A drink like Remy Martin, Louis XIII is costly in all high-end bars that stock it.
First, to get things quickly out of the way, there is no novelty in being served by white waiters. Second, the New York Times article that proclaimed that Kenyans are falling all over themselves to be served by white waitresses at Caramel Lounge is utopic and slightly deranged.
Lastly, the very few Caucasian waiting staff (they are not more than three) are mostly from Macedonia, or some country like that. How white can that be?
Elegant décor
Yes, Caramel Lounge is impressive. It’s imposing, sitting on 13,000 square feet. It’s elegant in décor. And it’s posh. They have a cigar lounge in the offing.
Running near the breadth of the room is a famous table, known simply as Table 22 that is made from onyx. It sits about 18 people and is the focal point of the bar, their signature table. You could sit in the lounge area, which looks up to the bar that is long, dark and sexy.
If you sit there and look east, towards the cigar lounge, you might see the famous drink that made this place “famous”; the Remy Martin Louis XIII. A bottle goes for Sh1.25 million. (That’s Kenya Shillings, not Macedonian Denar).
A tot of this drink goes for Sh42,000. But this drink isn’t just expensive here, it is expensive in bars that stock it like The Balcony Bar at the Kempinski Villa Rosa.
Contrary to what you might think, Caramel is not any more expensive than other high-end bars in Nairobi. In fact, you can actually get all of their cocktails at Sh950.
You can risk it and walk in and get a table if you want to dine (highly not advisable), but you can always walk in to the bar and have a drink. Unless of course, you are under 25 years of age, is in a hat, sandals or sleeve-less shirt. You will be turned away.
The main-barman is from Dubai, some Asian chap called Sudish who knows his cocktails. He will probably suggest Fruit Mojito, their popular drink.
There is a deejay four nights a week, a deejay Hani. You want to eat while you drink without actually sitting down to eat? Try their sliders; beef or lamb will be good. Salads go for Sh1,500 in case you are wondering.
Misconception
The greatest calamity with Caramel is that it’s riding on this huge misconception that it’s pricing is unattainable. That it’s too highbrow (it is) for the average middle class to even venture in there (untrue).
It’s a thought-out product, targeted to a specific audience that doesn’t fuss over price. And it doesn’t apologise for that. I suspect that Kenyans are intrigued by such haughtiness.
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