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La Villa Italian Kitisuru Menu, Pricing & Restaurant Review

This post is a comprehensive review of La Villa Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in Nairobi with the updated 2024 menu, and covering all aspects of the restaurant from reservations, budgeting, food and drink review service, and overall rating of the restaurant compared to others in Nairobi

La Villa is a nice fine-dining restaurant, so be ready to spend a bit. It’s actually a step above most if not all, Italian restaurants in Nairobi. Infact it was voted as the best Italian restaurant in Nairobi for 2024 by Gambero Rosso, an Italian food and wine magazine since 1986.

The place has that classic Italian vibe with some modern flair—ideal for a date night with candle-lit tables and soft lighting to set the mood just right.

Spoiler alert: I highly recommend La Villa It’s now one of my top Nairobi restaurant picks, joining the ranks of Crave (Kilimani) and Barbeque Nation (Westlands). And yes, it’s definitely nicer than those two. It’s just the third restaurant in this review series to get a perfect 5/5 score.

A Summary of La Villa Italian

  • Value for Money: ★★★★★(5)
  • Food & Drink Quality: ★★★★★(5)
  • Service: ★★★★★(5)
  • Ambiance: ★★★★★(5)

Pricing, Value & Budgeting

Value for Money: ★★★★★(5)

Approximate budget for two at La Villa Italian
Approximate budget for two at La Villa Italian

La Villa is currently my go-to spot for authentic Italian food in Nairobi (if you ask me, which no one did).

Naturally, the pasta dishes come with a slightly higher price tag. The seafood pasta flirts with the KSh 4,000 mark, but the usual suspects like pesto and carbonara pasta are more “reasonable” not exceeding KSh 1,900.

Sure, you can grab pasta elsewhere for less, but this is the real Italian deal. Authenticity, people. It doesn’t come cheap. Keep reading to find out if it’s worth it (or why it is worth it because it is)

Surprisingly, not everything on the menu requires big spending. Pizza, for example, is shockingly affordable. This place has stolen my heart—and my loyalty—dethroning Mambo Italia as my favorite pizza joint in Nairobi. Margherita pizzas start at KSh 1,300, which, for the quality and size, feels almost like a steal. Let’s just say Mambo Italia’s pizza has a light crust and is smaller, this one is larger, more dense, and of better quality.

Now, wines… they’re not exactly a budget-friendly choice here. But you’re getting proper wines, not whatever they bottle and call “table wine.” So, KSh 1,200 per glass doesn’t feel too outrageous. You’re paying for sophistication.

What cracks me up is the price contrast. You’ve got a fancy KSh 5,000+ pasta dish on one hand, and on the other, fresh juice for KSh 450? That’s practically giving it away. I mean, for a restaurant of this caliber, it feels like someone messed up the pricing. Even fast food-ish restaurants like Big Square sell their fresh juices for more than that.

Oh, and desserts? A couple of sorbet scoops will set you back a mere KSh 300. The only thing that’s even exceeding KSh 1,000 on the dessert menu is their blueberry cheesecake. So dessert bargain hunters, rejoice!

For a date night, set aside around KSh 6,000 to KSh 6,500 for two. My advice? Skip the starters, jump straight to the pasta (KSh 4,000 for both), and throw in two glasses of wine (KSh 2,400).

Or, if you want to keep things “cheap but classy“, ditch the wine for fresh juice (KSh 900 total) and slide under the KSh 5,000 mark. Sharing dessert won’t push the bill much higher—KSh 5,500 tops. All things considered, that’s not a bad price for an evening of authentic Italian charm.

Reservation

It’s probably a good idea to reserve a table here—though honestly, when I visited on a Saturday night, the place was 90% empty. So, yeah, walk-ins are likely fine.

But since this is fine dining, you might as well pretend to be fancy and make a reservation even tho we both know you are an imposter. It’ll take about three minutes of your life. Just hop on their website and get it over with. Better safe than sorry, right?

