After receiving an invitation to go to a place named Rithmo, I immediately began to imagine a grandiose multi-story dance complex filled with the same old garish nightclub gimmicks — overused smoke machines, lit torches, red curtains where doors should be, and maybe a few tribal dancers — that I've experienced far too many times elsewhere. Knowing absolutely nothing about the venue, I anticipated an excessively gaudy night out. As you might have already guessed from the title of this piece, Rithmo — a chic bar and lounge found at the five-star Cairo Semiramis InterContinental hotel in Garden City — is not at all what I envisioned. Touted by the Cairo Semiramis InterContinental's website as a bar to ”see and be seen,” the location is best known for its blending of contemporary western and East Asian motifs, its diverse music selection, and an extensive alcoholic drink selection. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 pm to 4 am, it's exclusively for people looking to enjoy a nice dinner, a few drinks and plenty of dancing. Or so I assume. When my dinner companion and I arrived at Rithmo at 10 pm on Sunday — Rithmo's ladies' night — the bar to “see and be seen” was completely empty. Our waiter, however, repeatedly mentioned that Rithmo has a huge weekend crowd, and that it is quite difficult to move through the patron-packed lounge on Thursday and Friday nights. To start us off, our waiter brought us two mojitos (LE 45 each) that had just the right amount of mint, and were served with a gracious quantity of crushed ice — the two most crucial elements of any quality mojito. As an added bonus for my companion, her first mojito was free as part of Rithmo's ladies' night drink special. Due to the sparse crowd present at the time, Rithmo's usual dance music selection was replaced by pop song covers played at much lower volumes than what I'm told usually pumps out of Rithmo's speakers on busier nights. Fortunately though, the emptiness of the lounge provided a great view of its lush interior. Just past a very trendy oval-shaped bar lies the main lounge, a stylish yet comfortable environment complete with beautiful wood ceilings, oriental rugs and frosted glass windows. The décor of the lounge, while aesthetically pleasing, is noticeably downplayed to ensure that the focus of the area remains on the individual tables. The low lying tabletops display splashes of red, orange and yellow candlelight, and each seat is different from the next. Guests have the option of laying back in a lavish armchair or low settee, unwinding their bodies against the lounge's fluffy silk cushions. The kitchen started our meal off with an order of chicken skewers with a single satay dip (LE 50). The bite-sized white meat chicken tasted healthier than most, and the accompanying satay dip was exceptionally tasty. The dip's texture was reminiscent of teriyaki but had a much more subtle, faintly sweet taste that grew stronger after each highly satisfying bite. The camembert pane (LE 30) was cooked to golden brown perfection, and was so delicate that you needed to take extra care when lifting it off the plate to prevent the creamy melted cheese from oozing out from the thin layer of bread crumbs containing it. The first main course, the beef fillet rubbed in herbs (LE 150) — cooked medium well as per our request — was tender and succulent, and the herbs complemented the meat's rich flavor nicely. The fillet came with a mix of grilled vegetables and French fries, which were of average quality and nothing remarkable. The gourmet platter (LE 150) was composed of a spectacular smoked salmon that was so fresh it tasted as though it was plucked from the ocean moments before we sat down, absolutely perfect jumbo shrimps that were plump and juicy, and an ambiguous fish terrine toast that my dinner partner insisted was chicken. For dessert, the Temptation (LE 40) was surprisingly disappointing even though it was recommended by several friends of mine. My dinner mate and I both agreed that the brownie was dry, bland, and generally unimpressive. However, the hot, creamy, utterly rich chocolate sauce that was used was truly superb; the sauce was so lusciously addictive that, if it were accompanied by a better brownie, it could easily become one of the best desserts in Cairo. That title, instead, goes to the crème brûlée (LE 40). Having previously tried the dessert in at least 200 restaurants spread across four different countries, Rithmo's version was unquestionably the greatest crème brûlée I've ever had anywhere. The outer layer of the dessert was the perfect texture, and the cream beneath was soft, smooth, and left us both wanting more. It was a fantastic conclusion to what we both felt was a highly gratifying meal. After service charges and taxes, our final bill totaled LE 680. Based almost entirely on its LE 200 minimum charge, I would not frequent Rithmo on a regular basis — or at least not on Sunday nights. For special occasions, however, I will definitely return. The atmosphere is exquisite, the cuisine's strengths far outweigh its deficiencies, and our Sunday night service — four servers for two people — was excellent. Thursday/Friday Tip: If you decide to go on either of these days, a reservation is required and the venue has a strict couples-only entry policy.
