The Best Shopping in Nairobi — Where Creativity Meets Craft
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Kenya’s creative spirit lives in its capital — a city where artisans, designers, and dreamers turn heritage into style. In Nairobi, you don’t just shop; you collect stories. From glassblown masterpieces to upcycled fashion, every piece carries the warmth, humour, and hustle that make Kenya one of Africa’s design powerhouses.
Here’s our local guide to the best places to shop in Nairobi, curated by the Karen Plains Hotel team.
🪵 For Handmade Homewares
Follow the rhythmic hammering of the Ngong Road jua kali district, where wood shavings and sawdust scent the air. Among the open-air workshops, you’ll find Love Artisan, a sustainable furniture studio transforming hardwood offcuts into elegant chairs, cocktail tables, and statement lighting.
Each piece is upholstered in African textiles — Kitenge, Kuba cloth, and Malian mud cloth — creating modern heirlooms that feel rooted in culture.
Just a few doors away, Mood Lampshades is pure poetry in form and light — using tea leaves, roots, and spices to naturally dye their handmade shades. Inspired by Kenyan life, their designs mimic dancers’ skirts and traditional boma domes.
📍 Ngong Road, Nairobi
🎨 For Art & Culture Lovers
At the GoDown Arts Centre, Nairobi’s creative heartbeat, painter Michael Soi tells the city’s story with wit and colour — from nightlife to politics. His shop features original paintings, prints, and tote bags loved by collectors and celebrities alike.
In the same compound, Peperuka celebrates everyday Kenyan humour with slogan T-shirts (“Me I Love Nairobi”) and mugs that wink at local life (“There’s Food at Home”).
📍 GoDown Arts Centre, Industrial Area
👗 For Fashion & Lifestyle
The Alchemist in Westlands is more than a nightlife hub — it’s a creative village of pop-up boutiques, art, and food stalls. Here you’ll find Made in Kenya, a collective of 40+ local brands in one lively space.
Shop limited-edition eyewear from Kobe Africa, bead-embroidered hats by Boguk, and upcycled sandals by Maasai Treads. Look out for wildlife-inspired prints by Kangarui and one-of-a-kind jewellery crafted from reclaimed metals.
When you’re done browsing, grab a Mama Rocks Masai Mango Burger and enjoy the energy that defines Nairobi’s cool.
📍 The Alchemist, Parklands Rd, Westlands
🪞 For Artisanal Glass & Tableware
Half the fun of Kitengela Hot Glass is the journey — a 45-minute drive from Karen through red-dust trails that end in a kaleidoscope of colour. Here, recycled glass becomes chandeliers, mosaic tables, and sculptural bowls.
Visitors can watch glassblowers at work, try a beginner’s class, or sip a cold drink under whimsical glass domes in the garden café.
📍 Kitengela, off Magadi Road
🥕 For Fresh Farm Finds
At Mlango Farm, a 20-acre oasis near Limuru, guests pick their own produce — from gooseberries to kale — straight from the earth. Families can tour the grounds, feed animals, and share a long-table lunch under trees hung with local art.
Their shop sells jams, honey, and seasonal preserves — the perfect taste of Kenya to take home.
📍 Limuru, near Tigoni
💄 For Beauty & Wellness
Tucked behind green hedges, Langata Link Shops brings over 100 Kenyan brands under one roof. From Wild Earth Botanics’ cold-pressed oils to Cinnabar Green’s plant-based skincare and Grounded’s eco-cleaning products, it’s wellness the Kenyan way — conscious, clean, and community-driven.
Refuel at the leafy Tin Roof Café, serving smoothies, wraps, and slow afternoons.
📍 Langata South Road, Karen
📚 For Book Lovers
Cheche Books, founded by Kenyan-Somali Ubax Abdi, champions African literature and feminist thought. The warm, mural-lined space hosts poetry nights, film screenings, and community events.
Pick up works by Wangari Maathai, Leila Aboulela, or an emerging African author you haven’t yet met — then linger over a pastry as jazz floats through the air.
📍 Kilimani, Nairobi
🧺 For Market Treasures
For colourful Kiondo baskets, follow the hum of The Village Market on Red Hill Road. These handwoven designs — crafted by women’s cooperatives — are timeless, functional, and endlessly customizable.
Ask for leather-trimmed handles, inside linings, or special colours — all made to order within two weeks.
📍 The Village Market, Rosslyn
✨ KPH Insider Tips
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For brunch: K1 Klub House — lamb patties, one long table, endless conversation.
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For architecture & textiles: African Heritage House — a visual time capsule of mud architecture and East African art.
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For forest calm: Rent a bike in Karura Forest, cycle to the waterfall, or picnic under the fig trees.
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For sunset: Nairobi National Park — where skyscrapers and giraffes share the skyline.
🛍️ Plan Your Stay
Shop the city, then retreat to calm at Karen Plains Hotel, where art, nature, and hospitality meet. We’ll help arrange private shopping tours, studio visits, and deliveries right to your suite.
Book Direct: Karen Plains Hotel Booking Page