Located in the grounds of the art gallery it is not immediately evident that Tulifanya serve food as well as art. The name means, ‘we did it’ in Kiswahili and the gallery showcases a number of talented local artists, while serving coffee and lunch at the same time.
With a simple, yet varied, menu Tulifanya offers more than just nice pieces of art for those hungry at lunch time near the Crested Towers/Nakasero area. It is best to reach Tulifanya by boda or foot as there is limited parking next to the gallery, and parking on the one-way Hannington Road is notoriously impossible. The joint is understandably popular with office workers from Crested Towers who are short on options for lunch in the near vicinity.
During our visit it was understaffed for the crowd that came in at lunch and it took a while to find someone to take an order. However, once the order was in the food came quickly. The menu offers lighter bites for lunch such as soups (4,000 UGX), salads (including a Greek salad with feta and olives) at 6,500-8,000 UGX and simple sandwiches at 6,000-6,500 UGX. The sandwiches are small, and a bit on the dry side, but reasonable value for the 6,000 UGX. More substantial lunch options are on offer as well featuring central/eastern European favourites such as beef goulash, kalbs-bratwurst with rosti and spatzli with cheese and fried egg (UGX 11,000) alongside fish curry, burgers and vegetarian choices are also good value at 14,000 UGX. Basically, enough food to feel like you have got your money’s worth, but not so much that you need to sleep it off at your desk in the afternoon. The rosti, served with many of the main course options are excellent, and Tulifanya is worth a visit for this alone if you are a serious potato eater. For those who want to sample the rosti but do not want a whole one with a main course, they can be ordered as a ‘half rosti’ on the side.
For diners wanting to escape the office and look at something a little different while grabbing lunch, Tulifanya definitely offers this. The relative speed of service and proximity to office premises mean that you can justify staying for one of their very good coffees and still make it back to the office in time.
Definitely give this place a try if you work in the Crested Towers area and want a change from fried chicken, or you want a lighter lunch. Give it a miss if you are looking for local food or a lunchtime buffet.
Tulifanya (the art gallery) can be found here: www.tulifanyagallery.com.