Egypt

Tourism: Extending the restaurant opportunities of a stay in Cairo

Al Ahram Weekly (Amira El-Naqeeb)

Thanks to Chris Townsend for sending me this article, which I missed. It is easy to stay within the hotel chains and better known restaurants on a visit to Cairo, but it is also nice to use the positive experiences of others to find new and more unusual places to eat, and have a more interesting visit.

The idea of going to the outskirts of Cairo just to eat or drink seemed a bit ridiculous to me at the beginning. However, when I hit the road and got on the Cairo-Alex Desert Highway, a cooler breeze, fresher air and a sky where I could actually see the clouds were enticing enough to make sense of the journey.

I pulled over just before the toll station where I found an array of coffee shops, restaurants and shops on my right side that have sprung up at an explosive pace. The hip cafés or the cool coffee shops and restaurants -- I wasn't sure where to go. In the end I was literally led by the nose. It was the smell of something being freshly baked that made the decision for me. "Safari Restaurant. I'll check it out," I said to myself. I chose an indoor table since it was in the afternoon which at this time of year is not exactly an ideal time for an outdoor lunch. Moreover, shisha lovers were having a field day out there, and as a non-smoker I intend to keep my lungs smoke free as much as possible.

On the menu, the culinary delights hailed from around the world -- pastas, pizzas, delicious Lebanese fattosh, kobiba and hummos, Oriental and Egyptian dishes that make your mouth water, let alone the fetir corner. When I ordered, a fresh bread basket was placed in front of me, and it was then that I knew where the smell that dragged me into the place came from. "We use ancient ovens and we bake everything here," said Abdel-Daim Ahmed, the owner of Safari. While waiting for my food I took a look around. Simple fer forgé chairs, terracotta floors, artificial rocks covering the walls, and wooden beams atop, all add up to one theme -- nomadic, desert primitiveness.

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