Restaurant review: Downtown refuge The forbidding winter precludes spending long hours outside, but Serene Assir finds a safe haven in the centre of the city Downtown Cairo, among the city's most vibrant areas, has remained for the most part immune to the establishment of chain coffee shops, preserving instead its taste for street cafés or qahawi, of which this part of the capital hosts scores, including old-school staples of the likes of Horreya café. Immune that is, barring the vicinity of the American University in Cairo, opposite to whose main entrance is a string of franchised cafés that offer free wireless Internet connections to clients alongside the more Zamalek-associated cappuccino- based indoor set-ups. Pottery Café swims somewhere in between. Located right opposite the university, just off Tahrir Square, it is a favourite amongst students and downtown-lovers who prefer not to wander so far away from the soul of the city as to wind up in a chain store, but are also looking for a place to set up their laptops or simply to find seclusion from the winter cold. Arabic coffee, as well as a variety of flavoured lattés are served, there again catering to all likes and dislikes, and all the while integrity amidst the cosiness is maintained. The décor is warm; the colours natural, as dark wood is utilised well to give the place a homey feel. In the evening, the second floor fills up, particularly during football games when groups of friends gather to watch television. Mornings the café is mostly quiet, perfect for moments of self-imposed exile from wherever else we're actually supposed to be. Alone, the morning passes quickly, almost completely in shelter from the outside world, as the café is situated footsteps below street level. In company, there are always enough people to make the place friendly, but also room enough for some privacy. In all, intelligently and cosily laid out, Pottery Café succeeds not only in providing an alternate space on an otherwise franchised street -- as far as coffee shops go anyway -- but also in establishing itself as an escape route right in the heart of the city. As for the fare on offer, sipping coffee or one of the scores of juicy cocktails available is as far as the escape-artist should try to venture if keen on having something really good. Not that the food is bad. There's certainly a variety of different kinds of meals on offer and the fact that a coffee shop should offer more than sandwiches, salads and soups is an achievement in itself. The veal piccata, for instance, is spicy enough to be worthy of its name, and cheaper than it would be in many other restaurants around the city. The portions are generous and inspire sharing. However, I came out feeling many of the dishes could be better -- if they were warmer, less greasy and tastier. It's safer to go for one of the simpler options, such as the sandwiches or soups. Compensating for this gap is the friendliness of the staff, the warmth of the décor, the general cosiness of the café and the relative affordability of the prices, especially in comparison with the cafés further down the road with which Pottery competes. In a subliminal sort of way, the ease which the café inspires is similar to downtown qahawi, as opposed to the unmistakable chain-feel that so many other of the city's cafés have. Particularly after sundown, as we brave the outdoor cold, it barely matters that so many of the food options leave much to be desired. The real danger in Pottery seems to lie more in its inspiration of comfort and lethargy, as opposed to desire for consumption, amongst its visitors -- who would probably be doing something useful were they forced to be outside. Pottery Café Mohamed Mahmoud Street, opposite the AUC main entrance Downtown Cairo Dinner and coffees for two: LE137
