Every Friday, two thoughts inevitably cross my mind. First, how can I explain the concept of sleeping in on the weekends to my children? Second, what are we going to do with the kids today? If you're a parent, you understand. Children need an outlet for their boundless energy. Though Cairo is generally a child-friendly city, families dash madly around all over trying to squeeze themselves into the crowded clubs and family restaurants. Recently, the Tropicana group of restaurants launched their solution to family dining in 6th of October City. With the rare luxury of space, they opened a chain of restaurants: Chilis, Studio Misr, Alain Le Notre, and Halaqit El Samak. And with families in mind, they created a large garden, which is overrun with children clambering over the playground or teetering over the edge of the artificial river to catch sight of the fish. On the weekends - to cater for larger crowds - they also include a bouncing castle, inflatable slide, and trampoline. Avoiding the usual problem of coming to a unanimous decision about where to eat, each family member can choose to order their meal from a different venue. It's not something that the waiters encourage, but they will quickly acquiesce. The children can order from Chilis' Tex-Mex menu, deliberating between the juicy grilled hamburger and the chicken crispers. Of course, the endless soda refills are another of their main attractions. The adults have a choice of Studio Misr for a traditional Middle Eastern menu. On Fridays, however, the menu takes a hiatus and is replaced by a buffet. If you're feeling peckish, then it's not a bad deal at LE 75 per person. But it'll easily reach LE 100 with the drinks, service charge, sales tax and tips. The buffet buffs seemed pleased, but as a rule I avoid the overindulgent lure of all-you-can-pile-on-your-plate dining so we decided to look elsewhere. If you're in the mood for a light meal, then head to Alain Le Notre. Of course their selection of incredibly delicious and decadent desserts offset this. While the kids can enjoy a scoop of ice cream,unlike Chilis, Le Notre caters to an adult sweet tooth: cheesecake, rich chocolate cake laced with silky chocolate sauce, and so much more. By the time we made our way from the car park (another perk of the 6th of October outlet is the availability of parking space), across the garden, over the bridge, and to the outdoor seating area, we had decided on the fish restaurant, Halaqit El Samak. We chose a selection of grilled seafood. If you want to assess seafood, it's best not to make selections that are masked in a thick coating of fried batter. Simple, grilled fish or shrimp infused withherbs and spices is more of a testament to the chef's skills. As the children ran off with their LE 5 to buy their way onto the inflatable slide, we adults nibbled on a selection of mezzes, in anticipation of the main meal. Though we both found it hard to converse - unable to compete with the Latin, Greek, and English music blasted through the speakers by the live DJ - we gave our thumbs up to the interesting herring salad. The salty, creamy salad was a nice touch among the usual appetizers of tahina and baba ghanough. We called the children over as their main meal from Chilis arrived. Judging by the speed with which they downed their food, they seemed to enjoy it. Or rather, they were in a hurry to get back to the games. We savored our shrimp, which arrived on the table on a small, sizzling grill. The jumbo shrimp was sumptuous, with just enough spice to add flavor without overpowering the subtle taste of the shrimp. A platter of grilled fish quickly followed. It was equally good. The children weren't tempted by their parents' "hmmms and "aaahhhs. But rather than coerce them into having a taste, we decided that we'd keep it to ourselves. The service was efficient and amicable. When each course was finished, the plates were quickly whisked away to make room for clean ones. Our waiter was attentive and was always available. It was a pleasant surprise given that the Friday throng was growing, but it seemed like the Chilis waiters were receiving more than their fair share of customers. A common complaint at Chilis was how long it took to get a waiter to respond to a request, but I blame this on the free refills that are a burden on their time. No sooner do they serve the drinks, then they have to come back with more. A family meal can cost about LE 100 per person (about LE 200 if you eat at the fish restaurant), especially if you're kids insist on having Chilis' Molten Chocolate cake or the Chocolate Chip ParadisePie (each about LE 25). The games can also add up. Overall, it's a great place to spend the day with the family, but there are drawbacks. Its popularity means that it can get quite crowded on the weekends. Some days it feels like you're having lunchat the children's playground. And it's precisely those days that the service feels the strain of demanding customers. However, with Friday looming and another family outing to plan, it's definitely one of your better options. The kids can romp around in the garden, while you lie back on your plastic chair and enjoyevery bite of chocolate cake as you leisurely sip your coffee. And, hey, if your kids are noisy or rowdy, who's going to complain? Parents of the other noisy, rowdy children?
