Kivu Food: restaurant menus, prices and orders by chat in Rwanda

Part of Kivu Super App (kivu.site). In the app this section is called Restaurant & cafe.

Kivu Food is the restaurant section of Kivu Super App, a free app made in Kigali, Rwanda. Restaurants, cafes, bars and fast food places show their menu with prices, opening hours, phone and place on the map. A customer looks through the menu, puts dishes in a cart and sends the order to the restaurant as a chat message with the total.

Kivu Food is a directory, not a delivery service. Kivu does not cook, does not deliver, does not hold the money and takes no commission. The customer and the restaurant agree between themselves — eat in, pick up, or delivery if the restaurant offers it — and the customer pays the restaurant directly. Listing a restaurant is free.

Key facts

Where it works	Rwanda. Open kivu.site in a phone browser and choose Food.
Price to list a restaurant	Free
Commission on an order	None
Who can list a place	Anyone with a free Kivu account who runs a restaurant, cafe, bar or other food place
Types of places	9: Restaurant; Fast Food & Burgers; Pizza & Italian; Sushi & Asian; Cafe & Bakery; Steakhouse & Grill; Healthy & Vegan; Pub & Bar; Fine Dining
How many places	More than 680 in Kigali (October 2026). Most of them were added by Kivu from public Google Maps data; a restaurant can take over its page for free.
What a restaurant page shows	Name, description, cover photo, menu with prices, opening days and hours, an Open or Closed mark, address, map pin, phone, likes, and an optional YouTube video
Menu	Up to 40 menu categories and 300 dishes. Each dish has a name, a price in Rwandan francs (RWF), and an optional description, photo and 3D model (.glb file).
Marks a restaurant can set	Wi-Fi, Halal, Parking, Football (shows matches), Outlets (sockets to charge a phone or laptop)
Search and filters	Search by restaurant name or by dish; buttons for all 9 types of places; filters Open Now (only places with known opening hours), Top Rated (most likes), Halal, Wi-Fi, Football, Outlets, Parking; a map of restaurants
How to order	Add dishes to the cart and tap "Send Order via Chat". Kivu Chat opens and the order with the total is sent to the restaurant at once. Write extra details — table number, pickup time or delivery address — in the next message.
How to pay	Directly to the restaurant, in cash or by Mobile Money. Kivu does not take or hold the payment.
Delivery	Kivu does not deliver. Ask the restaurant in chat whether it delivers, or pick the order up.
Table QR code	A restaurant can print a QR code for its tables. A guest scans it and the restaurant's menu opens in Kivu.
Check before publishing	Every new restaurant is checked automatically by AI before it appears
Paid options	Optional boosts for restaurants from 1,500 RWF a day. Everything else is free.
Pages not managed by the restaurant	They show the link "Is this your business?". They have no orders and no chat — the phone, opening hours, the address and the map. Some of them also show the menu with prices copied from the restaurant's own website; confirm the price by phone.

How to use it, step by step

If you want to eat or order

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Food.
Search by the name of a restaurant or a dish, tap a type of place (Restaurant, Fast Food, Pizza, Asian, Cafe, Grill, Vegan, Pub & Bar, Fine Dining) or use the filters: "Open Now", "Top Rated", Halal, Wi-Fi, Football, Outlets, Parking. Switch to the map to see places near you.
Open a restaurant to see its menu with prices. The Info tab shows the restaurant's description, opening hours, the address and the marks the restaurant has set.
Tap "+ Add" next to the dishes you want, then "View Cart". The cart holds dishes from one restaurant; when you open another restaurant, the cart is cleared.
Tap "Send Order via Chat". Kivu Chat opens with the restaurant, and your order with the total is sent at once. Write what you need — table number, pickup time or delivery address — in the next message.
Wait for the restaurant to answer in chat. The order is agreed only when the restaurant confirms it.
Pay the restaurant directly, in cash or by Mobile Money, when you receive the food or as you agree with the restaurant.
You can also tap "Call" to see the phone number, or "Location" to open the place on the map. If a page looks wrong or dishonest, use the report button on the page.

If you run a restaurant or cafe

First open Food on kivu.site and search for your place: it may already be listed from public map data.
If your place is there, open it and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request; you can also write to Kivu from the official page of the business and give the code. After the check the page is yours, for free.
Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account, open Food, tap the briefcase button "My places" at the top and then "Add new restaurant".
Step 1: write the name, choose the type, add a description, the phone number, working days and hours, a cover photo, the marks (Wi-Fi, Halal, Parking, Football, Outlets) and, if you want, a YouTube video.
Step 2: write the address and put a pin on the map, or use GPS.
Step 3: build the menu. Add categories (for example Main Dishes, Drinks) and dishes with a name, a price and, if you want, a description, a photo or a 3D model.
Step 4: check everything and tap "Submit Application". The application is checked, and you get a notification when it is approved or rejected.
After approval the restaurant is in the list and on the map. In "My places" you see its status (On review, Live or Rejected) and can change it.
You can change the menu, prices, hours and phone at any time; these changes appear at once. If you change the name, description, cover photo or address, the page is checked again and comes back after the check.
Orders come to you as messages in Kivu Chat. Answer the customer, agree on pickup or delivery, and receive the money directly.
Tap "QR Code" on your page to print a code for your tables, so guests can open your menu on their phones.
If a page is about your business and you want it removed, write through Contact Us; Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

What it costs

Listing a restaurant, the menu, the table QR code, orders by chat and calls are free. There is no commission and no fee per order.