Make a reservation on La Villa’s Website

Getting Here | La Villa Italian

Entrance & Bar Section | La Villa
Entrance & Bar Section

La Villa is in a bit of a hidden spot, not your usual restaurant in a mall or a busy Nairobi neighborhood. It’s located along 1.3C, Kitisuru Rd—that’s the address. So, matatus isn’t really an option. You’ll need to use ride-sharing like Uber or Bolt, or just drive yourself if you’ve got a car. The closest restaurants, like Ankole Grill Kitisuru and Meko, are at least a kilometer away.

When you get here, there’s plenty of parking, so no need to stress about that. Just stroll over to the reception, drop your name for the reservation, and they’ll guide you to your table. They’re pretty friendly too—once you’re there, they’ll even give you options on where to sit and take you to your chosen spot.

Ambiance

Ambiance score: ★★★★★(5)

Inside Sitting Area |  La Villa
Inside Sitting Area | La Villa
La Villa Outside Sitting Area
La Villa Outside Sitting Area

The ambiance here is your classic Italian vibe—warm, dim lighting, candlelit tables… definitely screams romantic. Not exactly the scene for the younger Gen Z crowd. If that’s you, you’re probably better off at spots like INTI, Slate, or any of those other flashy Food Library restaurants.

Soft Warm Lighting | La Villa Italian
Soft Warm Lighting | La Villa Italian

The tables are decked out in white, the seats are comfy, and the walls are tastefully decorated with Italy-themed art—not too much, just right. The whole place feels cozy. There’s also an outdoor seating option if that’s your thing.

They’ve got some tasteful music playing here—it’s super soft, just hanging out in the background without being loud enough to interrupt your conversation. Honestly, the only time you’ll even notice it’s there is when the tracks change and there’s a brief moment of silence.

I’d give it a solid 5/5 on ambiance—nothing really to complain about here.

Menu Options


The menu is all Italian, from starters to mains, with the dessert section being a bit more familiar. The authenticity here is heavy—most dishes even have their traditional Italian names, so you might want to brush up on your basic Italian unless you want to embarrass yourself.

Just kidding! The waitstaff is great at explaining everything, and the ingredients are listed, so you can figure out what you might like, whether it’s the cheese or the pasta type.

They have three menus: drinks, wine, and food. There’s a QR code option, but thank goodness they also have physical menus. Because honestly, QR menus are just a gimmick and it grinds my gears when a restaurant skips the printed menu.

You’ve got at least 15 starter options, with prices starting at KSh 1,100 and going all the way up to KSh 5,000. Soups are also an option, all priced at KSh 1,100, with five choices to keep things exciting. Then there’s pasta and risotto starting at KSh 1,200, seafood pasta from KSh 1,800, pizzas at KSh 1,300, and grilled meats and fish starting at KSh 2,350.

Sides? They’re between KSh 350 and 550. It’s vegan-friendly too, with nine options, including four desserts and five mains—because apparently, vegans need to eat too.

There’s even a kids’ menu and an outdoor play area to keep the little ones entertained. And let’s wrap it up with desserts starting at just KSh 350. The dessert menu is surprisingly impressive, but honestly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the menu options here.

Below is a menu snippet the full menus will be linked just below these images.

La Villa Italian Menu | Pasta & Pizza
La Villa Italian Menu | Pasta & Pizza
La Villa Italian Menu | Vegan Menu
La Villa Italian Menu | Vegan Menu
La Villa Italian Menu | Sides & Sesserts
Sides & Desserts
La Villa Italian Menu | Starters Menu
Starters
La Villa Italian Menu | Meat & Pourtry
Meat & Poultry

Check the Full Menu Here

Check the Drinks Menu Here

Check the Wine Menu Here

Food, Drink & Wine Review

Food & Drink Quality: ★★★★★(5)

I started with a pizza because, let’s face it, the most basic pizza is the gold standard for judging a place. I went for the KSh 1,300 Margherita, which is just tomato, mozzarella, and basil. I’m pretty sure I saw one solitary basil leaf chilling in the middle.

But the cheese? Wow. It was the richest, most dairy-packed cheese I’ve ever tasted—like they milked a cow right there in the kitchen, it just tasted like an entire cow’s udder. So yeah, the cheese was the highlight.

