The ambiance was really good especially in the evening as the darkness of the cave is juxtaposed against the orange lit walls and the star-filled sky. The staff were warm and friendly and the service was reasonably fast. The restaurant offers shuttle services from the...hotel and back, which is very convenient. The food was underwhelming though as the potions were small with nothing particularly extraordinary considering their prices.More

We had a great time at Ali Barbour's, the restaurant sent a driver for us at no extra cost who arrived well on time even though we asked for the timings to be changed. The food was generously portioned and delicious. It was a bit...more expensive than other restaurants (even upmarket ones) in the are but not by much and you are paying for the experience which is worth it. The restaurant is beautiful, we got there at sunset and the changing colours down the cave were stunning. The staff were friendly and attentive even with the restaurant full. We had flambéd puddings cooked at our table which the children loved! And I had surf and turf with lobster which was one of the best cooked steaks I've ever had. The cave isn't particularly steep to get into, it's a big, solid staircase (pictured). Great experiance, would happily go back again and again.More

Location and concept great.food below average.why would I order a plate, whose ingredients (cheeses) have travelled half the world? Please invest in your local cuisine which is extremely tasty, rather than trying to copy a European fine dining restaurant. Struggled to find a Kenyan dish...in the menu.More

Wow, Wow Wow, the location, privacy, Ambience.... Staff are lovely, Awesome. We were served by Jane very efficient fast and homely, Jane Heads up Dessert is a wow, Mango Sorbet very sweet and chilled. This is a place to Dine and Wine anyday any time.

Al Barbour offers a great dining experience. They provide pick-up service within Diani - which is not very necessary but great touch to the whole dining experience. The cave is fascinating. and the decoration is well done. Service could be better and faster but still,...it was okay. I had "Chilli crab" which was mild chilly and extremely delicious. Portions are big enough. And the garlic bread is amazing. We had a great evening and I would definitely go back.More

The setting is lovely. The food however left much to be desired! I had the Madagascar steak and specified to have it well done. It was served lukewarm, tasted bland and parts of it were rare. My friends had the chicken which was such a...small portion for the price just the leg, no thigh. The service was rushed and while I understand the curfew, running my card wrongly then saying it was rejected was unnecessary embarrassment. Another staff placed the card properly and bill paid we left, very unsatisfied!!!More

We dined here late January on a quiet weekday. The atmosphere was great, not too quiet and the dining area is beautiful. We were lucky with a perfect starry night sky. We had the sharing platter which was very good. Everything here is at least...twice the price of anywhere else that you would likely eat but sometimes you have to pay for the experience.More

We were really excited to spend our last night at the famous cave restaurant which was close to the villa we were renting for the week. Unfortunately we were received by a hostess who socially and racially profiled us. Despite calling in advance to confirm...that we would come for drinks, we were made to sit at the reception for close to an hour waiting to be seated while clearly seeing empty seats at the restaurant and bar. She served everyone else well and left us hanging. Additionally, she repeatedly left and came back with new excuses to not let us in while we observed other guests seamlessly being served and given entry - for example: she pointed out our dress code as inappropriate and hinted at us not being appropriately dressed for the venue (while we observed multiple people of other races being scantily dressed and still receiving admission). She even mentioned that we should hurry up and go downstairs because she had work to do. When we did eventually get seated, we were served by the friendly bartender. We finished and paid as we thanked our barman, waitress, Maasai warrior at the entrance for their service. While we were leaving, she hurriedly ran and called after us at the exit, (we thought to see us off and wish us a good night or offer transportation services as she did the other guests) and rudely accused us of not having paid for our bill. We confirmed to her that this had been settled and confirmed by the waiter via mpesa. She made us re-enter the restaurant, forcefully asked for our receipt and alleged that the reason she was asking was to make sure we paid and we did not just leave. Our experience at the restaurant was very disappointing, appalling and shocking owing to the fact that we were profiled and given a different service to our white counterparts, most notably by the hostess. If this is a “rich looking, white guests only” place, say so. Would not recommend this place AT ALL. Do better!More

We are three professional hoteliers with combined over 120 years of managing international hotels and are frequent visitors to Diani Beach and until recently Ali Barbour’s. Once the novelty of the cave has worn off the quality of food and beverages is what counts with...good service most of which has regrettably deteriorated since our last dinner there. It took a long time before being served with a Pseudo Mojito from the cocktail list in a whisky tumbler. Starters consisted of very flowery tempting description seafood Pate which turned out to be totally tasteless , an equally boring twice baked cheese tartlet and as only available soup a bran bisque which was ok with whatever it is ‘’Diani Foam’’ not available. The menu as shown to us had little resemblance with what is shown on the various websites. The dry-aged beef fillet was tough, the Captains Risotto totally overcooked and the Barracuda which is a rare find on menus in Kenya was ok but as for all dishes poorly presented. We did not opt for any of the listed Moroccan dishes as the Kenya cuisine is known to be very good and varied and especially on the Indian Ocean with fresh fish and seafood except for the to be imported Salmon. We did ask for the Mango Flambé for which the Cave is renowned bu the waiter had the audacity to tell us that Mango’s are out of season when one can buy thousands along the roadside for Kes 20 each... We did opt for a bottle of Pinot Grigio which turned out to be of rather poor quality as we had to help ourselves to refill glasses with the little ice left to keep the wine cold. Excellent wines and more are readily available in Kenya so why not offer quality wines to justify the prices charged. Regrettably also the service has deteriorated and the cheerfulness and renowned welcoming Kenyan hospitality has gone with all the new faces and new menu under new management. We attempted to speak to the Manager/Chef who turned out to be very arrogant and full of self praise. We did not want to spoil our evening further as we soon realised that with such condescending attitude we would be wasting our time as there are now much better options on Diani Beach - alas minus the tourist Cave.More

What an amazing place, brilliantly designed and the atmosphere is so romantic, hidden lighting and candles create a lovely ambience. Our table was right beneath the star lit sky with a half moon. The food was delicious, service is friendly and quick. Cheesy cave chicken...(my husband had a steak) with beautifully cooked fresh vegetables and lime semi feddo were all amazing. Our crab salad starters did lack flavour but overall excellent and will definitely be back and would recommend. Ring and book ( or get your hotel to ring) and they will pick you up and drop you back at your hotel.More

Fantastic ,the cave was awesome ,good food friendly people we must re-visit . . without forgetting ellah and her team who made our stay in diani more comfortable ....her services were nice,on time and affordable ...we did our airport pickups,taxi services all the booking ...including...safaris and snorking in wasini I highly recommend her ..her whassup number is +254703561948More

Ali Barbour’s is great for a fine dining experience for those visiting the Diani Beach area. The food, service and ambiance were all top tier and I highly recommended it. They even provided transportation service to/from our resort for a group of 14. For groups...larger than 10, be prepared to pay a minimal deposit (roughly $20 USD) per person and provide everyone’s pre-orders for appetizer, main course and dessert. The deposit is applied to the final bill. Overall, our group was exceedingly pleased with our experience. The Lobster Thermidor is particularly exquisite!More