When I feel like treating myself to a good Italian meal where I know I'll get my money's worth, I always go to Bella at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza. Not only is the food of perfect quality, but the whole experience serves as a much needed time-out from stressful Cairo. The most important thing to do if you are going to Bella is to reserve a table by the window because the Nile view is spectacular from this particular spot at all times. Whether it's brunch with the girls, a business lunch or a tête-à-tête dinner with your beloved, Bella is the place to go. The place is always full but never loudly packed. There is background music playing, but you barely notice it. The venue itself is decorated in light green and pale orange shades. The lighting fixtures are very contemporary, giving a modern touch to the timeless décor. The artwork consists of framed sketches of Florence by acclaimed Egyptian artist Farghali Abdel Hafiz. One of his delightful paintings graces the reception area leading to the restaurant. The menu changes throughout the day (for lunch and dinner), but both menus are filled with delicious varieties of Italian dishes not available anywhere else in Cairo. Here you'll find risotto with prawns, clams, mussels, calamari and octopus, or squid ink tagliolini pasta with a touch of chili, scallops, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. You'll also get spinach and saffron tagliatelle pasta with wild mushroom sauce plus a unique selection of beef, veal, lamb, fish and chicken dishes. As you can see the hardest decision to make at Bella is choosing just one item from the menu. I have actually seen people spend up to half an hour staring at it before they settle on something. While you are busy choosing, the waiter brings this delectable bread topped with rosemary and a sweet vegetable sauce to munch on before the real festivities begin. It's tempting to keep eating the fresh bread, but don't fill yourself up because there is still so much to go. For starters I recommend the antipasti buffet, so you can choose from an array of scrumptious treats. But the beef carpaccio is a good alternative if you're not into the buffet concept. The antipastis include a selection of vegetable-oriented plates with asparagus and aubergine. For cheese lovers, the buffet offers great parmesan and the best ricotta cheese I have ever had. The secret? It is homemade in Bella's kitchen. Except for a few imported ingredients, most of the food in Bella is made in-house, including the pasta itself which is hand made using an old Italian recipe. I was lucky enough to meet the charming Italian Chef Angelo Zantidischi who was wearing a very modern jeans version of a chef's uniform. He is now the executive chef of the whole hotel chain's operation. For those who have been to the spectacular Il Frantoio at the Four Seasons in Sharm El-Sheikh, it was none other than Chef Angelo who launched that diamond when he first arrived in Egypt after leaving his hometown of Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet). For a main dish I usually choose either a risotto or potato gnocchi simply because it is very difficult to find either of these dishes cooked to perfection. On the lunch menu, they offer gnocchi with a fresh tomato sauce. At night they offer a spinach and potato gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnut sauce. How I measure good gnocchi is that it tastes like full-of-flavor pasta that is miraculously light, you wonder how it could be made of potatoes. There is a good selection of risottos which is about to get even bigger. Chef Angelo told me that they are working on a "risotteria which is an extra menu that exclusively offers a wide variety of risottos, not only sticking to classic ingredients but going all out with an evolution menu (the height of contemporary cuisine). For example, there will be an autumn special risotto with chestnut, fois gras and vanilla figs. As for dessert, the highest recommendation goes to the soft centered chocolate cake with forest berry ice cream, pear puree and vanilla sauce. It is to die for. It looks like a normal chocolate cake, but once you cut through it the hot chocolate fondu oozes out and the scent of strong chocolate fills the air. At that point I am hypnotized, and find it very difficult to give anyone and anything any attention until the plate is cleaned off. For those who like to do it right, a selection of Italian digestives is available like grappa and limoncello. A tour of Bella's kitchen revealed the secret of their success. Clean, busy and experimental the chefs are always trying to come up with innovative recipes to keep their clientele's expectations fulfilled. Chef Angelo showed me a new recipe they were trying out using fried ravioli which they were going to top with cheese fondue. Another special treat coming up at the end of November is a truffle (mushroom) promotion, with refined rare white and black truffles. Look out for those sweet and savory delights. BellaFour Seasons Nile Plaza1089 Corniche El Nil, Garden City, Cairo. (02) 2791 7000