The portion was generous, like a large pizza from a chain, unlike Mambo Italia’s, which was so small and thin-crusted. And the crust here? It was a decent thickness—not the flimsy kind that could be mistaken for Mambo Italia or the chunky stuff at Gecko’s Café, which could double as a weapon.

The edges were a bit thicker, just enough to hold in the cheese and sauce, and since it’s an Italian place, they’ve got a wood-fired oven—so you know it’s the real deal.

Artcaffe Gastrobar also claims to have a wood-fired oven, but their pizzas are so soggy with an oil layer, that they should probably come with a lifeguard.

So, while wood-fired doesn’t guarantee greatness, it seems to work here. I also ventured into pasta territory. I recommended the rigatoni carbonara with pancetta, but the waiter warned it might not be the best choice for anyone not used to the pecorino romano cheese, I’m used to the cheese it’s just that this plate was for my date. I’ve even made carbonara at home so it’s a personal favorite.

Also Read: 20 Different Cheese Types Available in Kenya

So she switched to the KSh 2,550 Fettuccine al Tartufo con Porcini—the fancy name for fettuccine with black truffle sauce, porcini mushrooms, and mascarpone cheese.

I usually can’t stand mushrooms, but these were surprisingly tasty—like they had actual deep earthy flavor instead of being the bland little supermarket button mushrooms we are used to.

Honestly, it was a solid dish. We also had some KSh 1,200 a glass sparkling wine each, served chilled, and it was refreshing—crisp and fruity before you even hit the wine part.

For dessert, went with the cheapest option: sorbet in passion fruit and vanilla. The passion fruit was the clear winner, bursting with flavor, while the vanilla was… well, just vanilla.

Ordered water, which was Aquamist still for KSh 350—not bad since most places charge KSh 500 for the same thing. So yeah, the prices here are pretty decent!

Also Read: Review: The 10 Best Bottled Water Brands in Kenya

Service

Service: ★★★★★(5)

One thing about La Villa that stands out: everyone is absurdly nice. I mean, from the reception to the waiters, it’s like a friendliness factory in there. Maybe I just got the dream team, but it felt pretty consistent. I can’t stress this enough—they’re all just really pleasant and friendly. It’s almost suspicious.

I lucked out with the best waiter who was clearly working way above his pay grade. He’d even steer you away from certain dishes based on your taste and suggest perfect pairings like a personal food matchmaker. The service was S-tier, not just from him, but from everyone I encountered.

The place is mostly packed with white and expat patrons, but from what I saw, everyone gets treated the same. And that’s rare in Nairobi, where locals usually get second-class treatment because expats are known to spend more and leave tips. No such nonsense here, though.

Also Read Discrimination in Nairobi Restaurants: It’s Time We Talk About It

Final Thoughts

 Overall Score: ★★★★★(5.0)

For a romantic date night, La Villa is my top recommendation. It’s like the unicorn of restaurants—the perfect balance of price, food, atmosphere, and service. I mean, it’s only the third restaurant out of 45 I’ve tried to score a 5/5 in my books.

Other recomendations for a romantic date night include Slate, but to be honestfood here is average at best, but the ambiance is good, Talisman in Karen is a good recomendation, nice mood for a datenight and food is awesome so no compromises there.

If you want fine dining options then consider Five Senses in Kilimani, Ezo Neo Japanese in Westlands, and The View-Mövenpick in Westlands (The Revolving Restaurant); for these restaurants budget for atleast KSh 6,000 per person, or KSh 15,000 for a date night

Honestly, in any restaurant I’m not that amused about ambiance; I care more about food, pricing, and service. Bad service can ruin even the best meal for me—I’d rather have average food and stellar service.

But at La Villa? It’s like they threw compromise out the window. Everything’s just spot on. Sure, there’s no such thing as a perfect restaurant, but this one might be as close as it gets… at least in my very humble opinion.


If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, especially the Nairobi Restaurant Reviews section, you know we’re usually pretty critical and love to point out every little flaw in a restaurant—because what’s the point of a review if it’s not brutally honest? But with La Villa, I honestly can’t find a single issue, even if I tried really hard to nitpick.

So, if you’re on the fence about whether it’s worth a visit, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Just don’t ask me to find a flaw; I might have to start making stuff up.


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