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

In the cosy and dainty neighbourhood of Kafr Abdou in Alexandria, you can find a small yet satisfactory number of cafés
and restaurants that appeal to all residents. Just down the road from the
Alenbi Garden on the left-hand side and across from Concrete lies Olé, a café/restaurant that has been
popular in Alexandria for years.

The venue has a warm, fresh and Spanish atmosphere due
to the burgundy stone-washed walls, Spanish wool rugs and photos of Matadors,
Corridas and Flamenco dancers, as well as funky wooden chairs and huge magazine
stacks. Whether you decide to stop by
for a hearty meal or for a coffee and dessert with a friend, Olé surely serves all appetites and
tastes.

Breakfast at Olé
is served until 1PM daily and includes a variety of omelettes, sunny-side-up
eggs, waffles and pancakes as well as different foul dishes, all ranging
between 25LE and 30LE.

The menu also includes a number of interesting soups
such as gazpacho, asparagus, tomato and pumpkin at 20LE and their signature rocca
and walnut green salads will leave you satisfied and filled at 35LE.

Renowned for their tapas, Olé serve an assortment of starters that include spring rolls,
Egyptian sausage, cheese fingers and octopus salad as well as calamari rings,
mini kofta and patatas bravas (a typical Catalan starter consisting of fried
potato cubes with marinara sauce). Ranging between 15LE and 25LE per dish, these
delicious tapas will leave you wanting more.

Another Olé
specialty is their bruschetta loaves, which are basically their own version of a
pizza baguette on a long wooden board. You can order ¼ of a metre, ½ a metre or a
metre of loaves with cheese, sausage, roast beef, chicken barbeque and more
toppings. The bruschetta loaves range between 25LE to 90LE, depending on their
ingredients and length. Not for the faint hearted; these bruschetta loaves are
definitely a hit!

For the main dish, we tried their paella marinara (80LE),
which was not as perfect as the Spanish version but equally nice, rosemary salmon
(70LE), beef matador (50LE) and chicken crisp with Mexican dip (40LE), which
left very little room for dessert. They also offer pasta dishes, including the pesto
pasta (25LE), as well as sushi and Chinese dishes all ranging between 20LE and
45LE per item.

Dessert is definitely worth leaving room for: the menu
has a variety of fruit tarts, chocolate sablés, and their signature chocolate
mousse – all ‘By Sue’ – their pastry maestro, for up to 30LE per item.