There's more to the Cairo Tower than the breathtaking views. Hanan Radwan treats herself to some vertical therapy at the revolving restaurant A symptom of life in Cairo is what might be called the "sledgehammer effect", that mix of pollution, traffic and now blistering heat that conspires to stress out the mind, grinding the nerves as it does so. When I find myself succumbing to such symptoms, I resort to the horizontal strategy of fleeing to a quiet destination outside the capital. However, when time is short and the budget is limited, how about following the advice of the famous song that says "the only way is up"? From the comfortable location of the top of a tower, Cairo can seem much less challenging. Though necessarily briefer than leaving the capital for a day or two, this vertical strategy for combating stress can be very therapeutic. I have now visited the revolving restaurant at the newly refurbished Cairo Tower twice, once with a group of five people and once with a close friend. In both cases, our arrival at two hours or so before sunset turned out to be perfect: the mixture of colours reflected from the Nile and the views of the leafy streets of Zamalek, swimming pools at the nearby Ahli Club, and the distant Moqattam Hills were soon illuminated with the fiery light of the setting sun, before being replaced by a twinkling galaxy of street and building lights. Perched almost 200m above ground level and shaped like a hollow cake tin, the restaurant turns slowly, treating the visitor to an 180 degree view of the city as slow reggae tunes play softly in the background, interspersed with the occasional noise of the restaurant making its journey. Service is both prompt and polite, and the tableware is very chic and graced with silver napkin holders. People who visited the restaurant in earlier days before its refurbishment will be pleased to learn that the spectacular views are no longer the only bargain on offer. Generally speaking, the food is exceptionally good. There are some exceptions, however, so to avoid disappointment the best approach is to stick to traditional dishes and save adventure for other outlets. Not appreciating this on my first visit, I obeyed an inner call for culinary exploration and ordered the Rocca -- grilled halloumi cheese -- salad as a starter. The dish was in dire need of dressing to counter the sharp taste of the cheese, peppery rocket and dry walnuts. However, my friends made better choices. The pinkish tomato soup, containing tiny pieces of vegetable and crowned with spicy croutons, was pronounced heavenly. The beef fillet with mushroom sauce was succulent and arrived in the shape of two generous pieces of meat accompanied by a cup of creamy sauce spiked with cinnamon. The charcoal mixed grill -- which in many eateries contains at least one rubbery piece of meat -- was excellent, with lamb, beef and chicken vying for top marks on the tenderness score. The meat, it was clear, had been left to marinate comfortably in a delicious mix of onions and spices, and its resulting sweet-piquant flavour was divine. Even the fish -- another potentially dangerous dish -- was declared to be among the best my friends had had in Cairo. Watching them ease flaky morsels off their filet of seabass, and then slide them into the accompanying lemon-butter sauce, I felt tempted to agree. One of my more adventurous friends was lucky with her choice of shrimp and asparagus salad. The medium-sized shrimps were crunchy, and they teamed perfectly with the silky asparagus and lemon-herb dressing. However disheartened at first by my choice of salad, I was soon more than consoled by the chargrilled chicken, which was succulent, draped with melted gruyere cheese and topped with slivered almonds. For dessert, my friends ordered the cheesecake and congratulated themselves on the choice. We shared five skewers of fresh apple, banana and cantaloupe cubes, which we enjoyed dipping into the luscious chocolate sauce. AlthoughCairo Towersn both visits, rotating several times, we could not get enough of the stunning views. I was surprised at my hearty laughter and cheerful mood. The therapy had worked. I was ready to face Cairo again. The Revolving Restaurant The Cairo Tower, Al-Zohriya Garden Street, Gezira Tel: 2736 5112 Dinner for five: LE800
