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

Coffee, the life essence that makes most people move in the morning. There is definitely no shortage of brands and cafés to get our daily fix from, however, there is more room for one more.

With over 203 venues spanning ten countries under its belt, the Minnesota-based coffee place, Caribou, has been rapidly spreading all over town, offering a multitude of java goodness. Overlooking Mall of Egypt’s fountain, Caribou is decked out in stone and wood; the interior, which has a slight rustic feel to it, boasts two artificial fireplaces surrounded by several chairs. In addition, there’s the main counter and display, where we placed our order.

We opted for the Turkey cheese croissant (30LE), with a side of Caribou-branded Chips (20LE). As for our coffee, we opted for a medium-sized cappuccino (30LE), Salted Caramel Budino of the same size (42LE) and a slice of Nutella cheesecake (45LE).

The turkey cheese croissant was on point; slightly heated upon our request, the crust warm yet still soft. Served in packaging that resembles a zip lock bag, the thick-cut Caribou chips, despite being a little bit oily, complimented the croissant; fresh and nicely seasoned with only salt.

Coming in a big mug, the cappuccino had nice foam and a lovely aroma. The salted caramel Budino, meanwhile, was ordered cold blended; it is a mixture of caramel, milk, coffee and ice that is topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce and a sprinkle of salt and sugar. The drink was smooth, extremely refreshing and had a nice sweetness to it that had a delicate salty aftertaste, making the flavours pop even more.

Finally, the Nutella cheesecake was everything we expected; very smooth and rich with chocolate and hazelnut, which made it an enjoyable end to our visit.

In the end, Caribou has proven to be a worthy contender in the coffee battle scene, with great, flavoursome hot and cold coffees and equally tasty desserts and savory items that would certainly make it a new favorite for some.