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

When it comes to casual hangouts, Sheikh Zayed once suffered from a limited range of choices. But now, it’s arguably one of the fastest growing areas; places like Arkan Mall, Galleria 40, Westown Hub and Al Guezira Plaza have plenty to offer, and even nightlife is taking off; La Bodega is doing very well, Cairo Jazz Club 610 is opening imminently and The Tap West is on its way. One of the lesser glamorous places is Plaza 34, where Favilla Lounge opened earlier this year and has been winning fans.

As a venue, Favilla is quite large and divided into three spaces; an outdoor area on the ground floor that’s perfect for shisha, a glasshouse for a quieter mood and the non-smoking upper floor, which, overlooking the ground floor, is mainly dedicated for dining. Overall, it’s a fun place, but the bluish-green tables, which are used in the dining area, are a personal favourite.

The extensive menu has a wide variety of choices; from pizzas, pastas and sandwiches, to appetisers and main courses, but at time of our visit, quite a few dishes were unavailable, including the range of steaks, the ravioli and the lemon sorbet.

We started our meal with a Polpette Di Pollo (45LE), which is cheese-stuffed chicken meatballs with a konafa crust, which is served with a thousand island-like dip. While we liked the crunch of from the konafa and the stretch of the perfectly melted cheese, the meatballs, albeit being well-seasoned, were dry.

For the mains, we opted for the Pollo Cordon Bleu (90LE), Gambrettialla Curry (120LE) and The Grilled Beef Patties (90LE). All mains are served with your choice of two sides; classic white rice, French fries, perfectly seasoned fresh sautéed vegetables and probably the smoothest mashed potatoes we’ve had in a while, but sadly, it lacked any flavours and seasoning.

Starting with the Cordon Bleu, the breaded chicken was stuffed with mushrooms, roast beef and cheese. While the chicken was cooked well, the stuffing lacked flavour; the mushroom’s flavour weren’t intensified as they do when cooked and the cheese wasn’t melted.

On the other hand, the shrimp curry was the star of the day; the shrimp were perfectly cooked, the portion was big, the classic presentation was cute and the curry sauce had a thick,smooth consistency, with a pleasant spicy aftertaste.

As for the Grilled Beef Patties, which recommended by the manager, they came in the form of a single patty that is generously filled with mozzarella cheese. Although the patty had good kofta-like flavours and the cheese was melted perfectly, the patty was overcooked, leaving it dry.

Like many casual hangout spots in Cairo, Favilla seemed to be one mark short  of ticking all the boxes; with a good atmosphere and great set-up, it just fell short thanks to some of their most interesting dishes being unavailable and the small missteps in the food we ordered at the time of our visit.