Concept Preview · Designed by Kodawa Labs Independent redesign concept — not the official Trattoria website.

Kaunda & Wabera Street · Nairobi CBD

Nairobi's Italian table since 1981.

Handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza and a wine list that hasn't chased a single trend in over forty years — recently resettled at 20th Century House, a few doors from where it all began.

1981 Opened by Gaetano Ruffo
3.7 ★
387 Tripadvisor reviews
$$–$$$
Full bar & wine list
7:30AM–12AM
Open daily
44 Yrs
Serving Nairobi

Since 1981

A restaurant that outlasted its own address.

Gaetano Ruffo first visited Kenya as a tourist in 1975, settled permanently two years later, and in 1981 opened the doors of what would become one of Nairobi's most enduring dining rooms. For over four decades, Trattoria served everyone from Cabinet Ministers to first-time visitors from a corner table on Wabera Street — through recession, renovation, and a changing city around it.

In 2025, after 44 years at Town House, Trattoria moved a short distance to 20th Century House on Kaunda Street — new walls, same kitchen philosophy: honest, traditional Italian cooking, made the way it's always been made here.

Still family recipes. Still the same welcome.

The reason regulars keep a standing table.

Trattoria's reputation was never built on spectacle. Guests consistently point to the same thing: a dining room run by people who have been doing this for decades, with a calm, attentive style that's become rarer across Nairobi's restaurant scene.

A Recurring Note

The Longest-Serving Member of Staff

Guests describe a member of the front-of-house team, known for quiet, attentive service — communication through a glance rather than a raised hand — as one of the reasons they return.

What Keeps People Coming Back

Long-time regulars describe recipes that haven't changed in decades — the same food they remember from childhood visits.

Tripadvisor · Repeat Guest

The upstairs balcony overlooking the CBD street below comes up often as a favourite spot to sit.

Tripadvisor · Balcony Seating

Portions are generous enough that regulars often mention taking food home after the main course.

Tripadvisor · Value

Find Us

20th Century House, Kaunda & Wabera Street
Nairobi CBD, Kenya

Recently relocated from Town House, a short walk away

Reserve

+254 20 2240205

trattoria.kenya@gmail.com

Hours

Daily · 7:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Full bar, late-night service

Reserve Email