Amici: Trendy Nightspot Prevails a Year Later

Published On: 03/01/2012

More than a year since its opening and Amici is still very much a hotspot on the Cairo nightlife scene, an indication of its consistency in quality and ambience. This popular bar on Zamalek’s Taha Hussein Street is the number one cause of traffic congestion on the small road on almost every day of the week, with the young and trendy filling up the bar late into the night. Amici is a great way to start off a long night of partying at, or to meet for a bite and drink with your trendy friends. The emphasis is definitely on trendy: this is the kind of bar that you dress up for in your best jeans and leather jacket; as you’re bound to mingle with the ‘It’ crowd.

Leather jackets aside, Amici is a decent option even if the bar is empty and you couldn’t care less about trendy people. The bar’s forte is its expertly mixed and creatively named cocktails and shooters, including stand out names like the horreya cocktail (‘made for Egyptians by Egyptians’), f**ked up, sex on the pyramids, man antom?! and many more. Cocktails range between 40LE and 60LE, and the menu includes the standard list of beers, wines, aperitifs and champagnes.

This reviewer’s favourite has always been the excessively girly but delicious kiss-me-tini (45LE), a cocktail of strawberry cream with vodka and chocolate sprinkles. It tastes just like strawberry ice cream; but with an evil twist. One year later, we were impressed to note that the cocktail has the same flavour, quality and serving portion as it did in 2010; a feat that few other Cairo bars manage to pull off in the long term.

Equally tasty was the amalfi coast sour (45LE), a light cocktail with a crushed pepper topping that contrasted nicely with the tangy flavour. If you prefer something heavier on the liquor, you can always try the whiskey mixed with fresh cinnamon and mint.

Amici has imposed an irritating 200LE minimum charge per person, which prevents you from stopping by for a quick drink, and so we decided to eat our money’s worth. The creamy chicken soup (25LE) definitely didn’t live up to the expectations conjured by the menu’s promising description. It was your basic, bland chicken soup found at generic restaurants.

The Amici salad (35LE) fared better with its creamy pesto sauce covering slices of beef and chicken with shredded bell peppers in the centre, though to be honest its flavour was forgettable and overshadowed by too much seasoning. The tiger shrimp konafa portions (50LE) were excellent; served steaming hot, the shrimp were wrapped in fried konaf but a little difficult to remove off the sticks that they came on. Nonetheless, they make for a light bite and work nicely with the spicy sweet sauce on the side. The mussels a la crème (40LE) were supposedly cooked in white wine, but we could only discern the garlic, although the mussels’ meat was chewy and well-cooked without being too dry. We also recommend the pizzas and the smoked salmon.

Based on our experience at Amici, we predict another good year ahead for this popular spot, which keeps changing up the game with new cocktails, occasional DJ nights, regular karaoke nights and a consistent influx of young and, yes, trendy Cairenes.

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Amici: Cairo’s New Cocktail Bar

20 Taha Hussein Street, Zamalek

Too often, we become giddy with excitement at the mention of a new restaurant or bar in Cairo, only to have our hopes dashed when we visit the supposed new gem. With full confidence, we can say that Cairo’s new cocktail bar Amici is worth every bit of the hype. Amici is anything but your average Cairo bar. For those of us who take our cocktails seriously, we often stick to beer or wine when we go out, knowing better than to trust most of Cairo’s bartenders with the task of mixing a proper drink. At Amici, you’d be foolish not to try one of the well-crafted drinks from their extensive menu. Included on the list are all the classic cocktails, standard beer and wine and a creative list of drinks prepared by Amici’s resident mixologist. For a celebratory night out at Amici, a list of shots (40LE) is on offer including kamikaze and sex on the pyramids. And if the menu doesn’t include your favourite cocktail, order your own concoction and they’ll accommodate your request. The same goes for non-alcoholic beverages. For something more exciting than juice or Red Bull, a large number of their cocktails can be made without spirits. Drinks are made to the customer’s satisfaction: should you ever have a complaint, it will be addressed quickly and completely. Yet, there is little to complain about here at Amici, where they serve the best martini (45LE) that this reviewer has ever had in Cairo. Specifications like dry and dirty are executed to a tee and the drink is chilled to perfection. Amici’s pina colada (40LE) is creamy and fruity, without the sickeningly sweet flavour often associated with tropical drinks. The berry champagne punch, requested without champagne, vodka or Chambord, was deliciously tart, sparkling lemonade accented with fresh strawberries. While we couldn’t stop pouring over Amici’s menu, learning about the origins of some of the world’s most famous cocktails, we took a brief glance at the food menu to discover that Amici has an exciting bistro menu including dishes such as steamed mussels and steaks topped with foie gras– for over 200LE. Don’t think for a moment that Amici is pretentious though; they also have simpler items such as pasta and pizza, and until they get their kitchen fully up and running, this is all they have. The scene at Amici is decidedly chilled out, which we welcome with open arms here in Cairo. The decor is very European minimalist, yet it doesn’t feel stark thanks to comfortable seats and warm lighting. The crowd is young and trendy, but not self-consciously so like at many hot spots around town. Even better, this bar doesn’t feel the need to assault its customers with blaring dance music. For this, we cannot thank Amici enough.

