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

Maadi is known for its many restaurants, and while some have become favourites to the locals, others have been shunned out of business. In the area that saw Tabla Luna and Stavolta rise to fame, comes another restaurant trying to fight for a piece of the cake.

Stonewood Egypt is quite a small restaurant, the square-shaped area houses what looks like about 10 black, wooden tables, with black chairs and red padding. The decoration is mostly black or grey with red brick walls. It’s a cozy setting, and the Italian music does a great job at getting you in the right mood.

The folks at Stonewood greeted us with a complimentary bread basket and cream of chicken soup that all tasted very good. We were particularly fond of the garlic bread. Baffled by the menu choices, we went full beast mode. There were no appetisers, but they had a host of salads, and of those we opted for the Salmon Salad (89 EGP). The subtle French dressing worked wonders with fresh arugula and salmon, and we were thoroughly satisfied and ready for our next course.

Next stop was carb-ville. From their pizzas, we went for the Chicken Ranch Pizza (75 EGP), and from the pastas we couldn’t resist the Lasagna (95 EGP). Their Ranch pizza left a bit to be desired, nothing was particularly bad, but again, nothing was particularly great. The chicken and all the ingredients worked well together, but we were expecting a bit more from the ranch sauce. Perhaps it works better if you prefer a more subtle taste.

As for the Lasagna, it put things back on track and made us forgive them for the pizza. It was cheesy, saucy, meaty, but not too much of anything. The portion was huge, and the spices, as well as ingredient ratios were on point.

Finally, the main attraction. For that you get the choice of chicken, salmon, shrimp, or different cuts of beef. We went for the 350 gm Rib-Eye Steak (239 EGP). Their thing is, as their name goes, to give you a hot stone sitting on a piece of wood, and serve you the raw meat of your choice, along with butter, spices, and the sauce you pick. The waiter helps you get started and guides you as you freestyle cook your main dish. For us, the experience was delightful, and the cooking was just right. But if you prefer a more well-done piece of meat, you can ask them to finish it off in the kitchen.

Overall, we enjoyed the setting, music, decoration, and the excellent service. We felt comfortable and pleased as we dined with delicious, excellently cooked food.