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

With dessert places slowly but surely seeping into the Cairo cafe culture, it takes something special to stand out above the competition. Offering seemingly gourmet frozen yoghurt creations, Froyal has opened in the Mall of Arabia, joining the likes of Yoggy’s at the ever-growing shopping mall.

Radiating vibes of chic prestige but holding back the pretentiousness, the decor follows a minimalist colour scheme, set with neo-classical furniture and classic wallpaper; frozen yoghurt couldn’t get any classier.

The menu was clearly presented, both on the walls and in booklet form, and the variety was large enough to be interesting without making us hesitant. The main appeals were frozen yoghurt, frozen yoghurt shakes and a myriad of other hot and cold drinks. Unfortunately, due to disrupted working hours, only original frozen yoghurt was available as opposed to their usual pool of flavours. Small tubs (16LE) were also out of stock, leaving us with the choice of medium (25LE) or large (38LE) sizes. Each serving comes with one complimentary topping, and regular extras can be added for 4LE, or 9LE for special toppings including ‘sweet spoons’ – honey-soaked fruit pieces.

Allowing us to sample the more unusual toppings, we swiftly ordered one bitter-sweet orange ‘sweet spoon’ (9LE), an exotic, sticky mixture of almonds and brown sugar (9LE), and a good dose of crunchy Oreo cookies (9LE). The yoghurt itself was also delicious; thick, creamy and consistent with the way yoghurt should be.

We also tried the yellow watermelon sweet spoon, as its name and presentation had filled us with childish excitement. Sadly, we were thoroughly disappointed; the flavour was similar to high fructose corn syrup with an added crunch, topped off by a distinctly bitter aftertaste.

Whilst we were sat at the fuschia topped tables, the waiter had been busily preparing pink raspberry yoghurt and dutifully headed over with samples. Whilst we appreciate that artificial raspberry flavouring is one of the hardest to pull off, we were baffled by this one’s weird, chocolaty taste; always try before you buy.

Although Froyal is slightly on the pricy side, if your taste buds are yearning for something sweet, this is one frozen yoghurt joint that is definitely worth a visit.