It is a New Year's Eve with delicacies, music to dance to, and fireworks, that of the Olimpia Club on Casuarina beach in Malindi.
As is customary, Pasquale Pes's club organises the New Year's Eve dinner with a buffet and table service, and accompanies it with atmospheric music, before starting the dancing with the beach party managed by DJ Alipappi at the console. At midnight, the party gets going and while waiting for the New Year in Italy too, there is a little room in your stomach to celebrate with the classic cotechino and lentils.
But one of Olimpia's special features are the fireworks on the beach to celebrate the New Year. Pasquale Pes has for years continued the custom started by his friend Bobby Cellini of the Malindi Casino, and his pyrotechnics attract not only the customers of his club, but all the Kenyans and tourists who overlook the long strip of sand of Silversand to admire the reflections of the lights in the ocean.
But the evening starts with an exceptional dinner, planned by that old fox of catering that is the legendary Eugenio. It starts with a buffet full of fresh mangrove oysters, plain and au gratin, mozzarella at will, and meat and vegetable samosas.
At the table, you can choose between Olimpia's historic calamarata and a tasty pasta and chickpea soup as a first course, grilled prawns or snapper sticks with mayonnaise as a main course, wipe your mouth with a lemon sorbet, and taste, if you wish, another house speciality: chicken (or beef) cordon bleu. All dishes are served with mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables or green salad, or Chips.
For dessert, it's back to the buffet with a lavish feast, with tiramisu, fruit samosas, fruit salad, nougat as well as the classic panettone and pandoro, handmade imported directly from Olimpia Club.
The entire evening (reservations recommended) costs Kes. 8000.
For info and reservations: 0113248801
(social: olimpiaclubmalindi)