewed By Giovanni D
New Cactus has probably the widest menu in Kigali, and probably offers one of the best value deals in Kigali! Food is very good, and service too. Very pleasant for lunch (beautiful view on Kigali), but also in the evening. Try it!
4. Soleluna
Overall Ratings
4 based on 461 reviews
SoleLuna - a true slice of Italy in Kigali. Taste the freshness of mediterranean cuisine whilst savoring spectacular views of the city.
Reviewed By _bgonzalez98
Stopped by with me and my friends a few days ago and were really happy to find our first really good Italian place in Kigali. I have always love the Italian restaurant ambiance in general and was glad to find that Sole Luna brought it well to Kigali. A few glasses of Wine and some pizza/pasta at this place will be a great night!
3. Cucina Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 90 reviews
Savor a taste of Italy in Kigali. Cucina offers flavorful, authentic dishes from mouthwatering pizzas to savory risottos to classic pastas. Complement your meal with a glass of wine from our international selection and be sure to save room for dessert!
Reviewed By Getitright212
This is a quality place to dine. We arrived very tired from travel, and the sevice was absolutely perfect. Better yet the food was truly international level and delicious.We were put onto this by our travel agent and were in no way let down.Go.
2. Brachetto Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 245 reviews
New place just open in Kigali, Mediterranean Food, Tapas and Cocktails selection available at the Bar. Wines list from Italy, France and Spain.
Reviewed By Matvl
We had an ok dinner in Brachetto. The food menu is quite small and pretty standard - but also not particularly interesting. Definitely up your street for exorbitantly priced wines or imported European water (canât believe the need for this - with 3 choices!). Service was fine; and eating on the balcony was nice enough. Food was decent - a bit like a regular local place you may want to pop out to for a good value meal, but without the value. Definitely numerous better options in town and didnât love it at all.
Kigali Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Kigali
1. Lavana
Artisan-style pizza cooked in our beautiful wood burning oven. Menu also includes eclectic Street Food from around the globe as well as a few East African creations. Taco Tuesday & A Movie on Rwanda's biggest HD Screen in the dining room theater. Game Nig
Reviewed By _bgonzalez98
Me and my friends actually ran into one of the managers of Lavana while at an exhibition across town. They were selling slices of their pizza and we immediately knew we had to visit the actual restaurant. We do have to say, its the best Pizza you can get in Rwanda! Its new and open enviroment made it a great time when we stopped by for the Women's World Cup Final. Fantastic service, not that expensive drinks, and yes once again, amazing Pizza!
