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

Having food or drinks with a panoramic Nile view can never get old; the beauty of the scenery is always mesmerising. Whether it’s during sunset or at night, Stash boasts an amazing view from the 19^th floor of Cairo Capital Club. We took the elevator, and as soon as we entered we were greeted by the staff before we sat at the bar–and luckily it was happy hour!

Stash has a lush, unique food menu, but we were happy to try their cocktails first– we took their drinks menu and began to skim it through. We had heard that their martinis were good, so the first thing we ordered was the Dirty Martini (200LE) – dry vermouth, vodka, and olive brine. It came as tasty as we expected; the olive brine not too salty, and you could really taste the vermouth flavour perfectly; we shamelessly got two more of them, they were that good.

Already having a taste for the savoury, we decided to try their Bloody Mary (200 LE) – vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime, salt & pepper. Not everyone likes a Bloody Mary; similarly, not anyone can make a good Bloody Mary. This one was decent; the ratio of tomato to vodka was on-point, with the citrusy tang from the lime that gave it a nice kick. However, the Worcestershire flavour wasn’t really there.

Before ordering more cocktails, we looked for appetisers to share; first was the Classic Potato Samosa (70LE), which is samosas filled with minced potato, carrots, and onions, served with homemade BBQ sauce. This dish was flavoursome; they make the samosa dough in-house, and the filling goes through a lengthy process to get it to taste that herbaceous and delicious – a definite must-try.

Next, we opted for Beryancini (110 LE) – fried biryani rice balls with yoghurt sauce. It was obviously an Indian twist to the Italian Arancini balls recipe, but, unfortunately, the spicy Indian taste didn’t come through; the chef later told us that this batch wasn’t as good as the last one, so we might be back for a second taste. The chef was kind enough to offer us to try a new addition on their menu, the Freek Salad –wheat berries with tomatoes, onions, herbs, and a mouthwatering vinaigrette. This salad was just delightful; fresh, unique, and perfectly seasoned.

After all those yummy appetisers, we wanted to order our last round of drinks, so we asked the bartender for suggestions. We got a Negroni (250LE) – vermouth rosso, gin, Campari, and an orange slice. This cocktail was balanced and not overly sweet, which was exactly how we wanted it. Then the bartender got us the Blue Lagoon (200LE) – vodka, apple juice, ginger, and pink peppercorn. It was the perfect end to our cocktail mania; the vodka was not over-powering the subtle sweet taste of the drink, and the ginger flavour really shone through.

Our experience at Stash was a great success, and it seems like everyone knows what they are doing there; from the chef to the bartenders and waiters. Their cocktails were all well-balanced and delicious, while the food had great thought put into it. We are sure to be back to try their food properly, while enjoying their ever-so-beautiful view.