A Timeless Dining Experience in a 120,000-Year-Old Coral Cave
Step into an ancient wonder at Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant, one of Diani’s most enchanting dining destinations. Nestled inside a natural coral cave believed to be over 120,000 years old, this one-of-a-kind restaurant offers a truly romantic atmosphere, enhanced by warm candlelight and the soft glow of the starlit sky through open cave ceilings.
With a refined à la carte menu that celebrates the finest seafood, international, and traditional Kenyan cuisine, each dish is crafted to elevate your evening. Paired with an exceptional wine list, dinner here is not just a meal — it’s an unforgettable experience.
Open daily from 5:30 PM, the restaurant offers courtesy transfers from hotels in Diani and invites you to embrace the ambiance with a smart casual dress code. (Please note: Children under 6 are not permitted.) Whether it’s a romantic date, a special celebration, or simply a desire to dine in one of the world’s most unique natural settings, Ali Barbour’s awaits.
Atmosphere is nice but service and food is average. Also there was a fly in my cocktail….
It’s a must have experience. The carrot and ginger soup was delicious. The entire show about the crepe Suzette was just simply a good show to film. But it was... read more not well prepared. The crepe felt old, not freshly made. Everyone kept saying Ali Baba’s cave restaurant, and I kept finding Ali Barbour on the internet. That was funny and confusing. It feels like you stepped in time and having elegant dinner in a cave with an open ceiling where you can look at the stars. The ambiance lights are everyone around you. To be fair, if I tasted the pasta without knowing it’s pesto, I wouldn’t have known it’s basil or pesto. It was just creamy and over cooked. It’s a 6/10. I was a bit disappointed. The steak au poivre was good as 9/10.
Alis Barbour is a stunning spot and the food itself did not disappoint — every dish we managed to order was delicious, and the service was warm and attentive from... read more start to finish. That said, our visit was affected by a large private group booking. Because that group hadn't confirmed their attendance ahead of time, the kitchen had reserved most of the starters for them — but we weren't told this until we sat down and tried to order, at which point over half the starter menu was off-limits, with seafood (not our preference) being pretty much the only alternative left. A number of mains were similarly unavailable for the same reason. There was also a mismatch with the venue's own rules: the confirmation email stated no children under 12 during the 8:30pm dinner sitting, yet young children were clearly present that evening. Beautiful location, genuinely great food when available, and lovely staff — but communication around availability and policy enforcement needs work. Worth visiting, just go in with flexible expectations on the menu.
Cave is beautiful. Food is extremely overpriced and mediocre. They tell you to order at least two things because they know you will want fo stop eating after your first... read more item. Drinks also taste like water. Just take pictures and dont eat/drink here.
Interesting place and excellent food. Cave restaurant is a pleasant change of every day beach food. Pleasant staff and service
The food was amazing but you need to be careful when paying your bills. We paid ours in cash but later we were told we had not cleared our Bill.... read more That was disappointing. Apparently the waiter isn't supposed to look at the bill, the money is taken straight to the cashier who might have kicked up the bill with others. We ended up paying extra money. Also, after leaving we realised after adding our total bills it was less than what was indicated in the total bill. Just be careful with that.
Everything was great! Honestly, I have nothing truly negative to say. My only little observation is that the way the restaurant is presented gives fine dining, elegant, fancy vibes so... read more when you walk in expecting jazz or something a little more classic and hear “Eye of the Tiger,” it can throw you off a bit. 😂 But other than that, the experience was absolutely worth it. The food, service, and overall atmosphere were great, and I would still definitely recommend it.
The location/setting is unique and beautiful and most definitely the main attraction of this restaurant. Given that it has this attraction it negelcts other areas as unfortunately the food does... read more not match. I came for dinner with my wife and 2 kids. The starters; octopus fritters were nice, salt and pepper squid below average, mixed salad and feta salad were very poor quality. Mains; pesto pasta average, lobster thermidor average perhaps too salty, steak was very good (8/10). Whisky sour cocktail average, red wine good. Overall this place is worth a visit for its setting which you will remember but the food is well below the quality we have had at other restaurants so bear this in mind (unless you order steak which was good).