Restaurant review: Pyramidal pleasure Gamal Nkrumah ponders on denizens of the deep, Pisceans, the Parthenon and Pyramids My companion reaches down and taps her fingers on the low table. She is a Piscean like myself and does not know quite what to make of the troll for fish in the vicinity of a remarkable landmark. The perpetual presence of the Pyramids is palpable. The Pyramids are something the entire restaurant looks towards. The Pyramids have a compelling, primordial grandeur. The dun-coloured massive stones, granite I believe, stand as strong as ever. The softer limestone long slipped away. The Pyramids are like some living giant fossils. And at night, the neon, branding and billboards are like a nested series of fossils surrounding the demoniac dinosaur. And, Christo, for Christ's sake, is one such fossil. And, horror of horrors, it is a fishy fossil. The ancient Egyptian priestly elite eschewed fish, of course. It was unclean flesh. Christo is an anachronism. Greek originally, even though it seems for all intents and purposes to have shed its haughty and highfalutin Hellenic beginnings. Now the Egyptian Pyramids humble it. The Greeks have long plotted to bolt for the Parthenon, and Athens. The overpowering fetor of fried fish drifted out from the kitchens. Yet we who found our way around the whiff of seared fish flesh had, finally, a happy time. In an open courtyard the headwaiter welcomed us at full throttle. Across the street from the colourful courtyard stood the Pyramids towering over Christo. The main or only crime of Christo is mis-naming. It isn't about Christ at all. It is all about fish. Wasn't there some simple, entertaining, non-controversial reason for naming a seafood restaurant Christ? Well, yes. The fish, I believe, was one of the earliest symbols of Christianity and so in some convoluted sense, I suppose, it is appropriate that one of Cairo's most authentic Egyptian fish restaurants would not only be named after Christ, but also nestle in the shadows of the pyramids. Pyramids and Parthenon are both historical curiosities. Fish, however, seem not to belong to the architectural space they have been designated. Pyramids and paint -- fresh paint and peeled paint, terracotta, date palms and bougainvillea. Tablecloths in the checked white and blue of the Greek flag warmly greet prospective clientele. Benches and bamboo chairs, too. The fish, those denizens of the deep, define themselves in different fashions, against their majestic surroundings. The terraces are propped up with timber scaffold. Christo is not dilapidated, but it is rather tawdry. Neither cheap nor sleazy, it is however in dire need of a facelift. From the roof terrace we can see the country's sedimentary history. The pyramids and gutted buildings, corrugated iron hovels like ruined teeth and concrete skyscrapers. The Giza plateau is no Athenian Acropolis. Yet Christo is an anachronistic juxtaposition. Don't expect to dine on snapper ceviche, but the grilled sea bass -- Egyptian style -- is comparably better than the dingy local fish restaurants dotted in the seedier slums of Cairo. Well-executed seafood dishes are plentiful at Christo. The restaurant is, after all, one of Cairo's most famous fish eateries. Moreover, you can savour the garlicky grilled fish while watching the sun set over the Pyramids. Christo does deserve its reputation. The fish is first-rate. Dripping with perspiration, the Piscean is desperate for the Piscine. She opined that we go for crabs, since her sister is Cancerian. She spoke euphorically about the energising properties of crustaceans. Fishing for compliments is hardly one of the graces of a typical Piscean. Moreover, to bait a hook is not one of the characteristic Piscean attributes either. Pisceans cannot sit still brooding in the shadows of the Pyramids. So far, so playful. Christo 10 Pyramids Road, Giza Alexandria Desert Road Tel: 3383 3582 Lunch for two: LE210