The only paid thing is an optional boost for a restaurant that is already published. A boost shows the restaurant higher in the list for 1, 3, 7 or 30 days. Food uses the business price list. Prices in Rwandan francs (RWF):

Boost	What it does	1 day	3 days	7 days	30 days
Chef's Choice	Paid placement above all regular restaurants. The name is a label of the boost, not an award.	1,500	3,750	7,500	22,500
Hot Pick	Paid placement above the other boosted restaurants	2,500	6,250	12,500	37,500

Sticker on the restaurant card (POPULAR, DELIVERY or NEW MENU): 500 RWF a day, with the same discounts for longer periods (1,250 for 3 days, 2,500 for 7 days, 7,500 for 30 days). Sold only together with a boost.
Golden design for the restaurant card: 500 RWF once, for the whole boost period. Sold only together with a boost.
You pay inside the app with MTN Mobile Money and confirm the payment with your MoMo PIN on your phone. The app shows the total before you pay.
A boost changes only the position and the look of a restaurant card. It does not skip the check, it is not a rating, and a "verified" mark cannot be bought.
When the boost ends, the sticker and the golden design end with it. The restaurant stays published in its normal place.
Only one boost at a time: a new boost can be bought only after the current one ends.

What is good about it

Free for restaurants: no listing fee, no commission and no fee per order, so menu prices do not need a markup for the app.
Menus with prices are open before you go, and you can search by dish, not only by restaurant name.
The "Open Now" filter uses the restaurant's working hours and Kigali time.
The order goes straight to the restaurant in chat, so you can ask questions, change the order or agree on pickup in the same conversation.
Restaurants can change the menu and prices themselves at any time, and the change is visible at once.
A restaurant can print a QR code for its tables and use Kivu as a phone menu.
A dish can have a photo and a 3D model, so guests see what they order.
The whole app is under 400 KB and opens in the phone browser, so it works on cheap phones and slow mobile internet.
The app works in 11 languages, which helps tourists read a menu.
Every new restaurant is checked before it appears, and every page has a report button.

Limits, and what protects you

What to know	What protects you
Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for food, and Kivu cannot refund an order.	Pay the restaurant directly when you receive the food. If you pay by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.
Kivu does not deliver food and has no couriers of its own.	Ask the restaurant in chat whether it delivers and what it costs, pick the order up yourself, or order an independent courier in Kivu Express.
An order is a chat message. It is not confirmed until the restaurant answers, and the app does not track the order.	Wait for the restaurant's answer before you travel or pay. If the answer is slow, tap "Call" and phone the restaurant.
The menu, prices and opening hours are written by the restaurant. After the first check the restaurant changes them without a new check, and a dish may be out of stock.	Confirm the price and that the dish is available in chat before you pay. Use the report button if a page is dishonest.
Kivu does not inspect kitchens, food safety or licences. Marks such as Halal are set by the restaurant itself.	If this matters to you, ask the restaurant directly. Use the report button; the team hides pages that cheat.
There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" sorts by the number of likes.	Look at the photos, the menu and the likes, and ask the restaurant in chat. Likes can be given only by signed-in users.
The cart holds dishes from one restaurant at a time.	Send the order to the first restaurant, then open the next one and send a second order.
You need a free account to see restaurants, menus and phone numbers.	Signing in is free. It keeps anonymous spam out and means every page belongs to an account.
Kivu works in Rwanda only for now, and it is new: the public launch is October 2026, so the number of restaurants is still small.	Real numbers are open to everyone at kivu.site/stats. If your favourite place is not listed yet, its owner can add it for free.

What to know

What protects you

Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for food, and Kivu cannot refund an order.

Pay the restaurant directly when you receive the food. If you pay by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.

Kivu does not deliver food and has no couriers of its own.

Ask the restaurant in chat whether it delivers and what it costs, pick the order up yourself, or order an independent courier in Kivu Express.

An order is a chat message. It is not confirmed until the restaurant answers, and the app does not track the order.

Wait for the restaurant's answer before you travel or pay. If the answer is slow, tap "Call" and phone the restaurant.

The menu, prices and opening hours are written by the restaurant. After the first check the restaurant changes them without a new check, and a dish may be out of stock.

