Restaurant review: Windmills and palms Gamal Nkrumah drops in at a gustatory getaway just a stone's throw from the runway that serves as Cairo's chief gateway The sun was just setting behind the flyovers leading to the Cairo International Airport when I staggered breathlessly into the Aqua e Luce, Fairmont Towers. The sun- kissed gateway to Cairo is home to one of the city's plushest eateries. The colonnaded foyer has this futuristic ultra-modern feel about it. Oh to be doing some last minute summertime publicity for one of Cairo's newest hotels is such an immeasurable pleasure. The curtains don't come up until the sky goes down. Eating on the water is a compelling experience. At Aqua e Luce, Fairmont Towers, one is literally surrounded by what appears to be waterfalls, streams of golden and other luminous colours -- in short there is a magnetic feel to the entire place. A floating garden looks like something out of an Ikea catalogue, it brings a zillion sensory apparatuses into play. The kudos of dining in surreal surroundings. But the first criterion when judging a restaurant has always been its food, though breathtaking views surely must be taken into account. The Aqua is not a restaurant whose charms lie in any old- fashioned attractions. It is all spanking new. At the centre of the atrium, an artificial river flows through willowy tropical plants and ornamental fronds and palms, colourful pebbles and stone-studded water passages. Floor lights of contrasting colours emit a spectrum of orange, blue, green, aquamarine, highlighting attractive wooden platoons. I could feel the crisp frosty glass underfoot as I negotiated my way through the water dining areas and treaded carefully so as not to disturb the private dining alcoves. All mahogany, crimson leather and gleaming chrome, the Aqua exudes an atmosphere of understated luxury and finesse. I eyed the wine racks. Then there was the reddish-brown fusion glass and those eye-catching spirits. After Eid El-Fitr there are absolutely no inhibitions, and everyone drinks like a fish, so to speak. The gourmet dining restaurant offers a unique selection of fusion food. I opted for oriental spiced grilled lamb chops, served with chickpea purée, grilled courgette and tomato olive fondue. My companion fancied beef striploin, sweet potato puree, rosemary pearl onions, grilled asparagus and horseradish jus. The sweet potato was out of this world. The appetisers, too, were a delight. The confit beet salad studded with pepper crusted goat cheese, arugula and walnut vinaigrette was scrumptious. The Red Sea crab salad was beautifully topped with smoked salmon, dill, dollops of crisp rucola leaves, and avocado puree. That is an exceptionally original Fairmont lifestyle dish that must never be missed. The pastas and risottos were tempting -- especially the harissa roasted lobster risotto composed of braised Arabian lobster, sautéed apples, artichokes, toasted almonds and chives. The Iranian- inspired joojeh kobebe and barreh kebbab on a bed of saffron rice is a taste from heaven above. As we sit with steaming delicate dwarf glasses of heavily minted tea, the spruced-up mint sprigs glisten green against the deep burgundy of the black tea. Aqua specialises in exotic nouvelle cuisine and the most mundane dishes with a twist: tiger prawns in coriander purée and mango salsa; freshly shucked oysters; Angus beef burgers; Asian satays; delectable side dish sautés -- even the sandwiches are authentically novel. Try the Café Heliopolis vegetable panini -- a veritable vegetarian gem: Portobello mushrooms, grilled aubergines, basil scented fetta cheese, grilled capsicum, and pesto tomato-cucumber salad. What a treat! And, last but not least, some of the freshest sashimi in town. Note that dinner and lunch are à la carte -- 6- 12am and 12-6pm respectively. On Fridays, the brunch buffet is between 2-6pm. Around twilight, I was greedily devouring camel ice cream with organic dates, a treat you cannot find elsewhere in Cairo, I believe. Aqua e Luce Fairmont Towers Al-Shahid Sayed Zakaria from Orouba Boulevard, next to Airport Sheraton, Heliopolis, Cairo Tel: 2696 0126 Dinner for two: LE370
