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

The Parisian dining experience is one of the finest, most sought after around the world, yet only a handful of restaurants in Cairo know how to ace it. Last week we decided to visit Paul, one of the best French restaurants around Cairo. Paul is a popular breakfast spot in Cairo; however, we wanted to give their dinner a try. Here’s how they fared.

Once at the restaurant, we were impressed by the atmosphere. The lighting was ambient, classical music was playing in the background, and the restaurant boasted a French vibe. A few moments after arriving, we were greeted with a basket full of French bread, along with butter and pesto, which we gladly consumed until the waiter came to take our order. We wanted to get soup for our appetisers, but they only had onion soup (62 LE), so we ordered two of them. Fifteen minutes later, the soup arrived in a bread bowl, which, to be fair, looked amazing. The soup was fantastic, with all the richness you’d expect in an onion soup; however, the overall look wasn’t as good as it tasted. In a traditional French onion soup, there would usually be a broiled mozzarella topping. In the soup we ordered, the cheese was swimming in the bowl.

Next up was the main course. We ordered Salmon Tagliatelle (250 LE) and Beef Stroganoff with mashed potatoes (235 LE). The two plates arrived roughly 10 minutes after the appetiser, which denied us the chance to finish the fantastic soup. The Beef Stroganoff, a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness between the meat and sauce, along with the astonishingly creamy mashed potatoes, was one of the highlights of the day. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Salmon Tagliatelle. The salmon was cooked properly, but it was rather pale without any noticeable flavour. It felt like it could use a squeeze of lemon or some herbs, but despite our disappointment in the salmon, the pasta was fabulous. The sauce was creamy and rich, the dried vegetables made the plate look gorgeous, and the parmesan added some much-needed complexity to a plate of pasta that would have been one of the best we ever had if not for the salmon.

We excitedly moved on to dessert and decided to go for the Pecan Apple Crumbs (101 LE), which absolutely blew our minds! The dish was so complex and aromatic it had us salivating before it hit the table! It had sour lemon cream, sugary cinnamon crumbs and, most importantly, apples and cherries, which melted in our mouths.

The overall experience was pleasant, and we definitely recommend it for a fancy date or perhaps a celebration. The service was excellent, with the waiters helping us choose a particular dish or steer away from another, and the overall price was definitely suitable for the quantity and quality of the food.