Café
Thorn Tree Café
The Sarova Stanley's pavement café, built around an acacia tree where generations of travellers pinned messages for one another in the days before email.
Spring Valley Coffee
An award-winning Kenyan specialty coffee roaster founded in 2009, roasting at origin and serving its single-origin coffees at cafés across Nairobi.
At a glance
- Type
- Specialty coffee roaster and café
- Area
- Spring Valley, Nairobi, Kenya
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- springvalleycoffee.com
Good to know
- Kenyan single-origin coffee
- Coffee beans to buy
- Roastery tours
- Certified B Corporation
Why we recommend it
Spring Valley Coffee was founded in 2009 and has become one of the names to know in Kenya's specialty coffee scene. The company roasts its coffee at origin in Kenya, a choice it says keeps more of the value of each bag in the country rather than shipping green beans abroad to be roasted. It is a certified B Corporation, and its stated mission is to catalyse change one coffee at a time.
Recognition has followed. At the Global Coffee Awards 2026 it was named National Winner for Kenya and collected several gold, silver and bronze medals at African level, and in 2025 it opened its first international café on Camden Passage in Islington, London, which went on to be named Best New Coffee Shop at the London Coffee Festival Awards 2026. The name has local roots too: one of Kenya's first coffee estates was established in Spring Valley, outside Nairobi, in 1905.
The cafés are the place to taste the range. Spring Valley's coffees are named after Kenyan regions and estates, with options such as Nyeri Hill, Elgon, Ruiru, Mukuyuni and the organic Kikaboni, as well as espresso blends. Staff can help you choose between brighter, fruit-forward Kenyan cups and rounder espresso styles, and you can buy beans to take home, which makes a good souvenir. The focus is on coffee rather than full meals, with snacks to go alongside.
One of its cafés is at the Spring Valley Shopping Centre on Lower Kabete Road, in a leafy residential area north of Westlands, and there are further branches in places such as Karen, Village Market, Westgate and Wilson Airport. Coffee lovers can also book a roastery tour in Nairobi through the company's website to see how the beans are roasted.
It suits coffee enthusiasts, remote workers wanting a calm café and travellers who want to understand why Kenyan coffee is prized around the world. Opening hours vary by branch, so check the branch you plan to visit before you go. The Spring Valley café is a short drive from Westlands, Parklands and Gigiri, and it pairs well with a morning walk in Karura Forest.
Spring Valley Coffee FAQs
When was Spring Valley Coffee founded?
In 2009.
Where is the coffee roasted?
At origin in Kenya, which the company says keeps more of the value in the country.
Has it won awards?
Yes. It was National Winner for Kenya at the Global Coffee Awards 2026, among other medals.
Can I buy beans?
Yes. Single-origin Kenyan coffees and blends are sold in bags.
Does it serve full meals?
The focus is on coffee, with snacks rather than a full food menu.
Can I tour the roastery?
Yes. A roastery tour in Nairobi can be booked through the website.
Where are the cafés?
One is at Spring Valley Shopping Centre on Lower Kabete Road, with branches including Karen, Village Market, Westgate and Wilson Airport.
Is it a certified B Corporation?
Yes.