Seismic Gourmet

La Bodega

(Bistro. Lounge. Bar )

So you want to write a food and restaurant review article do you? Who would have thought at the time that it would take you to the four corners of the world to exotic places with fabulous cuisine! Thank heavens for that huge RECORDER expense account…. oh wait a minute no expense account. Oh well the first part was true as today I’m going to tell you about a special restaurant in Cairo, Egypt.

La Bodega is located in the suburb of Zamalek in the southern part of Cairo not far from the pyramids at Giza. Found on the second floor of the building known as the ‘Baehler’s mansions’, it provides a sophisticated alterative to the sometimes chaos of a city of some 17 million people! Thanks to the Swiss born hotel manager from the turn of the century, we have a space reminiscent of the roaring twenties to dine in. The walls of the restaurant are murals of oil, copper and gold, illustrating the revellers of the twenties eating, drinking and laughing. These works of art are both Egyptian and Western inspired. Your choices of seating range from a cozy sofa in an alcove to the relaxed bistro-like atmosphere of the dining room with its stark geometric lamps, or the always crowded and noisy bar. Gaze out the windows and you will be looking across the Nile itself!

To begin our dinner we ordered a simple green salad and a seasonal mixed salad, of sliced beetroot , tomato, mushroom, cucumber, grated carrot and julienne green pepper on a bed of mixed greens, both served with balsamic vinegar. To this I added what may have been the best bowl of sweet potato soup that I have ever had! The main course soon followed, consisting of Stuffed Chicken Roll and Grouper Tagen with Couscous. The first dish was a steamed chicken breast stuffed with chopped carrot, mushroom, green pepper, onion basil and garlic, served with pasta and black pepper sauce, while the second was oven baked fresh grouper cubes in tomato sauce with onion, red and green sweet peppers and garlic served with steamed couscous. So who said you can’t get great food in Cairo! With our meal we sampled a local Cabernet Sauvignon, which proved to be quite palatable. To finish I ordered a crème caramel and some Egyptian coffee flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg. Truly a fabulous meal in a fabulous city.

So for now that is another review from somewhere out in the world of the oil and gas business. Thank heavens for that expense…oh right pay your own way. Nonetheless, if you are ever in Cairo try La Bodega; you won’t be disappointed but come early as it fills up fast! As always I can be reached for questions or comments at sgourmet@telus.net. Tune in next month for a special convention review!

La Bodega

157. 26th July Street,
Zamalek, Cairo

Food *****

Service ****

Price L.E 18.00 – 59.00