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

It’s always refreshing when a venue decides to undergo a transformation and renew its concept, and when we heard that Pottery Café’s Zamalek branch has done just that, we had to go see it for ourselves.

Located on Zamalek’s busy Abou El Feda Street, overlooking the Nile, Pottery Café still boasts its two-floor indoor seating and outdoor seating that is, essentially, a few tables and chairs laid out on the sidewalk. The indoor décor seems to have gone from being dimly lit with a darker colour scheme to a brighter, more optimistic design. From brightly coloured pink, green and white furniture to quirky wall art, a breath of life has seriously been blown into the spacious café.

Visiting the venue during the weekend meant that the chances of getting an outdoor table were pretty much non-existent and so we automatically picked a table on the second floor right by the window. Swiftly laying out Pottery’s traditional, and unchanged menu, our waiter was quick to serve us.

Opting for the Fried Chicken with Cheese sandwich (35LE), and the Negresco-style Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta (43LE) for main courses and the Mocha Frappe (27 LE) and Green Tea with Fresh Mint (15LE) for drinks, we awaited our order patiently.

The drinks arrived within a few minutes, with the Green Tea boasting fresh mint leaves and the Mocha Frappe arriving, as requested, without whipped cream. The Mocha Frappe tasted quite chocolaty and refreshing yet lacked any distinctive coffee flavour.

Our food arrived about thirty minutes after we placed our order and was definitely worth the relatively short wait. The delicious, as well as filling Fried Chicken With Cheese Sandwich came in a baguette cut in half, with pane chicken laden with 2 slices of melted Cheddar of cheese, tomatoes and lettuce and an ample side of French fries.

The true show-stopper, however, was the Negresco-style Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta, which comprised of penne pasta drenched in Alfredo sauce containing chicken chunks and mushrooms, and topped with a layer of toasted parmesan and mozzarella cheese. All we can say is that this dish can convert anyone into a pasta addict.

In a nutshell, Pottery Café’s new interior décor is definitely a step up, as it makes for a much more pleasant and polished ambiance. With quality food that doesn’t cause a dent in one’s wallet, as well as alert, efficient servers, the café outdoes itself. The one pet peeve though? It’s always too crowded.