Cairo Reviews

The abundance of international brands on the Cairo shopping scene really does leave us spoilt for choice. Unless we're mistaken, if there are two things most ladies love, it's shopping and pampering; combine the two and it's sure to be a recipe for success. Since its opening in 1990, American chain, Bath & Body Works, have set up shop in several of Cairo's busiest malls. Before we even saw the shop, we were drawn in by a wave of deliciously fruity fragrances. Following our noses, we wandered into the perfectly organised, perfumed haven. The displays were clearly labelled and organised by product, smell, and as a result, colour too. This, combined with an abundance of testers and a friendly shop assistant, made for pleasant, stress-free browsing. Everywhere we looked we found pampering products with exotic names; a delicious smelling Midnight Pomegranate was available as a shower gel (175LE), body mist (195LE), lotion (150LE) and a heavy, creamy body butter (145LE), which worked miracles on our skin. At the time of our visit, a buy three, get one free promotion was running. A range of aromatic perfumes were also available; from a full-bodied, sensuous Black Raspberry (295LE) or a sweet Warm Vanilla Sugar, to a rich and woody smelling Twilight Woods (295LE). These smells aren't just limited to body mists though; we found many of the same 'flavours' in candle form, ranging from 60LE to 280LE depending on their size – our favourite was the Wild Strawberry Savage candle, which smelt exactly as you would imagine. Pretty oil warmers were available and we also spotted some decorative metal candle sleeves priced from 70LE to 95LE. The products at Bath & Body Works aren't just for personal pampering; attractive gift boxes are ready-made to help make the difficult decision of what to pick that bit easier. For 520LE, shower gel, body lotion, mist, moisturising cream and a small candle all come as a package, wrapped in clear cellophane, complete with a big pink bow. Alongside all of these bath, body and fragrance must-haves, Bath & Body Works also stock travel-sized toiletries, bath accessories such as exfoliating sponges, foot care and beauty goods, as well as several shower and body products for men. Unfortunately, Bath & Body Works doesn't distinguish itself massively from other, comparable international brands, although they do offer a massive variety of sweet-smelling products of similar high quality. We can almost guarantee that if you walk into Bath & Body Works, you'll feel compelled to come out smelling just as good as the shop itself, even if it is a little expensive.  

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A trip to the Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah is an experience in itself; the tube-shaped structure stands as a figurehead on the southern-most tip of Zamalek. There are plenty of reasons to attend, even if you're not staying the night; an afternoon lounging by the pool or an evening of wining and dining at Nile-side restaurants, Le Deck, El Kababgy or La Palmeraie, provide great opportunities to view Cairo at its best. Another good reason to go is the hotel's hair salon. The salon is open every day between 9AM and 9PM, even during national holidays. The coiffeur is on the hotel's second floor and has signs throughout the hotel. We rang ahead to book, but were told that an appointment would not be necessary and to come whenever we liked. When we arrived, the salon was empty, though the place was well staffed; this is not unusual for the salon, meaning that if you're in a rush – or it's a national holiday – you can rely on the Sofitel for unwavering service. The salon is clean and neat, without any ostentatious displays of girliness or posters of grimacing models – this is a place befitting of the Sofitel name. We were greeted at the till and told to immediately take a seat in the hair-washing chair. The salon has room for four-to-five clients to be seen at a time, and although it's only a small space, it's well laid-out and doesn't feel cramped. The attendant took her time with washing our hair, giving it a good amount of time to soak and even giving us a soothing head massage in the process. The products used smelt delicious and we can now confirm that our hair felt soft and clean for days after the visit. After our hair was professionally wrapped and brushed, the stylist came out to meet us and consult us on what we wanted. He nodded in assurance at our instructions and sure enough, after much snipping and measuring, came up with the desired result and was happy to make any adjustments we asked for. After the hair was cut, so began the styling process, which involved at a blow dry, followed by some a heavy-handed application with straighteners. To our dismay, the stylist curled our hair into tight ringlets so that the cut itself was completely overshadowed - although to his credit, the curls were very professional and stayed in place for the entire day. A wash and blow-dry cost 250LE, and the salon is also equipped to do dyes, extensions and offers a selection of products for customers to use at home. We were truly pleased with the results of our styling and the swift, professional service, which made a Sunday afternoon maybe-I-should-get-a-fringe whim, a reality.

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It seems that every new Cairo café is finding home on the streets of Zamalek and curiosity led us to Pure Café to try out what it has to offer. It's hard to miss the streak of white that has taken over the corner of the busy intersection between Taha Hussein and Ismail Mohamed Streets. While the choice of location is puzzling, seeing as it is so heavily trafficked by cars, what is further perplexing is the overall aesthetic of it all, in contrast to the sleepy, visually muted area. Pure Café is self-described as a Syrian cafe, but menu includes croissants, crêpes, sandwiches, salads, and shawerma from Sag next door, and a diverse array of beverages, both caffeinated and not, as well as juices. Shisha was also on the menu under the title 'Hubbly Bubbly'. We found the place to be quite stuffy in the heat, with only one fan in the corner to circulate the air. The once-white furniture has already greyed, the PVC sofas were not very comfortable and the pop music blaring from the speakers was a bit too loud. Many of the menu items were unavailable during our visit and the table we sat at was considerably wobbly, but after a protracted inquiry into what was available that day, we ordered fattoush (25LE), a four-cheese sandwich (20LE) and a club sandwich (22LE), as well as mango and kiwi juice (18LE) and a mint hot chocolate (20LE). The mango and kiwi juice tasted fine, but was served lukewarm, and the mint hot chocolate was not really hot chocolate, but rather, a heavily watered cocoa without even a hint of mint. The only redeeming qualities of this drink were the cute foam design floating on top when served and their generous sizes. The sandwiches were decent: the four-cheese sandwich included three types of deli cheese and a labnah spread on French bread, while the club sandwich – made with toasted white bread and luncheon meats – on the other hand, did not stand out in anyway, save for perhaps a little more mayonnaise than optimal. The fattoush, however, was wonderful. The portion was huge, enough to serve at least two people, with a generous scattering of fried bread on top and a dressing that had a pleasing mixture of pomegranate and citrus bursts. We're still not quite sure what draws customers to flock to Pure Café, especially in the evenings, but in the end, everything boils down to personal preference. And even for those of us who do not understand Pure Café and what it stands for, it is nice to know that experimenting with the menu may turn up unexpected gems.

