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

If you
have ever been in Rome, chances are you have had the best cup of coffee you
could ever dream of. Italians know how to make coffee and it’s only after
visiting that you truly understand what coffee is supposed to taste like. Unfortunately,
Cairo is still short on cafés that serve quality coffee. We think we’ve found
the answer though; Il Caffé di Roma opened in March in 5th Settlement’s Downtown Mall,
and serves some of the best coffee that we’ve ever tasted in Cairo.

The view
is not exactly as spectacular as sitting next to the Pantheon or the Coliseum
but nevertheless, Il Caffé di Roma has a nice terrace. The seats and couches
are comfortable and perfect to lounge on for a while, while the inside has a bright
orange décor. Il Caffé di Roma is run by Italian coffee house Lavazzo and one
look at the menu will show that this place is serious about coffee. After browsing
through the menu for a while, we ordered the regular double espresso (14.50LE),
the cioccolata Italiana (26.50LE) and the crushed kiwi and apple concoction (33.50LE)
as a refresher.

The
espresso tasted exactly the way an espresso should taste: thick with a perfect
cream layer and a powerful coffee taste with a faint bitter aftertaste. However,
the highlight was the cioccolata Italiana. This hot chocolate drink is prepared
‘Torino’ style. It is made from pure chocolate and has a nice
thick and syrupy texture. Needless to say, it was delicious and was absolutely the best hot
chocolate that we’ve ever had in Cairo and perhaps even beyond. It will leave
you in a chocolate frenzy. The only downside to it might be that it is almost
impossible to finish it because it is very heavy and filling. The kiwi apple
mix tasted fresh, was made with fresh fruit and tasted delicious as well. The
glass was laid out nicely too with pieces of kiwi on the inside decorating the
glass. 

Residents
of New Cairo have been blessed with the arrival of Il Caffé di Roma, and for
other Cairenes, it is definitely worth making the trip out to 5th Settlement for a visit. However, it does come at a price. We paid a whopping 92LE
for three drinks; but given the drinks’ superb quality and heavenly taste, we found
the price worthy. We can’t wait for more branches to open up around Cairo.