Related Review

Alchemy: New Nightspot in Dokki

8 Amman Sq., Dokki

During their exclusive soft opening week, Cairo 360 was lucky enough to be invited to visit Alchemy – a new nightspot from the guys behind Cairo Jazz Club in Dokki which seemed to be creating quite a commotion amongst its clientelle.

Alchemy derives its name from the medieval scientific practice of turning standard metals into precious ones. Alchemists claim to differ from modern scientists as their work is influenced by mythological and spiritual elements and they have a good understanding of the four elements of nature – earth, air, wind and fire. Such a mystical theme is reflected in every inch of this place, creating a unique, unusual as well as fashionable venue.

On a quiet square, off the busy Mohy El Din Abu El Ezz Street, a mysterious, dark, basement door conceals the loud buzz of excitement from the crowded bar beyond it. The gold walls contrasted with deep reds and blacks exudes a majestic aura and the large mirrors and gargoyle type masks adorning the walls continued to add to the otherworldly atmosphere.

We swiftly headed to the monumental, fully stocked bar and picked up one of the thick, maroon and gold menus. The pages were printed on textured, organic paper and the writing was accompanied by detailed, supernatural illustrations. The first page was dedicated to an introduction, comparing the chef's and barmen to alchemists as they are able to transform standard, raw materials into 'gastronomical gold'.

Flickering through the beverages on offer, we noted the vast selection of alcohol available - the spirits in particular, which were largely imported. There was also a pleasing and extensive selection of local wines - red, white and rosé - served by glass, a carafe or as a bottle.

To start with we ordered two B52 'potions' (58LE each); a shot-sized mixture of Kahlua, Baileys and Cointreau which were powerful, to say the least. We also requested a chilled glass of Omar Khayyam white wine (65LE).

With the intention of ordering food, we decided to first order a couple of cocktails; one fruity Cinderella (30LE) and a slightly bitter Virgin Mary (30LE). As their hot drink section is almost non-existent, Alchemy is not the place to haunt if you're hoping for a cosy cup of tea – not that we're complaining.

The food menu is full of inventive, avant garde dishes with an assembly of 'brews' (soups), 'sprightly greens' (salads), 'virtuous temptations' (small bites), 'golden fantasies' (mains) and 'heavenly sins' (desserts).

We requested vols-au-vent (30LE) to start, followed by veal chops (140LE) and stuffed chicken breast (75LE). Although a little tepid, the vols-au-vent were superb; crispy, soft and smooth in all the right places. The chicken also arrived slightly cold, but the stuffing exploded with a medley of flavours. This dish was served with a fresh, spicy salad which was indeed, too spicy to consume.

The veal chops didn't materialise for a long time, either because they were forgotten about or because of the kitchen was overwhelmed with orders. However, when the dish did arrive, we were impressed by the colossal, tender veal chop and the tasty dressing but dismayed that its bed of chunky chips was stone cold.

Alchemy is an original, incomparable and bewitching venue which is unquestionably worth visiting. This places encourages a young, vibrant and sophisticated crowd and would be a great place to socialise at the weekends.

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