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

Café Supreme's unexplainable popularity has made it a 'name' so to speak on the landscape of Cairo cafes. Well-established in the city with several branches around the busy capital, its latest branch, strategically located right across the Shooting club in Mohandiseen, recently opened its doors.

Upon entering the two story café/restaurant hybrid, one can almost immediately spot a clear differentiator- this branch flaunts perhaps one of the chain’s classiest interior designs, with shiny well-polished floors and tables, swanky black chandeliers hanging on one side and a classic colour scheme.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by an eager waiter who, quite distractingly, made us change tables three times in order to offer us more comfortable seating. The spirit of the gesture was appreciated but it was quite unnecassary. After finally settling on a table, we skimmed through the menu noticing no new additions to the chain’s classic offerings of light and tasty appetisers, hefty main dishes and traditional desserts, alongside its sister chain Sushi Bay's Asian options.

Opting for the Shrimp Konafa (59.5LE) as an appetiser, the Supreme Signature Pasta (49LE) and the Flamed Grilled Chicken (65LE) as main courses, from the Café Supreme menu and the Crispy Shrimp Tempura Rolls (59LE/ 8 pieces) from the Sushi Bay menu, we waited hungrily. The food, quite disappointingly, arrived inconsistently with some dishes arriving before the others.

 Nonetheless, it was – without a single exception – quite outstanding, both in taste and in presentation. The Shrimp Konafa came with a chili dip and boasted four tender shrimps enveloped in a shell of crisp konafa, while the Supreme Signature pasta boasted an adequate portion of penne pasta drenched in creamy white sauce with just the right consistency and topped with grilled chicken pieces. The Flamed Grilled Chicken, arriving with  sides of mashed potatoes with spicy gravy and sautéed vegetables, was just as pleasing with the perfectly-cooked chicken breasts retaining their juiciness, as were the pleasingly fresh Shrimp Tempura rolls.

After the belly-warming meal, we ordered mint green tea, only to have apricot green tea arrive at our table. Upon drawing the waiter’s attention to this shortcoming, he went on to get us a single serving of mint green tea instead of the two servings we had previously ordered.  In the end, though, we got both our requested servings of mint green tea, which was thankfully delightful.

In a nutshell, Café Supreme has managed to continue offering  decadent dishes that come in ample servings at decent value for money and good quality. The branch’s interior décor is definitely on point, yet the same cannot be said about its level of service.