For a small town, Kilifi has a surprising range of decent places to eat — the legacy of a long-established expat community. Distant Relatives serves wood-fired pizzas and fresh seafood from a clifftop terrace overlooking the creek. The Boatyard, on the south side of the creek, does grilled fish and Swahili dishes. Several smaller cafés in town serve good coffee and breakfasts catering to the digital-nomad crowd.
Fresh seafood is the obvious thing to order anywhere — grilled fish, prawns, and crab are reliably good and inexpensive. Swahili specialities like biryani, samaki wa kupaka (fish in coconut sauce), and mahamri donuts can be found in the small local places around the market.