restaurant review: Eat at ease Gamal Nkrumah falls for a Maadi restaurant that resists being labelled The genteel setting of the Cellar Door was more than offset by plenty of kitchen talk. The headwaiter's face turns the robust russet hue of undercooked topside. "The duck is organic," he grins. I nod "Just how I like it." A welcoming toast followed. The summer sun was scorching outside. Inside it was cool: chilled out conversation, of course, and soothing music. The duck was cut to order: skin and fat separated from the red meat. Very appetising it looked, and the special herbs and sauce unleashed the bird's natural flavours much more liberally. My companion and I passed on the recommended smoked pork. Sensual and provocative, still, it is not a place I imagine gourmets would frequent. The décor is self-consciously trendy, and the food wholesome and nowhere near top-end prices. Sunday brunches and late lunches, light suppers and of course there is the bar. It is as if the food, service and décor all conspire to ensure a certain peace of mind, body and soul. This Maadi eatery has quite an easy feeling about it. They cook the mash potato in a very nice way at the Cellar Door. Mirrors and oil paintings of dark, luscious eyes -- freaky, but quite frankly uplifting. The bar is not particularly well-stocked, but it appears to be designed ingeniously as part of the furniture. Alas design icons can never be mixed like perfect cocktails. The elegant albeit austere dark brown chairs sharply contrast with beige sofa and cream tablecloths. You are spoilt for choice as far as the anti-pasta is concerned, with New Zealand half-shell mussels, diced tomatoes and colourful bell peppers. The bistro cocktails are interesting and especially so because they are hardly intoxicating. Mild, fruity and somewhat sobering. The Dirty Martini is the wildest: Absolut vodka, Vermouth, olive juice -- whatever that is -- I gave that one a miss. Negroni Buttler Gin, Campari and soda was a tad too common. The Bistro Mojito was the most inviting of them all: Bacardi, rum, soda and mint laced with sugar. It sounded like a good alternative to dessert. Australian oven-roasted lamb shoulder and couscous -- a cross culture concoction for the connoisseur's discerning palate was a tempting option. Lamb chops, Australian I guess or perhaps New Zealand, a delectable mint sauce -- just the right tart taste and texture. The chops were served with plump potato wedges cooked to perfection. Filettio Tagliato -- chunky strips of beef fillet sprinkled with rosemary and thyme and served with mash and, yes, you have guessed correctly by now, wilted spinach, their trademark (it's actually quite tasty). You are again spoilt for choice as far as soups are concerned, from high- brow Moroccan Harira soup to the humble Egyptian peasant lentil soup. Then there are dishes that defy description. Thai green prawn curry over a bed of saffron basmati rice and freshly shredded ginger is an aromatic winner. The red chicken curry is yet another Thai-inspired delicacy. Perhaps the Cellar Door is competing with the Bua Khao, next door. Sautéed tiger prawns grace a golden saffron shrimp risotto. Salmon artichokes are irresistible: artichoke hearts stuffed with smoked salmon, spinach and topped with sauce hollandaise. Naughty, but nice. The pasta, too, is tempting. Home-made tagliatelle with lemon, capers, parmesan and the whole lot doused with a rich cream sauce. Classic meat ragout: spaghetti Bolognese alla Genovese? This is not an afternoon for dieting. There is draft beer and a wide range of Egyptian wines, including a fine South African Cape Bay. After your feast you can celebrate with a Bailey's Irish Cream and other titillating liqueurs. The Cellar Door is a place that is worth getting to know, even though it is not quite a haunt for sampling haute cuisine. However, for brassiere-style restaurants, Cellar Door is actually really good. On a more mundane note, the lemonade is touted as the tastiest in Maadi. At the Cellar Door they usually mix it with a little milk or yoghurt, I am not sure what. I opted to forego any dairy products and had it neat. With mint, it was divine. My companion ordered veal liver and pesto mash potato, lemon balsamic gravy and -- yes -- wilted spinach. The liver promptly landed on the table and not long thereafter we headed home. Cellar Door Bistro 9 Road 151/ 100 Al-Horreya Square Maadi, Cairo Tel: 2359 8328 Dinner for two: LE180
