Restaurateur / hotelier
Kimani Kiarie
- Discipline
- Restaurateur / hotelier
i. Biography
At Five Senses Restaurant in Nairobi, the work sits at the point where Kenyan memory meets French technique. Kimani Kiarie uses that overlap to build plates with structure and restraint: food shaped by lived experience, by French discipline, and by a measured sense of contrast that keeps the table moving. Matumbo Pâté sits at the center of that approach, drawn from childhood memory and used here as a clear example of how he works from the past without treating it as fixed.
Coming Up
Training at Top Chefs Culinary Institute, Culinary Arts Academy (César Ritz Colleges), and Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse gave Kimani Kiarie a formal base for the kind of kitchen work that demands precision and consistency. Those years established the groundwork for a career that moved across cities and service styles, and taught him how to adapt to exacting standards without losing his own point of view. He began as cook at Norfolk Hotels in Nairobi, Kenya, then cook at Serena Hotels in Nairobi, Kenya, before moving into the role of chef at Le Meurice (Dorchester Collection) in Paris, France, and chef at Plaza Athénée in Paris, France. Each post added another layer to his range and sharpened the way he approaches flavor, sequence, and execution. The next step took him to IDAM restaurant, Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, where the work continued to combine international polish with an individual register. Today, that accumulated discipline is carried into Five Senses Restaurant, where those earlier kitchens are not presented as references alone but as active material in the room.
Where They Are Now
At the family-run Five Senses Restaurant in Nairobi, the focus is on turning ideas into serviceable, immediate plates. The cooking there joins Kenyan ground with French structure and a visual sensibility that gives the menu a distinct pace. Matumbo Pâté remains the clearest expression of that approach: a dish tied to childhood memory, and one that shows how his cooking balances emotional recall with technical control.
Career - Owner and Head Chef — Five Senses Restaurant, Nairobi, Kenya - Cook — Norfolk Hotels, Nairobi, Kenya - Cook — Serena Hotels, Nairobi, Kenya - Chef — Le Meurice (Dorchester Collection), Paris, France - Chef — Plaza Athénée, Paris, France - Chef — IDAM restaurant, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar Education: Top Chefs Culinary Institute; Culinary Arts Academy (César Ritz Colleges); Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse
Signature
Kimani Kiarie’s signature dishes include Banana Textures, Chemsha, Down the Rabbit Hole, and Matumbo Pâté. Taken together, they point to a kitchen language built on layering, contrast, and controlled surprise. Some dishes rest on familiar flavors pushed into new shape; others ask the diner to keep reading the plate as it unfolds.
Honors
His formal credentials include a Diploma.
FAQ What is Kimani Kiarie's current role? As of 2026, Kimani Kiarie is Owner and Head Chef. Where did Kimani Kiarie train or study? Kimani Kiarie trained at Top Chefs Culinary Institute and Culinary Arts Academy (César Ritz Colleges). What is Kimani Kiarie known for? Kenyan cuisine with French elegance and artistic flair.