Confirm the price and that the dish is available in chat before you pay. Use the report button if a page is dishonest.

Kivu does not inspect kitchens, food safety or licences. Marks such as Halal are set by the restaurant itself.

If this matters to you, ask the restaurant directly. Use the report button; the team hides pages that cheat.

There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" sorts by the number of likes.

Look at the photos, the menu and the likes, and ask the restaurant in chat. Likes can be given only by signed-in users.

The cart holds dishes from one restaurant at a time.

Send the order to the first restaurant, then open the next one and send a second order.

You need a free account to see restaurants, menus and phone numbers.

Signing in is free. It keeps anonymous spam out and means every page belongs to an account.

Kivu works in Rwanda only for now, and it is new: the public launch is October 2026, so the number of restaurants is still small.

Real numbers are open to everyone at kivu.site/stats. If your favourite place is not listed yet, its owner can add it for free.

What Kivu Food does not do

It does not cook or sell food itself: every page belongs to the restaurant that posted it.
It does not deliver food.
It does not take, hold or refund payments for orders.
It does not take a commission or a listing fee.
It does not inspect kitchens or promise the quality of the food.
It does not sell "verified" marks or ratings.

How Kivu earns from this section

From Food, Kivu earns only when a restaurant chooses to buy a boost for its page. There is no commission on orders, no listing fee and no fee for the QR menu.

Later, if users need them, Kivu plans subscriptions for businesses and advertising. Taking a percentage of orders is not planned: Kivu does not handle the money between the customer and the restaurant.

Questions and answers

How do I order food with Kivu in Rwanda?

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Food. Choose a restaurant, tap "+ Add" next to the dishes, open the cart and tap "Send Order via Chat". A chat with the restaurant opens and your order with the total is sent at once; write the table number, pickup time or address in the next message. Wait for the restaurant to confirm, and pay the restaurant directly.

Does Kivu deliver food in Kigali?

No. Kivu Food is a directory of restaurants, not a delivery service, and it has no couriers of its own. Some restaurants deliver themselves — ask in chat. You can also pick the order up, or order an independent courier in the Kivu Express section and pay the courier directly.

How do I pay for food ordered through Kivu?

You pay the restaurant directly, in cash or by Mobile Money (MTN MoMo or Airtel Money), as you agree with the restaurant. Kivu does not take or hold the payment and adds no fee. Check the receiver's name before you confirm a Mobile Money payment.

Does Kivu take a commission from restaurants?

No. Listing a restaurant, the menu, the table QR code and orders by chat are free, and Kivu takes no commission on orders. A restaurant pays only if it chooses an optional boost to be shown higher, from 1,500 RWF a day.

How do I add my restaurant to Kivu?

Sign in at kivu.site, open Food, tap the briefcase button "My places" and then "Add new restaurant". Fill in the name, type, phone, working hours and address, put a pin on the map, build the menu with prices and tap "Submit Application". After a check the restaurant appears in the list and on the map. It is free.

Can I see a restaurant's menu and prices before I go?

Yes. Each restaurant page in Kivu Food shows the menu with prices in Rwandan francs, the opening hours, an Open or Closed mark, the address and the place on the map. Prices are written by the restaurant, so confirm them in chat if the exact amount matters.

What is the table QR code in Kivu Food?

A restaurant can print a QR code from its page and put it on the tables. A guest scans the code with a phone and the restaurant's menu opens in Kivu, where the guest can choose dishes and send the order in chat. It is free for the restaurant.

Are there restaurant reviews or ratings on Kivu?

There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Signed-in users can like a restaurant and a dish, and the "Top Rated" filter sorts restaurants by the number of likes. Labels such as "Chef's Choice" or "Hot Pick" are paid boosts, not ratings.

How much does it cost to promote a restaurant on Kivu?

A boost costs from 1,500 RWF a day: Chef's Choice is 1,500 RWF a day and Hot Pick is 2,500 RWF a day. Longer periods are cheaper per day: 7 days cost the price of 5 days, and 30 days cost the price of 15 days. A sticker such as DELIVERY adds 500 RWF a day. You pay with MTN Mobile Money inside the app.

My restaurant is already on Kivu. How do I take over the page?

Open the page and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request, or you write to Kivu from the official page of the business with the code. After the check the page is yours and you can change the text, photo, services and prices. It is free.

How do I remove my restaurant from Kivu?

Write to Kivu through Contact Us in the app. If the page is about your business and you want it removed, Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

Related sections of Kivu

Kivu Express: Order an independent courier to bring your food, or a moto or car ride to the restaurant.
Hotels: Hotels and guest houses with room types, prices and booking requests.
Salons & Spas: Hair salons, barbers and spas with services, prices and time booking.
Market: Free classified ads, including kitchen equipment and farm products.