Harris Café used to be known for its classic dark interiors and it had its share of loyal, regular customers. Having stuck to the same image for a long time, the owners finally decided it was time to spice it up a bit. Still in the same location, in front of El Shams Sporting Club on Abdel Hamid Badawy Street, the place has been totally transformed, showing off its new modern look. Harris Café has literally become a brighter place, attracting younger costumers than before.
The doors have been changed from dark wood into glass and there are a couple of tables in the outdoor area after you go up a few steps. With a slight breeze, the outdoor area would be a fantastic choice with its relaxing ambiance and view of a garden.
The place is still unique and chic; its makeover continues to exude a feeling of opulence as you enter.
Inside, there are too many plasma screens for the size of the place. They have photographs hung on the walls of an eclectic range of personalities from around the world including Oprah Winfrey and Mahatma Gandhi. They also have quotes put all over the walls including funny and sarcastic quotes about men in the ladies’ bathroom; we imagine there was one about women in the men's bathrooms too.
Harris Café is also known for its good quality coffee. Their breakfast menu is popular; the continental breakfast comes with coffee, juice or tea; a freshly baked croissant, a mini muffin, jam and fresh yoghurt with honey for only 29LE. You can also choose the ‘wake up’ omelette (26LE) or the banana pancakes (25LE).
Their burgers are delicious and range from 31LE to 35LE depending on the toppings. Appetisers include cheese garlic bread (17LE), crispy chicken (25LE), fried mozzarella (24LE), fried calamari (24LE) and cheesy fries (19LE) that come topped with sharp cheddar flavoured sour cream and herbs.
We had the Trois Beef (58.99LE) which came as three little pieces of filet with mustard, pepper and mushroom sauce. The plate was satisfying but the pepper sauce was spicier than we would have liked, the two other sauces were not bad and the beef itself was pleasingly cooked.
Harris Café’s staff seem to be always in a hurry and seem to be running around all over the place. Since the place is not that big, whenever you need them they'll be there right away.
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79 Abdel Hamid Badawy St. (El Shams Club)
Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.
Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.
Address
Coffee Places, International
Type
0226236443
0226214399
0226214399
Telephone
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Website
Harris Café: Fresh New Look for Popular Heliopolis Café
Published On:
25/06/2012
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Surrounded by an array of eateries on Abdel Hamid Badawi Street in Heliopolis, On the Bake is a shiny new café which prides itself on a menu that's influenced from all over the world.We wandered up the charming front garden path, drawn in by the novelty windmill over the 'A' in Bake and the bright lights behind the spotless glass façade. The outside seating is limited to just one tiny table, so we headed inside.We were greeted by a friendly, casually dressed waiter and chose a table complete with a suede sofa on one side and comfortable chairs on the other. The décor is contemporary with neutral colours, trendy wall art and a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.The large, glass counter boastfully displays some delicious looking pastries and pretty tarts which would be a perfect accompaniment to a frothy cappuccino (17.90LE-19.90LE) or a chocolatey Oreo shake (23.90LE). Feeling fruity, we couldn't resist the sound of a mixed berry smoothie (20.90LE) and a fresh strawberry lemon juice (13.90LE).The mixed berry smoothie was thick, sweet and scrumptious, served with an extra wide straw which was fun but probably slightly unnecessary - felt a bit like drinking out of a hose pipe. The strawberry lemon juice arrived unblended but was equally as fresh and delectable; it came with a normal sized straw.The food menu is truly diverse, offering a range of different items including breakfast croissants and unusual breads (1.25LE-29.50LE), burgers, pastas, fajita wraps and salads. We dove straight into a chicken sandwich with Swiss cheese (34.90LE) and a chicken power salad with the recommended ranch dressing (39.90LE). The big portions of food arrived very quickly with the colourful salad almost overflowing on its sizable plate. The chicken sandwich looked more like a giant burger, served in a cold bun rather than the warm bread we were expecting. It was filled with crispy greens, tomatoes, honey mustard dressing and peppery chips. Although the sandwich was tasty and satisfied our hunger, it was nothing out of the ordinary and may have been better if we'd contemplated the other dressing options on offer.As previously mentioned, the chicken power salad was huge and certainly worth the money. The lettuce was chilled and crispy and the black beans and sweetcorn added diversity to the flavour. The country fried chicken was zesty and cut into bite-sized pieces with the cold and creamy ranch sauce on the side. However, like the sandwich, it didn't wow us into submission.Next, we were spoilt for choice with desserts. Initially, we ordered a Malteser tart (18.90LE) but due to unavailability, we went for chocolate brownies with nuts and vanilla ice cream (21.90LE). The dish arrived, the jumbo-sized brownie steaming and covered in rich chocolate sauce and a big dollop of melting ice cream on top. The pieces of nuts sprinkled on top made the texture more interesting and added a little extra flavour. Just as it was advertised, the dish was 'extremely delicious' and big enough for sharing – although you may not want to.On the Bake is a pleasant and casual café that serves fast, convenient food and delicious desserts. The prices are good and the portions are large so you're guaranteed to leave satisfied if you're looking for a quick meal or drink.
Related Review
15 Abdel Hamid Badawy St. (opposite Gate 1 of El Shams Club), Heliopolis
Close to Nady El Shams in Heliopolis, Abdel Hamid Badawi Street is somewhat of a focal point when it comes to dining in the area, with an array of cafés, restaurants and even shops filling up its pavements. Although the street is in the heart of Cairo’s relentless traffic, its venues somehow escape the cacophonic disorder. With so many new spots opening up, all equally alluring, Tchapa Lounge caught our attention with its attractive shopfront and tranquil colour palette.
Made up of two floors, we initially chose to sit upstairs. However, when the promised Wi-Fi wouldn’t work on the top level, we resorted to sitting on the ground floor instead. Sadly, while using the same tones, the interior does not match the chicness of the exterior, or the attention to detail given to it. The layout of the space and the seating arrangement also lack a designer's touch but staff were quick to point out that the café -come-restaurant is to be renovated.
Focusing on the food, the menu offers international cuisine, similar to most venues of this sort. We asked the waiter for recommendations and appreciated his honesty in giving them to us, even though he ‘un-recommended’ certain items as well. In the end we settled on the fettuccine carbonara with salami and tomato slices (38LE), Tchapa beef filet (70LE) with mushroom sauce, sautéed vegetables and basmati rice, as well as spring rolls (31LE) to start.
The spring rolls were a downright mistake. Coming in six pieces, they were fiery hot and lacked in taste and the fillings’ flavour didn’t come through at all – they didn’t seem fresh either. On the other hand, the pasta was delicious. Rich in cream and butter with pieces of salami, it was well-cooked and came served large in portion. The filet was also excellent – albeit a little late to arrive – as were the vegetables and rice. Everything was cooked as per requested, and it's a good, safe dish.
Dessert was a must after our meal and we decided to have some ice cream. At 9LE a scoop, the mango ice cream was creamy, full of flavour and much work had gone into its presentation. Being a café, we tried their Turkish coffee(9LE) and it was made to perfection.
The service was very pleasant and merry, and you can expect to receive five star treatment. Ultimately, there were few true criticisms of the café and we're looking forward to see what their new décor has in store.
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