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

Amidst the many tempting restaurants that Cairo Festival City has to offer, our latest foray to the New Cairo shopping centre sent us to the Edward’s; a restaurant that promises eclectic international cuisine and authentic and distinct ambiance.

Decorated with several of the owner’s family heirlooms – from his father’s typewriter, to his grandfather’s gramophone, to his grandmother’s coffee grinder – the Edward’s has a cosy, retro atmosphere, with vintage sofas, old newspaper-wallpaper and chilling classical music playing in the background. Overall, the large space radiates a relexed feeling through its soft and calming wall colors and floral sofas and chairs, which only goes to give the restaurant more of homely, authentic feel – like it has history, in a way.

Going through the diverse menu which includes soups, appetisers, salads, Asian dishes, sushi, platters and sandwiches, we opted for the BBQ wings (42LE) as an appetiser and the Salmon Pesto (115 L.E) and the Italian Burger (69LE) as entrees.

Presented in a small pot and with disposable gloves, the BBQ wings were well-seasoned, well-fried and enveloped with sesame and all drenched in a BBQ sauce. Unfortunately, though, it didn’t come with the spicy yoghurt dip or house buffalo sauce promised by the menu.

Enveloped with freshly baked goodness, the Italian Burger was well cooked, juicy, tender and all covered with delicious, melted Gouda cheese, fused with crispy panko-breaded Gouda cheese and garnished with a tasty and well-spiced marinara sauce for a nice finishing touch. The dish was served alongside crunchy and spiced fries that complemented the plate perfectly.

The roasted salmon, meanwhile, was perfectly seasoned, slowly cooked, delightfully tender to the taste and drizzled with pistachio pesto which was more basil than pistachio. The only downfall to the dish was the mash potatoes which sat beneath the salmon; though it was creamy and thick, it left a stale aftertaste.

Looking over the desserts section, we were stuck between ordering the Pistachio Tart (42LE), the Nutella Pizza (38 LE), ‘Foufa’ Fondant (38 L.E) – named after an Edward’s family member – and the Pain Perdu (34LE), but eventually opted for the latter.

An authentic French dessert, the Pain Perdu – comprised of two large pieces of sweet French toast – was soaked in a silky and rich crème anglaise leaving the bread juicy yet holding its composure perfectly alongside a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, with caramel sauce garnishing the entire ensemble for a an overall rich taste.

Deciding to have a grape-flavoured shisha (48LE), we moved to the outdoor seating area – which was freezing – but we were handed small blankets half an hour later, as were other diners seated outside – a nice touch by the restaurant. The shisha itself was perfectly tended to and lasted long into the rest of the evening.

We ended the toothsome meal with a fresh and perfectly blended lemon mint juice (22LE), drawing the perfect ending for what was a wonderful evening all round.

If there is to be one criticism, it’s that service was on the slow side at the time of our visit; but with the quality of the food and generally polite staff, it wasn’t too hard to overlook these minor missteps.