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

From the freshly made authentic Italian pastas, to a special selection of mouth-watering fish and meat dishes, Four Seasons Nile Plaza’s Bella is a classy Italian restaurant that gives you the chance to experience the unique flavours of Tuscany.   

As a venue, the restaurant stands out with a chic and sophisticated aesthetic, a collection of beautiful paintings and wooden interior, not to mention an extravagant wine display and open kitchen.

We kicked things off with an exquisite Salmon Carpaccio (140LE) as an appetiser, while we opted for baked Sea Bass (240LE) and roasted jumbo prawns (400LE) served with leek risotto as our mains.

As a raw-meat dish, two things usually decide the success of Carpaccio; the freshness of the ingredients and the chef’s knife skills. With its delicately thin slices, topped with a bruschetta-like roasted bell pepper, the salmon Carpaccio boasted a strong garlic flavour which worked really well with the citrus from the orange and the dressing. It was an outstanding appetiser that set the bar high for the main courses.   

Served with prawns, potatoes, fennel, bell peppers, olives and capers all baked to perfection, the sea bass had a very moist texture; it was flaky yet firm and the skin retained some exceptional flavours from its seasoning. The mixture of potato and fennel cubes, the sweetness in the bell peppers and the zesty flavours of the capers and olives came together for a phenomenal dish whose elements all worked perfectly the sea bass – although the prawns served with it were a little unnecessary.

We had no such qualms with the roasted jumbo prawns of our second dish, however, the over-the-top presentations.  In fact, it turned out to be by far the highlight of our meal thanks to some outstanding flavours. The creamy bisque sauce complimented the mild flavour of the prawns, but the leek risotto stole the show with its perfectly creamy consistency and taste – it was an unforgettable dish.

We finished our meal with Cassata Ice Cream with Savoiardi Meringue Gratin (80LE) – an Italian ice cream cake. Consisting of a layer of Italian ladyfingers, topped with three layers of pistachio, vanilla and chocolate ice cream and covered with torched meringue, the dessert looked great and tasted great – especially with the berries and the bitter orange jam which created a nice depth of flavours.

Overall, there was little to complain about at the time of our visit to Bella. The ambiance was a perfect balance of sophistication and cosiness and the food was outstanding – not to mentions how professional and friendly the staff was.