It was a feisty Friday afternoon in December, teatime to be precise — English tea that is. We had Vendome in mind and so we headed for the Sofitel Al-Gezira. Alas, to our chagrin, we discovered that Vendome is no more. “It closed soon after the revolution,” a nimble waitress mumbled despondently as she handed us the menu on Le Deck. Afternoon tea may be frightfully British, but my three companions and I were not deterred from heading for the fusion French riverside not quite floating restaurant Le Deck. We indulged in the ever engrossing pastime of watching the feluccas pass by. We ducked into Le Deck, not exactly the top table in town. The menu is curiously cosmopolitan with one or two palate cleansers, and the setting is quintessentially Cairene. It was too early for The Buddha Bar, the discotheque and restaurant with perhaps the most magnificent panorama in all Cairo. The last time we dropped in, the place was pulsating with Stromae's hit Alors on danse. So we settled for Le Deck. We were whisked with little delay to our tables. Queen Tiye fantasised about the courtly tinkle of grand piano. The glissando accompanied by sweet strains of portamento executed by the violin, perhaps. Redhead was all for American-style burlesque. Platinum Blonde was in maiden aunt mood. For the connoisseur of afternoon tea, Sofitel Al-Gezira offers more choices than most other Cairene five-star hotels. Vendome was a classic French fine dining brasserie. Le Deck isn't. Queen Tiye set the tone by ordering an amusing amuse bouche — a cocktail of shrimps, iceberg lettuce, grissini, cherry tomatoes and cucumber. My “Italian seafood” starter — prawns, squid and grouper topped with red and yellow bell peppers marinated with lime, lemon and olive oil. Needless to say, the company fell on the amuse bouche with gusto. I ventured further with a striking new interpretation of the traditional Mediterranean dish with an unfamiliar tropical face — grouper medallions served with roasted bananas. Beguilingly simple, the exotic combination was a heavenly pared-down version of West African or Caribbean cuisine. Queen Tiye opted for prawns grilled with olive oil, coriander and just a squeeze of lemon juice. She pronounced the prawns perfect. Redhead had shrimps “Brazilian style” with a splash of coconut milk. “You guys don't understand American burlesque, do you?” she barked. Platinum Blonde sea bass broiled on a bed of potatoes, a “cushion” drenched in a rich garlic and parsley buttery sauce. All this is a far cry from the sleepy provincial town of Vendome in France's Loire Valley that boasts the Abbaye de la Trinite, or the abbey church of the Holy Trinity, with a fine façade in the florid Gothic style. Queen Tiye reminisced about the ruins of the castle at Vendome. The coq au vin, braised chicken in velvety red wine reduction was nowhere to be found on the Le Deck menu. I have known Platinum Blonde since the year dot and we have shared many a glass together. Vendome had one of the finest cellars in all Cairo. The same cannot be said for Le Deck. For dessert, she insisted on a “Giant Macaron” filled with chocolate and chestnut cream. The butter and cream content could hardly be described as healthy. Le Deck Sofitel Al-Gezira Cairo
