Restaurant review: Stake the steak on it It was only a matter of time before the food was served. Gamal Nkrumah discovers how to beef up yet another Zamalek bar There is a distinct whiff in the air as you approach The Cairo Cellar. It is not unpleasant, but ever so slightly musty. It is hard to pinpoint, though. I sniffed around the place. It has the unreal air of a stage set, but you don't have to be rich to dine here. At first blush, The Cairo Cellar is a dingy-looking dark place with vulgar red neon lights that seem to take pleasure in attempting to trip you. Look closer, though, and you clearly see that the place is swarming with amorous couples. The odd thing, though, is that most are not romantic youngsters -- rather middle- aged men and striking-looking, free-spirited birds. On closer inspection still, it becomes abundantly clear that this particular eatery is in actual fact a very genus-type bar -- something of a typical Zamalek watering hole. There is a lot of lore and nostalgia associated with this particular arcane underworld. And, at some level The Cairo Cellar is one of the bedrocks of the otherwise friable world of Zamalek nightlife -- there are many other such hideouts: Pub 28 and Deals, for example. But, those two tend to be overly crowded and for non-smokers, like myself, more akin to smoggy gas chambers. The Cairo Cellar, at least, is spacious -- and, dare I say less popular. And, I was determined to know why. The plain truth is that it all boils down to exorbitant prices of beer in comparison with other Zamalek bars. I knew The Cairo Cellar was not as easily assessable as its other more expatriate community- championed Zamalek rivals. What I didn't realise was that the drinks at The Cairo Cellar were relatively expensive. Nestled in the much-esteemed Hotel President, The Cairo Cellar is a very unusual place. It is never crowded, which is a definite advantage. Mirrors all over the place give a certain sense of commodious luxury. The waiters are friendly and the bar has plentiful supplies of alcoholic beverages. The Cairo Cellar is short on munchies, though. However, as far as Zamalek bars go, it has set down deep roots in the island-suburb's finicky inhabitants -- both native and expatriate. Members of the diplomatic corps and the expatriate community tend to congregate more in the exquisite. However, The Cairo Cellar does have its diehard expatriate patrons. The place has its drawbacks, though. The wait for the main course was long beyond belief. The steak, drenched in mustard sauce, was served with mashed potato -- no complaints. It was a very slowly served meal, but it didn't even look like some cook had spent hours and hours perfecting the dish. Indeed, when the meal finally came, it appeared a little like someone wanted to be sure the lump of meat that passed for a steak no longer resembled anything at all. Surprisingly enough, the delightful medium-rare beef was cooked to perfection. So much for mistaken appearances. The Cairo Cellar offers food which is not overworked or overdecorated, which is all the more curious because its takes a hell of a long time for the meals to be prepared. The mashed potato was somewhat grainy, but after several more mouthfuls, I knew that it had all the right ingredients and in correct measure. I decided to call upon The Cairo Cellar again. The service was surprisingly swift. Maybe the waiters are reluctant to relinquish their siestas? I reached for yet another slice of chunky beef. It was mouthwateringly good. Still, in the final analysis, I know that as far as I am concerned, a good restaurant brooks no delay. Old timers reminisce about the good old days. The food, they say, was superb. How much, and how little, has changed. I have very little time for the baffling complexity of Cairene cooking, though. It's not unnatural to escape the midday swelter, one could descend into the cool of an underground cellar. A word of warning, though: the service at The Cairo Cellar is far better at night. And, forget about dessert. I was toying with the idea of mille feuille or petit four to round up the evening, but then decided to do with my drink. Dinner for one: LE150 22 Taha Hussein Street Zamalek, Cairo Tel: 02 2737 2780
