
Located at mtwapa bridge just at the boundary of Mombasa and Kilifi counties, the Moorings floating restaurant has for the last three decades remained unique tourist attraction destination.
The unique restaurant remains a soothing destination for any one to visit, calm down and enjoy the smooth dancing Indian ocean as the restaurant is built on the Indian Ocean, literally floating on water.
Tourists across the world take time to visit the unique tourist site, a restaurant that is romantic in nature especially when you visit it in the evening when the sun bids you farewell.
In my recent experience at The Moorings floating restaurant in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, launched in 1994, I realised that their catering services are the ‘A La Cat’ in nature, meaning they take your orders, prepare them as you enjoy a soft drink.
“Under this catering style only serve fresh food hot as you like it from a variety of sea foods, to fried chicken, succulent fish fillet in light batter with chunky tartar sauce,” disclosed The Moorings Manager Francis Wekesa.
As we carried on with our interview, another group of friends who have just visited the unique Global floating restaurant in Mtwapa, Kilifi county was munching on juicy beef fillet, chicken, chicken wings and beef sausages served with kachumbari, gravy, fresh fries and Ugali, you might jump from your table to theirs without an invite.
[What you can feast on at The Moorings floating restaurant in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, A plate of prones served with a variety of sauces. Photo/Ahmed Omar/February, 18,24].
“Apart from the delicacies that have left memories among our visitors both local and international, we have a Bar restaurant where our clients enjoy both hard and soft drinks at their own time,” reiterated Mr Wekesa.
The floating restaurant recently acquired 24 hour operating license that moved it from the normal 10 am to 11 pm operations to entire day and night.
Though Wekesa says compared to the past years business has to some level climbed down, the restaurant has survived the economic challenges and is currently working towards stabilising its sources of revenue.
“Since 2020 during the Covid-19 season, the bed has not been cosy for us, maybe people have minimised their expenditures but we are also strategising to stay afloat,” disclosed Mr Wekesa.
The floating restaurant also engages its clients and locals in a Quizz Night every Tuesday evening where winners get away with prizes.
“We also have Karaoke Night every Saturday evening, this makes our clients feel entertained and we believe such marketing approaches enables us get visitors flocking our restaurant,” he said.
Some of the visitors are people who come down to Coast for official activities but then after their conferences, they decide to enjoy the cool soothing surroundings at the Moorings floating restaurant, according to Wekesa.
“We have created conducive environment for social activities among them weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, family gatherings, boat riding, the list is endless,” said the Moorings floating restaurant Manager.
Visitors have the chance of enjoying a boat ride of upto five passengers for Ksh 2000 where they will be taken through Mtwapa creek and its surrounding.
The 30th anniversary is already ongoing until July, 2024 when the celebrations will reach climax with top notch festivities.
“We want to reach a level where we shall tell our clients to book in advance since they may lack space for their activities, but until then, we should continue strategising so that we sustain The Moorings floating restaurant,” he said as we sipped our glasses of fresh mango juice and parted ways.