Restaurant review: Cants at Kunst Gamal Nkrumah appraises a curiously eclectic compendium Forget about the well-rounded bitterness of fine mocha that carries through to the end of the cup. Kunst might be the coolest place to grab a caffeine mix in Cairo. The non-too-discreet interior may not be the most pleasurable place to sit, but this small venue in the heart of downtown Cairo is a haven for young and trendy coffee lovers. At Kunst, you'll come across the type that craves a cup of coffee watching stray cats scurry among the passers-by on some of the city's busiest thoroughfares and alleyways. The chatty staff is not necessarily the friendliest in town. Simsim's signifier is the goatee beard he sports, but he still fails to pass for the nonconformist. When in Kunst, you get the impression that there is plenty of scope for new entrants in the burgeoning independent coffee shop scene in Cairo. The clientele are neither laid back nor carefree, and the quintessential barista invariably appears to be more interested in handing you the bill than in pouring out your favourite brew of coffee. Do you fancy a double shot of espresso? Or would you rather have cappuccino or latte? You might expect a patch of calm in Cairo's downtown. Not a bit of it. For all its promise, I found hardly anything worthwhile to have salivated at in Kunst. It is something of a "who's who" inside there, but it rarely seems to be overcrowded out there. The light installation that hangs over the counter is achromatic. Mind you, it's bad enough pining for caffeine-laden brews, but to pine for bad brews of coffee is distinctly disturbing. It is the kind of setting that doesn't particularly inspire good conversation. I defy you to fathom what the Sunshine and the Scotch mint are (they are both non- alcoholic beverages as is everything on the menu). Contemporary coffee shops were quietly introduced to Cairo's downtown district to rival the traditional coffee shop and soon became part of the city's upwardly mobile young crowd's way of starting a hectic day. And, I suppose, it is here to stay. But Cairenes are not finally waking up to the taste of quality coffee and bar tenders who pull excellent espressos from exquisite La Marzocco machines. Kunst, nevertheless, has emerged as an integral part of that new way of life, and integral part of Cairene youth culture. The staff can be a trifle surly if you order something they cannot pronounce or comprehend. Even when you carefully point out something that you do fancy on the menu, you still run the risk of them getting it all wrong. But in such a busy atmosphere it is easy to forgive them. Critics of the downtown cafés may still be on to something, however. This is not a café to sample high-toned food in, but it is a place to see new things and to be seen. Altogether, the café offers plenty of stimulation for the eye and the brain, less so for the palate. There is nothing enticing on the menu, no white linens or edibles of any sort. There are no hard and fast rules as to what and when to drink as long as it isn't inebriating or spirituous. The caffeine-laden drinks can be dispensed with, too. That is if you brave the fresh juices. The mango is decidedly a leftover from last season's pickings. The strawberry has more green than mulberry. And, of course, the countdown to yet another Cairene looms. It is a scene that could have come from mediaeval times, if you overlook the omnipresent lure of the Wi-Fi. That is why it may be somewhat misleading to call Kunst a coffee bar. The other day, I stormed in with a boisterous troop of 60-somethings. They were precisely the kind of customers that the staff detested. As the baby of the bunch, I opted for creamy cappuccino. Soon a dowager who obviously goes for facials walked in, hugging her laptop too close to her matronly cleavage for comfort. The barista was mortified. Why this happened is a complex question and furiously debated among certain circles in downtown Cairo. Kunst can put single women in an awful spot. Café Kunst Gallery 28 Sherif St, downtown Cairo Tel: 2391 2600 Coffee for four: LE65
