With all
the dining venues on boats in Zamalek, the ones in Manial are often overlooked,
which is quite a shame. Sky Lounge is located on the roof deck of the Nile Lily
Boat with a spectacular view of the Nile and the cityscape.
Sky Lounge
absolutely lives up to its name; lounging by the Nile has never been this
comfortable before. The big soft couches and fauteuils are difficult to get out
of; making you wish you could lounge here all day. Topping off the lounging
experience is the background music: a combination of John Mayer, Souad Massi and
chill out versions of class pop tunes. The decor is simple but quaint. Most
seats are in their own cabanas suitable for up to six people. Apart from that,
there is some dim lighting and plants serving
as a divide between the cabanas.
The menu
is very diverse ranging from pizzas and sandwiches to full dinner options. As a starter, we sampled the tandoori wild
salmon salad (52LE), which was absolute paradise on a plate. The salad was
mixed very well with perfect dressing as well as mango chutney and chilli sauce
on the side. Pieces of brie and mushrooms contrasted nicely with the salmon,
which could have been a bit spicier or sharper considering it was supposed to
be tandoori salmon.
For a
main course, we took the roasted raspberry lamb chops (110LE) and the espresso steak
(128LE). The lamb chops were cooked very well and tasty but had too much fat
for this reviewer’s liking. Vegetables such as carrot, zucchini and mashed
potatoes accompanied the chops, as did a side of delicious raspberry sauce. The
steak espresso came in a huge portion and was cooked to a perfect medium as per
our request. The sharp espresso sauce was a perfect combination with the red
meat, making it one of the best meals that this reviewer has had in weeks.
We ended
our meal with the Belgian cherry soufflé (32LE). This was made out of light
custard-like mousse with different layers of cherries in between. The custard
mousse was delicious and not too sweet, which was good because the cherries
were sweet enough.
Despite
the terrific food, we were disappointed in the service. The waiting staff was
rarely to be found, and it took a considerable time for our drinks to arrive.
Although our food arrived quickly, we received all of our courses at the same
time, forcing us to eat quickly so that the food wouldn’t get cold.
Nonetheless,
Sky Lounge is definitely worth a visit; we’re planning on returning to try the salmon
pizza, the garlic soup and the havarti chicken.