This is a restaurant review of the Clay Oven Indian Restaurant in Westlands Nairobi. It is located just next to The Mall almost directly across the highway from Botanica and INTI
Indian food is so ridiculously good that I’ve yet to meet a dish I don’t like—( and i doubt i will ever) it’s basically wizardry. So, does all this gushing mean Indian cuisine is my favorite? Well not really; that crown belongs to Italian, with Indian sitting in third place after Japanese.
Now, Indian cuisine deserves some love, especially for vegetarians. I don’t usually care for vegetarian food, but somehow, they make it work. Anyway, enough about the musings on food—let’s talk Clay Oven…
There are at least 50 Indian restaurants in Nairobi, yet this is among the most famous at least in the top 5. The Indian community is very critical of their food, so I tend to consider restaurants they recommend themselves.
This was one of the places, that was okay except for the parking bit, the area looks sketchy, especially at night…yes there are security guards present if you wanna give that a chance
New to Indian Food, What to Try?
I bet the first Indian dish most people try is butter chicken—classic starter pack material. But ayoo, don’t be an NPC stuck here. Branch out!
There’s a world of Indian food beyond butter chicken: chicken tikka masala (we’ll argue about whether it’s actually Indian in another post), paneer tikka masala, chaat, samosas, naans, and more. Seriously, live a little.
If you’re not sure where to start, hit up a buffet. Sampling is the ultimate hack to figuring out what you actually like. Barbeque Nation is a solid choice for this mission—one of the better Indian buffets around, conveniently parked right behind Clay Oven. Coincidence? I think not.
And spice wimps, don’t worry; the food here is so mild it’s practically soothing. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out why they even asked how spicy I wanted my food.
I confidently said “extreme” and ended up with… zero spice. Not even a tickle. Did I just get trolled?
Pricing & Value
No matter how good life gets, I’m always for “value for money.” And since we’re talking about an Indian restaurant, you already know the prices are good while the food is—generous. Unlike, say, an Italian spot where the portions are more of an experience than a meal.
Here’s the breakdown: mains are mostly around the KSh 1,300 mark, and it’s rare to see anything crossing the 2k threshold. Starters are a bit all over the place but generally under 1,000 bob, with the occasional splurge closer to 1,500.
Went all in—2 starters, 2 mains, water, dessert to share, and two drinks—for KSh 6,650. Now, if I pulled the same stunt at an Italian joint, I’d be staring at a bill north of 15k.
So yeah, this place wins on affordability and serious value for money, portions are on the excessive side so trust me someone will be having a doggy bag on their way home, and it’s not the dog; or Spiderman.
Food Review
Before we descend into what I ordered, let’s talk about the little tower of sauces that graced the table. It had three tiers of goodness: one was like an Indian take on chili oil (my absolute favorite), another was green chutney, and the third… well, I have no idea.
I had to Google “green sauce in Indian restaurant” just to figure out the chutney’s name.
Clearly, I’m terrible at my job (as Gordon Ramsay from Kilimall), and it stings—both my ego and my dignity. Ouch.
So yeah, I wasn’t a fan of the green chutney. It’s mostly made from coriander, and while I’m not one of those “coriander tastes like soap” weirdos, I just didn’t vibe with it.
The sauce felt like a background extra—no personality, no flair, just there, existing, and maybe looking green.
Starters
I went for the mutton samosas and fish fingers—yeah, yeah, calm down. I know fish fingers aren’t exactly Indian cuisine, but what if they had a little Indian twist?
Spoiler alert: they just tasted like fish fingers. Not that I’d know; this was my first time trying them. Apparently, they’re 200 bob at Greenview in the CBD? Someone fact-check that for me.
Anyway, these fish fingers were amazing. Exactly what you’d hope for—minus the terrifying idea of actual human fingers inside.
The batter was light and crispy, the fish was soft and moist, and the portion? Absolute madness. For KSh 1,500, you get at least 20 fingers.
For a starter, that’s a bit overkill. Good luck finishing this and still having room for your main. This is a “share with everyone at the table” kind of dish.
