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

Italy is obviously home to the most delicious food in the world, in our opinion. This means that when a new local restaurant opens claiming to serve authentic Italian cuisine, we have to give it a shot!

Don Paolo is a small bistro hidden away in the nooks of Maadi’s Degla. The cosy restaurant offers a variety of Italian delicacies that suit every taste as long as you like carbs; a lot of it! We decided to start with their Al Salmone Salad (110 LE) and their vegetarian Parmigiana (65 LE), and we couldn’t have been happier with our choices. The salad was fresh and had the perfect ratio of dressing, Parm, and salmon, while the Parmigiano’s earthy flavours burst in our mouths with every bite. Next, we ordered their Instagram-famous Fruitti Di Mare pizza (190 LE). The pizza was as beautiful as it could possibly be. Maybe the seafood that adorned it wasn’t the freshest out there — then again, the nearest sea is a few hours away — but the flavours were unmistakably delicious, and the dough was chewy and freshly baked. We were also very intrigued by their Funghi Tartufo pasta dish (195 LE), which was rich and creamy but not worth the price tag.

Maybe Don Paolo isn’t the best Italian restaurant this side of Cairo, and possibly it was harmed by all the hype surrounding the opening, but it’s definitely worth trying, plus the service there was absolutely impeccable.