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

Tired of the usual Cairo cafes, we headed to the Four Seasons First Residence in Giza for a a spot of breakfast at Tea Lounge. Said lounge is located across from the reception on the third floor and oozes calmness and serenity. Drenched in beige tones, the carpeted floor and plush furniture urges patrons to relax as they savour the freshly baked goods and quality drinks.

Taking our seats in the early morning light, we settled on a cappuccino (35LE), café latté (35LE), and a selection of pastries; a cheese croissant, a chocolate croissant and a blueberry Danish pastry.

The coffee arrived on an elegant silver tray, accompanied by two small biscuits and a shot glass of water – obviously meant for sipping.  The coffee itself was as impressive as the presentation; both cups were rich in flavour with succulent foam on top. The cups were a generous size, making for an enjoyable start to the day.

Unfortunately, we weren’t quite early enough to catch the pastries before they cooled down, but they were pleasing nonetheless. The cheese croissant had a decent amount of salty cheese on the inside and was perfectly flaky, as was the chocolate croissant, with delicious bursts of chocolate appearing from within. The Danish pastry was equally as delectable, with fresh berries, a sticky outer layer and a wonderful buttery flavour.

Tea Lounge also offers afternoon tea starting at 3PM where you can select from a set menu for 135LE; options include smoked salmon tartine, mini egg and bacon sandwiches on English muffins, scones, home-made jam, and of course a large selection of tea.

A cup of tea is 35LE and choices include exotic options such as ‘Jade Spring’, ‘Lapsang Souchong’ and ‘White Orchard’. They also offer cigars with price tags that go up to 250LE.

There is also a full lunch menu with soups (40LE) and a range of appetisers (65LE-120LE), as well as hearty main course choices such as lamb tagine burger (100LE) and BBQ steak sandwich (115LE).

The staff are professional, to say the least, but we found that our waiter was a little too eager, not giving us the space or the time to ponder what we felt like ordering – he meant well, but his overzealous service did contrast slightly with the energy of the place.

Overall we paid less than 140LE for a breakfast for two; a very reasonable price to to pay for an early morning pick-me-up at one of the top hotels in Cairo.