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Lebanese restaurants in Cairo are common, to say the least, but few truly elevate the cuisine. Located on El Thawra Street in Heliopolis, Tanoura struck us as being both aesthetically interesting and colourful, drawing us in with bright oranges, Mediterranean yellows and reds. The ground floor is only partially covered, creating an outside-in feel, complete with flower beds and a central palm tree. Continuing its cheerful theme indoors, the restaurant spreads over two more floors.  Named after a Lebanese dance, it seemed only appropriate that Oriental music served as the backdrop to our dining experience, whilst antique, reclaimed shisha pipes are used as light fixtures and are incorporated into the interesting screen designs. We were promptly shown to our seats before the waiter discreetly told us that the minimum charge is 75LE; a minimum easy to surpass with their wide selection of tempting Lebanese dishes. All the typical hot and cold appetisers are available, along with salads, arayes, mana'eesh, fattah and grills. If Lebanese doesn't take your fancy, there's also a selection of soups and pastas to choose from. Tanoura also offer a good variation of drinks; we ordered a lemon juice (18LE) and a watermelon smoothie (25LE), both which arrived swiftly. The lemon juice was a refreshing bitter-sweet concoction whilst the watermelon – now in season – was a deliciously fresh, icy slushy. We requested one chicken fattah (45LE), an onion soup (20LE), hommos (20LE) and cheese sambousak (24LE). We didn't have to wait long, and in true Lebanese style, everything was served together. A basket of cold, soft baladi bread was delivered as an accompaniment to the creamy, well-seasoned hommos. The cheese sambousak resembled four, generously sized spring rolls, deep fried to a golden brown. Unfortunately – due to the bed of lettuce they were presented on – the underside turned soggy fairly quickly. The onion soup was rich and flavourful, complete with a considerable amount of onion pieces swimming in it. Of all the dishes, however, our chicken fattah exceeded expectations; it was a creamy mixture of large, quality chicken chunks amongst crispy bread and soft white rice. The portion was so large that we struggled to finish it along with our starters. Rather than choosing one of their Oriental desserts, we chose to wash our meal down with an apple shisha (18LE) which was as expected; fruity, flavourful and smooth. The colourful décor, chilled-out atmosphere and contemporary setting of Tanoura modernises traditional Lebanese recipes, and is proving to be a popular place for both young and more mature clientele.

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After a hard day's work, there's often nothing better than putting your feet up and relaxing with a hot drink and a slice of cake. Of course, Cairo' cafés are second to none, but finding a sophisticated spot, not filled with shisha smoke, can often be somewhat of a challenge. The Coffee Club is amongst an abundance of dining options in newest Tivoli Dome in Sheikh Zayed.   As soon as we entered the dome, we spotted the tranquil fountains and greenery bordering the Coffee Club's comfortable outdoor seating. The entire front of the café opens up to allow a breeze in, whilst the interior is simple, painted in a timeless deep red and cream. The waiter promptly delivered a couple of menus and much to our surprise, the Coffee Club is not just limited to coffee as its name suggests. Of course, the coffee and frappe sections are the most diverse; with the options of adding syrups, extra shots, marshmallows, ice-cream and swapping caffeinated to decaffeinated. Flavoured tea, fruit juices, mocktails and all the usual sodas are also available. We settled on one flat white coffee (18LE) and an orange juice (20LE). Both were delivered swiftly, with the flat white sporting an artistic illustration on top of its thin layer of froth. The coffee beans were rich and slightly bitter, made with a good amount of milk. The orange juice was fresh, tangy and bitty, making for a rather sharp thirst quencher.  The food menu was unexpectedly large offering breakfasts of pancakes (25LE), breakfast wraps (32LE), cooked breakfasts (46LE) and fruit salads (20LE) whereas the all day dining menu boasts salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, fish and chips (55LE) surf and turf (99LE), fish and meat dishes including steak (99LE). Also on the menu – and a little out of place – is a selection of Thai dishes, namely curries. We chose to sample cheesy garlic bread (19LE), followed by sweet and sour chicken (75LE). Both portions were substantial; the garlic bread was made from two slices of thick, soft bread, cut into four large triangles and appeared slightly golden on top. The four-cheese topping added a delicious richness, despite being slightly greasy. Our sweet and sour fried chicken pieces were swimming in a flavourful sauce, which although was not overly wonderful, was neither too sweet nor too sour. The generous mound of white rice in the middle was fluffy and well-cooked.  Their desserts don't feature on the menu; they must be handpicked from the large glass counter inside the café. From the tempting looking cheesecakes and chocolate mousses, we ended our meal with a big slice of carrot cake (23LE). Unfortunately, the sponge was dry, with a disappointingly thin layer of butter icing on top, and in the middle. The large helping of chantilly cream on the side almost helped curb our disappointment.  Our overall experience was one of relaxation, nice food and friendly service; however, the Coffee Club does over-complicate the notion of coffee and dessert and although we're glad it does, we feel like they would benefit from concentrating more on their 'signature' desserts.

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