Since its opening in March 2008, Purple has garnered
its own crowd of loyal patrons in Cairo, despite its 150LE minimum charge, which barely
covers an order of drinks and an appetiser. Perhaps Tuesday nights, where
ladies get in free and are served complementary martinis until 00:30, have something to do with that.
Once
you recover from having to hand over the minimum charge at the door, where you
will be distributed a ticket that shows you’ve paid and can be redeemed for
menu items, you can’t help but be dazzled by the club’s sleek and sexy
interior. Plush couches are arranged neatly on the floor, leaving just enough
room for dancing, and cosy booths with a Nile view line the clubs left-hand
side. Glass chandeliers add the perfect touch with dimmed purple lighting along
the bar and walls, leaving everything just bright enough.
Purple’s
menu has expanded since their opening to include a truly impressive array of
Asian soups, salads and sushi. The isobe tempura (40LE) with seaweed and shrimp
left us so impressed with the chef’s work we opted for another menu item. The
salmon steaks (40LE) were, if possible, even more delicious, and along with
perfectly grilled parsnips, carrots and a large mushroom, marked the first time
that this reviewer had ever sampled bite-sized fried salmon squares. All appetiser
items are priced at either 30LE or 40LE and the various sushi creations cost
between 30LE and 85LE.
Purple’s
bar is equally satisfactory, though the menu offers no price options for
straight shots, only serving liqueurs by the full glass (most of which will
cost 65LE). We were happy to see a few drinks that we haven’t always had
luck finding in Cairo’s bars like Peach Schnapps, Courvoisier, and a large
selection of aperitifs (all 50LE). If you’re feeling daring, try one of the
bar’s original creations, the Purple (65LE); a fruity vodka mix that is indeed
purple. Alternatively, try the flying Lamborghini (65 LE). Be warned; this
drink can only be taken at the bar since it involves five different glasses, four
different liqueurs, fire, and immense satisfaction. Non-alcoholic options are
also quite good: try the green Hawaiian (26LE) if you’re in the mood for a
fruity thirst quencher.
The only
stressful part of the evening was attempting to eat and drink our way through
the 150LE minimum. Dancing to the excellent music alongside what seemed to be a
club full of only beautiful people, however, washed any worries away and we
were very happy people when we eventually left around 4AM.
