Restaurant review: Coffee and sin If you're climbing up on that hill, all hail the double bill It's been a while since anything exciting has happened up on Muqattam by way of food, but residents now have new reason to rejoice with a far- reaching development spree sweeping across our quiet streets. The first arrival was Bon Appetit, followed a few months down the line by the Marriott Bakery. Then, the otherwise "unglobalised" hills witnessed the opening of Pizza Hut and KFC, while Cook Door finally made a grand entrance upon the eating out stage last year. The advance of these fast food houses was slow but steady, seeming to gradually herald the inevitable: Muqattam is now ripe with enough market power for a full-fledged assault, and the armies that have reserved the first ranks belong to Costa Coffee and Cinnabon, right next to the newly-opened Metro Supermarket (the latter big and fancy enough to impress Heliopolis residents on visit). If you have property on the hills, the good news is that real estate prices are bound to sky-rocket, at least by Muqattam standards and every inch of land will be worth its weight in gold sooner than we think. If we consider that the factors which have contributed to propelling Cairo atop the most-polluted-cities-of-the-globe list show no signs of abating, and that the prices of property remain alarmingly high by average standards in the rest of the city, life on Muqattam does seem rather enticing indeed. And, if fears of seclusion and boredom have prevented thousands of potential residents from relocating thus far, the new concern may well soon be how to stop a development plan that seems to be rolling on many wheels. To this day, however, it remains really pleasant. As you stroll down Muqattam's central Road 9 (yup, just like in Maadi) enjoying the year-long breeze (temperatures up here are three degrees lower than the rest of Cairo), you can now reach Nafoura Square with its large water fountain and climb the steps leading to Costa for a nice coffee break. Interestingly enough, the mere arrival of the two recent popular chains seems to have attracted a hitherto unnoticeable community. On my last visit to Cinnabon I saw a large crowd of French- speaking youths who seemed quite familiar with the area, as well as absolutely delighted to have the possibility of ordering those sinful rolls so close to home. The clientele is mainly cool and hip so far, including the older generations sharing in the thrills of the new arrival. Everyone looks sleek, relaxed and smiles are everywhere. The Muqattam Costa and Cinnabon branch offers all you could expect from these popular venues -- for they are small, but oh so potent. There are no queues, no hustle and no bustle, yet the interior is always in action. Everything is a quiet affair on the hill: no boisterous crowds making fun of passers-by in shopping malls as they sink their teeth in Chocobons, but rather moms who just sent the kids to school enjoying a morning coffee. Whether you actually eat Cinnabons or not remains relatively unimportant, what matters is that you now can have them should you wish to, and that when visiting highly-perched friends you can actually stop by for a box of those killer-fat treats. The Costa coffee needs no introduction either, and as the venue is situated at a central intersection, a stop on the way to work will grant you one of those delicious take away concoctions to sip on while stuck in morning traffic. The real surprise is this: while you must personally visit most other branches of Costa and Cinnabon, the Muqattam sister can also deliver to your door thanks to its location to the side of Metro. The supermarket's hot number is therefore also your passport to a home-delivered packet of coffee and desserts, while the short distances between locations will ensure that all arrives fresh and still oven hot. Good things come to those who wait indeed. Costa Coffee & Cinnabon Al-Nafoura Square Muqattam By Injy El-Kashef
