Kabana is probably best described as “that place at the petrol station, next to Umubano Hotel”. It is not a members-only hangout, as the inscription “Private Club,” above the entrance seems to suggest. It is evident that this joint prides in a certain air of exclusivity about it, so obviously there is a need to keep some sections of society at bay. It is the reason the inscription still adorns its entrance. It is also the reason a big Primus will cost you Rwf 1,500 per bottle! Soft drinks go for Rwf 1,000. If there is one thing this pizzeria and bar is sure of, it is the fact of its prime location. Not only is it surrounded by a host of foreign missions like the European Union, the German, Netherlands, Swedish and UK embassies, it is the vicinity of Umubano Hotel, King Faisal Hospital, Kacyiru Executive Apartments, the Ninzi and Top Tower Hotels…. This makes it appealing to a first time Kigali visitor. Standing at the entrance, one immediately notices a brick and charcoal pizza oven that is ever ablaze with a huge coal fire. To your right is the bar counter while the rest of the space is taken by tables that seat four on average. There is more seating in an open room that is preferred by people hosting small group events. The place also boasts a long-running reputation as a pizzeria of choice. If you’re talking about the best five pizza points in Kigali, the name Kabana is likely to pop up along the way. What gives the Kabana pizza an edge over the competition is the clever pricing policy, in that all pizzas –chicken, beef, veggie go for the uniform price of Rwf 6,000. What’s more, they have stuck to the traditional brick and charcoal oven, as opposed to the electronic style-ovens. Then there is the aesthetics of it all; ordering for pizza at Kabana is like ordering for brochette direct off the grill at your local bar, in that the pizza man’s workstation is situated right inside the bar. On more cold nights, the oven doubles as a convenient fireplace. Pizza aside, they serve starters at Rwf 3,000, chicken at Rwf 5, 000, pasta, at 5,500, and fish at 5,000. They also do brochette, ribs, lasagna, and mushroom sauce. Recently, burgers were added to the menu.
