The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Summer in Egypt can be unbearable and the heat is all the excuse we need to self-medicate using the cooling and soothing properties of that delicious thing called ice cream. In colder months – example being the time of publishing – the temptation is just as great, even if motivated more by a visceral yearning for indulgence.

One such source of frozen treats is Häagen-Dazs; the worldwide brand has had mixed luck in Cairo – with several braches having closing down – but the branch in New Cairo’s Cairo Festival City Mall has a steady stream of customers.

The café-like space Häagen-Dazs occupies is quite small, dimly lit with deep maroon walls and a huge display of ice cream favours and pastries. The seating area fairly small and was semi-occupied during the time of our visit.

We were greeted by a friendly server who insisted on making us try a few of the flavours before making any decisions. Quite shamelessly, we readily obliged and accepted his cordiality – don’t judge.

The Raspberry flavour was lusciously tangy, light and tasted fresh yet a little too syrupy; whilst the Hazelnut Caramel Chocolate was mouth-watering, with the addition of caramel to the traditional mainstream hazelnut chocolate flavour elevating its overall taste. The Belgian chocolate was as sinful as it sounds, boasting the intense flavour of high quality, dark Belgian chocolate.

We finally settled for a scoop of Caramel Biscuit and Cream and another of Midnight Cookie and Cream (18 LE/scoop) in two freshly baked waffle cones (4 LE/ cone); both did not disappoint. The former was light yet decadent with little crunchy biscuit pieces wrapped within its creamy layers and the latter tasting irresistibly chocolaty.

Other dessert options Häagen-Dazs offers include muffins, cookies, cakes, tarts, pies, crepes and waffles, as well as special ice cream creations. We noticed a delicious-looking Blueberry Cheesecake (22 LE) alongside an oversized Double Chocolate Chip Cookie (13 LE).

All in all, Häagen-Dazs passes with flying colours thanks to its evident use of high quality ingredients, as well as its amicable staff who went the extra mile to make our visit a pleasant one. Sure, the prices are a bit steeper than those of most ice cream parlours, but some things in life are worth an extra penny – or two.