The Roots Restaurant

The Roots Restaurant is the place to start if you want to understand Ugandan food. It has been open for around eight years on Kafu Road in Nakasero, opposite the DFCU Bank headquarters, and its whole menu is built around dishes from different parts of the country. The restaurant says its food is made without unnatural additives, and the menu is short, about 20 items, which keeps the focus on traditional cooking rather than a long list of international options.

The signature is luwombo, the Buganda speciality in which meat, chicken or groundnut sauce is steamed slowly in banana leaves, and The Roots serves it in several versions. Alongside it you will find matooke, the steamed and mashed green bananas that are Uganda's staple, katogo, a one-pot breakfast or lunch dish usually made with matooke or cassava, and kalo, the millet bread of western and northern Uganda. From the north comes boo, an Acholi dish made with greens. Protein dishes include roast chicken, roast goat, smoked whole fish and grilled tilapia from the lakes. Fresh fruit juice is the natural drink to go with it. Beyond the restaurant itself, The Roots runs outside catering and hosts office retreats and meetings.

The setting is calm: indoor dining rooms plus garden areas with plenty of greenery, a short walk from the hotels and offices of Nakasero. The restaurant also hosts family dinners, business lunches, garden weddings and showers, with space for up to 500 guests, so expect the occasional private event at weekends.

It opens early, which makes it useful for a Ugandan breakfast as well as lunch or dinner: hours are 07:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 09:00 to 22:00 on Sunday. Sharing a luwombo and a couple of sides is a good way for two people to try several dishes at once. If you are new to Ugandan food, ask the staff to explain the dishes and suggest a mix of starches and sauces.

The restaurant suits curious first-time visitors, families and groups, and it is a good lunch stop between the National Theatre and the hilltop sights of Old Kampala. For bookings or catering enquiries, call or email the restaurant.