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Best Date Restaurants in Cairo: Where to Have a Romantic Di...

13/12/2011

Best Date Restaurants in Cairo: Where to Have a Romantic Dinner

Restaurants

Staff Writer

For a perfect date, you need several factors (apart from the other person, that is): an intimate atmosphere, seamless service, delicious food and, if possible, a view. Cairo 360 has made your life a little easier by selecting the best date restaurants in the city, and divided them into expensive versus affordable options to suit all your needs. Leave the research to us; and sit back and enjoy the date!

Expensive Dates

The Birdcage: This chic Garden City restaurant’s sedated wooden decor and dim lighting over cosy tables make The Birdcage perfect for a spicy Thai dinner. Sure, the sounds from the Semiramis Intercontinental hotel lobby below do drift up, but the attentive service and tasty amuse-bouches will help you instantly forget.

Great for: A classy date for Thai cuisine fans.

Budget: Over 500LE for a three-course meal for two, alcoholic beverages excluded.

La Maison Blanche: Located inside Giza’s First Mall, this French restaurant is so refined and sophisticated, it’s practically required that you dress up to the nines for a meal here. This is the restaurant you’d bring your date to if you really want to impress them; it’s hard not to with the restaurant’s opulent interior design elements, beautifully presented dishes and delicious cuisine.

Great for: An extravagant date where you want to give your date the most expensive luxuries.
Budget: Minus drinks, a three-course meal for two can reach up to 800LE.

Asha’s: This newly opened Indian restaurant in Giza is a great option for an intimate, sophisticated date: the venue’s decor is tasteful, and you can pick between a cosy booth or a table with a Nile view for your date. The food is pricey but sumptuous, and the only fly in the ointment may be the overly attentive waiters.

Great For: a pristine view of the Nile.

Budget: 600LE for a meal for two. Alcohol is not served at Asha’s.

The Grill: The second dining venue at the Semiramis to make it onto our list, this restaurant is better suited for a more matur crowd with its wooden undertones and plush carpeting. However, the view of the Nile is picturesque and their steaks are mouth-wateringly good. A private dining space is available and there’s usually a pianist performing smooth jazz tunes.

Great For: A more sophisticated date for steak fans.

Budget: With alcohol, expect to pay at least 600LE for two people; tax excluded

Ruen Thai: While this restaurant is more accessible to residents of the Fifth Settlement, Kattameya and Maadi, it’s still worth the trek to Dusit Thani Hotel for its tranquil atmosphere and comfortable couches. Authentic Thai dishes are served, and a list of imported wines includes French, Chilean and Italian wines. Even better, the restaurant has two private dining spaces that you can rent out for complete privacy.

Great For: A classy date followed by a nice walk through their garden.

Budget: 400LE for dinner for two, tax and alcohol beverages excluded.

Alto’s Bistro: Located inside of Seasons Country Club, Alto’s Bistro is quite far for the centrally located patron, but if you’re lucky enough to be in the area, this is a great spot for a relaxed date. The international menu is a fusion of eclectic flavours. The restaurant also offers fondue meals for two, offering pots of cheese, beef, Italian and seafood.

Great for: Residents of 6th of October and neighbouring areas who are tired of the commute to Downtown and want a quiet meal on a terrace.

Budget: Before tax and with alcohol, you may pay over 500LE for a three-course meal for two.

Fish Makan: Perched directly by the Nile in Zamalek, the venue has two different seating levels. Fresh seafood is served daily, and the friendly waiters will insist you try a medley of appetisers. The only downside is that the restaurant is located between Abdel Wahab and Grizzly Diner, making the other restaurants’ music and noise a little distracting to your otherwise tranquil Nile view.

Great For: An al-fresco seafood dinner.

Budget: According to your chosen seafood, a meal for two may reach 600LE. Alcohol is not served.

More Affordable Dates

Nawab: This Zamalek restaurant may not be sophisticated, but it’s small and cosy, its Indian food is delicious and affordable, and the waiters are friendly without breathing down your neck
Great For: A low-key date where you don’t want to make too much of a fuss.

Budget: Around 200LE for a meal for two.

The Tahrir Table: With a view of Tahrir Square, this new double-level Swedish restaurant is great for people watching and enjoying the tasty Swedish cuisine. The restaurant is intimate and quiet, and the cuisine is definitely different from the usual offerings.

Great For: a more adventurous date in a unique location.

Budget: Under 300LE for a three-course meal for two. No alcohol is provided.

Fuego: This longtime favourite has branches in Maadi and Zamalek with dim lighting and leather booths guaranteeing a certain level of privacy. The sushi here is tasty and fresh, and there’s always an all-you-can-eat deal on for 135LE to 150LE.

Great For: Sushi on a budget.
Budget: 300LE for two people. No alcohol provided.

Sky Lounge: Perched on the top deck of the Nile Lily boat in Manial, this restaurant definitely lives up to its name with large white couches, making it irresistibly easy to sink in and enjoy the view. The international menu includes chocolate-marinated steak and raspberry lamb chops.

Great For: A boat terrace view of the Nile in a quiet area of Cairo.

Budget: 400LE for a meal for two if you order the most expensive items.

Taj El Sultan: Nestled in the heart of El Hussein, this is a restaurant that must be forgiven for its touristic decorations and lacking menu. What you get is well-made Egyptian cuisine as well as a few Indian dishes on a rooftop terrace with a lovely view of Islamic Cairo.

Great For: a quiet meal after a walk through Khan Khalili and El Ghouri.

Budget: Expect to pay 250LE for a three-course meal for two.

Ahwak Salon De Thé: This pretty restaurant/shisha café in Zamalek blends traditional Egyptian design elements with a modern flair. The cuisine tastes homemade and delicious, the fruit juices are freshly blended and the waiting staff are cordial and amiable.

Great For: A full-blown meal or coffee with dessert and shisha.

Budget: A meal for two can cost under 250LE, excluding alcohol.

Photos

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