The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

As the latest
stunt from Porsche Designs, P’75 is a restaurant in Mohandiseen that serves as an extension
of the Porsche outlet shop, which sits just next door and models various
kitchen and home designs.

Behind its modest café appearance, the restaurant
actually contains a cavernous interior, complete with a large tent-like ceiling
that looks as though it could be drawn down on a cool night, and a piano on a
raised platform in the centre of the room. The stone walls and low lighting
lend a romantic air to the restaurant, but the many televisions are a bit
distracting.

Despite
Porsche’s German roots, the restaurant is Italian, though the pictures on the
menu tend to overdo the quality of the actual dishes. Excited by the plate full of crisp, lightly
browned calamari rings (34LE) displayed on a full page next to the appetisers
section, we weren’t sure what to do with the small handful of calamari ‘sticks’
that were served to us. We did eventually eat the overcooked and rubbery
chunks, but only because we were hungry.

P75’s drinks actually do the service
of looking better than the pictures, and we absolutely recommend the delicious
P’75 cocktail and the even tastier bashon, a blend of vanilla, strawberry, and
mango juice.

In addition
to the usual soups (22LE to 25LE) and salads (28LE to 50LE), a number of
Italian classics grace the pasta and main course menus. The lasagna (44LE) is
not at all bad, but the ingredients are too simple. The basic layers of ground
beef and a soft cheese that is more spread than melted over the noodles don’t
taste bad; but this reviewer was left wondering if it really would have been so
hard to invest in some oregano, onions or perhaps higher quality ground beef
and real ricotta.

The chicken parmesan (46LE) is similar in that it is tasty
but rather simply made. The chicken was tender and juicy but the thick
spaghetti and incredibly sparse portions of sauce and mozzarella made us
question the dish’s name.

Serving
sizes at P’75 are small to average; so saving room for dessert shouldn’t be a
problem. Various dishes are listed but it is best to just ignore them and go
see what’s being displayed behind the counter near the bar. We know good
cheesecake is hard to find in Cairo, but with the exception of its tasteless crust,
P’75 has a decently creamy cheesecake. If it hadn’t been drenched in excessively sweet
strawberry syrup, it might have been almost perfect.

If it’s not
dinnertime or you’re just not that hungry, you can still head to P’75 and relax
on their comfortable terrace. The restaurant boasts an exotic bakery, an
extensive café and sandwich menu as well as a variety of shishas.