Now, on the flip side, the samosas? Not so sharable. They’re tiny—like, two-bites-and-gone tiny. But oh, were they delicious! Moist, spicy, and juicy—basically the polar opposite of Java House’s giant samosas, which are… well, giant and bland.
These might be small, but they pack a punch. A four-pack goes for around 750 bob, which isn’t too bad.
Oh, and sorry, no photos of the starters. Hunger won the battle over the blog this time. I’ll try to think of you guys next time. Maybe.
Mains
For mains, I went with the paneer tikka masala and also tried the chicken tikka masala, all paired with garlic and butter naans.
Lemme tell you Maina, Indian food is pure comfort—like a warm, rich hug made with love. Its just one of those feel-good dishes. If you’re one of those people who do little food dances, prepare to catch yourself swaying to this.
Now, naans. Think of them as chapatis’ fancier cousins, cooked in an oven. That’s the simplest way to explain it, though they’re charred, fluffy, and very, very different from chapatis.
Garlic naan is usually my go-to, but at Clay Oven, it didn’t hit the spot—overly burnt garlic is not my vibe. The butter naan, however, was a perfect 10/10: buttery, soft, and just delightful.
Hey moron: naan isn’t meant to be eaten solo. It’s your edible spoon for curry. Sure, utensils are there, but ditch the cutlery and use your hands—this isn’t the time or place to play cool.
As for the mains, the chicken tikka masala was solid, but I actually preferred the tikka sauce in the paneer. Paneer is cheese, so naturally, the sauce was richer and velvety, clinging beautifully to the cubes. And if you’re wondering what paneer tastes like, think mushrooms or tofu—soft, mild, and soaks up all the flavors like a sponge.
It was so good. But since my knowledge of Indian food stops here, I’ll bow out gracefully before I embarrass myself further.
Drinks
Tried a virgin mojito—it was decent. Not life-changing, but a good enough mojito. The real star (or villain, depending on your taste buds) was my lassi drink of choice: a masala lassi.
Imagine yogurt and curd teaming up for a tangy, old-school maziwa mala vibe straight out of a traditional gourd. Authentic? Very. Salty? Extremely.
Because it’s masala lassi, every sip came with a confetti shower of cumin seeds. I’m not exaggerating; it felt like my mouth was hosting a spice bazaar.
I would recommend you to try the mango lassi, I imagine it’s way better than this, no wonder the waiter looked at me funny when I asked for the masala lassi even tho he recommended mango.
At 500 bob a glass, it’s tart, spicy, and aggressively salty. If that sounds like your idea of fun, go for it. As for me, I struggled to finish, but hey, it tasted authentically chaotic.
Dessert
Dessert was an afterthought—came highly recommended by the owner. It was kulfi, an Indian frozen milk dessert spiced with ginger and other mystery flavors. They serve it in cubes, so you scoop, savor, and let it melt like some kind of exotic ice cream cubes.
Honestly? It was so good. Not chronically sweet like your usual desserts—just mildly sweet, with a gingery, spicy kick that felt mature.
Highly recommend trying it. Unlike the masala lassi, this is something I’d happily finish without questioning my life choices.
Service
Don’t come expecting five-star service where they’ll take your coat or give you a shoulder rub while you browse the menu. Service is decent; wait times are a bit longer than ideal, but not long enough to trigger your inner Karen.
The owner? Absolute gem. She gave me a discount—bless her generous soul—and rocked this hilarious t-shirt about being the boss. Clearly, she’s got a sense of humor and she’s so main character that adds to her cool factor.
The place isn’t exactly buzzing, even on a Saturday night, so do yourself a favor and give it a shot. The food? Worth it. The ambiance? Meh, but who cares? You come here for flavor, not vibes.
Meanwhile, my fellow Gen-Zoomer comrades are out flocking to overpriced, mediocre food city restaurants with cute lighting and “Instagrammable” décor. Quit the peer pressure and spend your money on places that deserve it. Catch you at the next review—if I feel like it, bye!
Clay Oven Menu
Note: Use this menu as a food guide, pricing has changed since, for the latest pricing check here