Bamboo: Kitschy After-Hours Club in Giza

Published On: 01/03/2012

Taking up the ground floor of the Trianon boat in Giza, Bamboo is just a few steps downstairs from the increasingly popular Yasso. The club hopes to stay open with one big difference from its upstairs neighbour, and most others; Bamboo is slanted as an after-hours club.

The club is is open until 6AM, and so when club goers, not only from above but all over, need to leave their respected dancehall but aren’t quite ready to be homebound, they can find solace in the red lit and distinctly lacking-in-bamboo club- for a whole two-to-three hours more!

Amidst Bamboo’s gaudy backdrop and indulgent décor, taken not from its namesake but seemingly out of an African themed 80’s event, this reviewer found it to be a seamy sort of place that any respectable club goer might turn a cold shoulder to. However, most of us are frankly not respectable in any sense of the word by this point, making turning a blind eye a more suitable cliché for this scenario.

The music in Bamboo is what they call eclectic; ’California Love’ fades into ’El Donia Zay El Morgeha” with some Adele thrown in. Classic rock, hip-hop, and Egyptian music? It feels as if Bamboo knows the state clubbers are in by now, and just hopes that they won’t notice. Though the crowd, made up of those from Yasso cramped into the much smaller space that is Bamboo, danced and tried not to get burnt by people’s cigarettes, they seemed to enjoy it all the same.

There was a 100LE cover to enter Bamboo – again, competition with Yasso feels prevalent - with one free drink included. After the first round of drinks you will find that Bamboo is not a cheap club. Luckily though, you are paying for the fine atmosphere. One vodka and Red Bull must have run more than 100LE, because the three ordered took their toll costing 320LE.

In this reviewer’s opinion, Bamboo is just not worth the effort of a sole visit; leading one to wonder whether enough business will be generated to keep it running. Based on the assumption that clubbers will dismiss going home and walk into this Zebra-chair-backed jungle instead, or possibly just fall off the Yasso balcony into the Nile and thus discover an alternative; Bamboo may stand a chance.

With all of its shortcomings, Bamboo is still not a completely dreadful place. Staying open later than any other club, this arena is attractive in its own right. However, this reviewer would appreciate that when a venue decides on a name for their place - something to really pull people in - they would consider fusing both that name and whatever it is the place is trying to offer.

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Al Khaima: Embrace Ramadan in Giza

23 El Nil Street, Giza

Every year we see Ramadan tents sprouting across the city in hopes of satisfying the never-ending yearning for Cairenes' latenight socialising. Overnight, it’s exciting shisha flavours, relaxing oriental music and authentic oriental cuisine that’s being boasted; the idea of the ‘place to be’ quickly transforms into something entirely different from what we’re otherwise used to. Keeping with the times, events organiser byGanz has taken over Y Lounge in Giza, offering its version of the Ramadan tent – Al Khaima. Maybe it’s the location (what we usually recognise as a club atop the Trianon boat), maybe it’s the air that byGanz exudes, but we could easily say that Al Khaima is closest thing to a club you’ll find in Ramadan; at least the guest list at the door gave us that same impression. Al Khaima has both outdoor and indoor seating. While the outdoor has a perfect view of the Nile, it was a tad too hot to be seated there. Preferring to settle inside, the interior is spacious and well lit, with high ceilings. The décor is simple with mostly white seating and round oriental ceiling lights; sheer curtains drape the windows while Arabesque accents are matched with deep turquoise and purple detailing. The menu is Lebanese and we started with white cheese and tomato, hummus, halloumi cheese and taameya. All the cold appetisers are priced at 18LE, while the hot ones range between 30LE and 40LE and include maqaniq and arayes. The ‘Ramadaneyat’ section with foul, taameya and eggs ranges at 10LE to 30LE. We also ordered a lemon and mint juice as well as a kiwi one; drinks are in the range of 15LE to 30LE. The white cheese and tomato was not the best we’ve had; the cheese didn’t have the right consistency which affected the flavour. The hummus was flavourful with a firm texture, however we would have liked just a bit more of a lemon punch. The halloumi cheese was good but the taameya had a few too many spices for our liking. On the other hand, the maqaniq were downright delicious. Arriving in a small pot, the mini sausages were excellent with a full burst of flavours. The meat arayes were also very good with a crunchy exterior and tender filling. Another highlight of the meal was the kiwi juice which was fresh, thirst quenching and perfectly sweet. The lemon with mint was also enjoyable, though a little less sugar would have given it that needed kick. There was a choice of Ramadan drinks (18LE) but when we asked to try the sahlab, we were disappointed that they had none available. Al Khaima offers a lot of other choices on their menu such as fatta tawagen (30LE-40LE) and a bunch of main courses (50LE-120LE) which include mixed grills and seafood platters. Their desserts include the usual om ali and rice pudding, which range between 20LE and 40LE. The menu also has lighter, healthier choices for your midnight snack such as yoghurt with honey and a fruit platter. The service at Al Khaima is efficient and attentive; friendly and professional. Overall, the experience was an enjoyable one, so the next time you’re looking for somewhere to puff on shisha (20LE-25LE), play backgammon, and enjoy a pleasant atmosphere overlooking the Nile, then make your way over to Al Khaima.

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Risas: New Bar in Zamalek Aiming For A Maturer Clientele

Maxim Boat, (opposite Marriott Hotel)Saraya El Gezira street, Zamalek

Cairo doesn’t have enough bars. At least, in this reviewer’s opinion, it doesn’t. Wherever the night starts, we always end up at some of our favourite nightspots around town. We heard that a new bar had recently opened up on the Nile Maxim boat across from the Cairo Marriot Hotel in Zamalek, and decided to take a look. Risas, as the bar is called, which is located on the boat’s lower level to the right side.

The best way to describe Risas is that it’s red. Very red. The lamps, the decoration and the couches, the chairs, the pillow and even the port-hole windows are red. We felt as if we were on board of the Red October and we expected Sean Connery to walk around the corner anytime to take our orders. Unfortunately, he never showed up.

Along the walls are flat-screen TVs showing different channels, including Fashion TV and MTV. The music is a bit depressing. It's a mixture of bad cover songs. An hour into this reviewer’s visit, the aforementioned red lights turned blue, before eventually turning red. It stayed blue for too long for it to have been a mistake, so we assume it was just a show of flashiness and versatility.

Since this reviewer’s favourite, the Long Island tea wasn’t on the menu, we ordered the Texas tea (46LE), which is basically the same but without gin and with Coke instead. As much as we love alcohol, this cocktail was quite disappointing and we couldn’t help but find it was saltier than the Dead Sea. The Tom Collins (45LE) on the other hand was mixed better and bitter with a little taste of sweetness to it.

The Rusty Nail (45LE) was a mixture of Scotch and Drambuie, and reminded us a little bit of cough medicine and bad childhood memories. The tequila sunrise (45LE) was once again a bit salty; so we suspect the problem is in the tequila. Also, we couldn’t taste the orange juice. At the time of our visit, the crowd consisted mainly of patrons in their thirties and forties.

The best thing about Risas is that it’s fairly cheap. Beer only costs 20LE and a glass of wine will set you back 29LE. Many food items are priced under 100LE, such as sea bass for only 50LE or veal scaloppini for 75LE. Risas doesn’t impose a minimum charge either; so if you want a drink but don’t want to spend too much, this place is perfect.

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Bamboo: Kitschy After-Hours Club in Giza

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