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

Featured image via Cairo Jazz Club 610 – Facebook

One does not often stumble upon nightclubs that offer restaurant-quality food; it is either mediocre or simply non-existent. Offering good food is usually set in a different atmosphere, such as a bar, bistro, or a restaurant. However, CJC 610 redefined itself as a cool spot that’s a mixture of a restaurant, bar, and nightclub rolled into one. With the amazing success of its other branch in Dokki, CJC 610 went all out in Sheikh Zayed with an outdoor area for weekend brunches, two bars, lounges, a round of high tables, a massive dance floor, and a stage.

CJC 610 is renowned for its weekend parties and music events, as well as fabulous brunches. We decided to try out dinner and a few drinks at Sheikh Zayed’s favourite nightclub – we don’t want to miss out on that, do we? We entered the place at around 8 PM, where we were greeted by the host as soon as we arrived. We went up the stairs and immediately noticed that it kept the same unique interior décor as CJC Dokki, only with a more hip, contemporary, and detailed touch. We got to our lounge and got comfortable –we browsed through the cocktail selection and settled on a Sex on the Beach (235LE) – vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice, and mixed berry juice. Even though it is a summer cocktail, we loved it as much in the winter; perfect ratios, not overly sweet and quite refreshing. We also got one Old Fashioned Whiskey Sour (190LE); whiskey, fresh orange juice, and Angostura bitters with soda. A classic drink, but needs skill to perfect. We were not disappointed; it was a great mix with a unique taste from the herbal rooty flavour of the Angostura bitters.

 Since we were having cocktails, we found ourselves looking at the appetisers and opted for the Spicy Shrimp Cocktail (250LE) – poached shrimps, shredded cabbage, and spicy cocktail sauce. It was a good call on our end. The shrimps were poached to perfection, which is a hard thing to execute, and the tangy, spicy, creamy cocktail sauce was out of this world. The hors d’oeuvre was so delicious that we had to fight the urge to have dinner straight away and get a second round of drinks for the evening. We chose the Campari Spritz (190LE) – Campari, fresh orange juice, and white wine topped with soda. If you are a fan of the herbal and fruity flavour in alcohol, then this aperitif cocktail is a home-run; fruity, sweet, boozy, and fuzzy. Last but not least, we got the Ginger Whiskey Sour (190LE) – whiskey, fresh ginger, sour mix, and Angostura bitters. Usually, when you start the night with whiskey, you continue with whiskey for the rest of the night, this cocktail, however, was the best example of mixing it up (with fresh ginger), yet remains favourably on the whiskey track.

Ginger sesame Glazed Ribs (260LE) was our first main course – Asian spiced ribs, green glass noodles, grilled sesame glazed mushrooms, and kimchi. This dish was distinctive and yummy; such a nice twist of flavours to the regular grilled ribs – the ginger glaze perfectly complemented the ribs and mushrooms, and the noodles were just a great addition.

There are a lot of tempting dishes on the menu, like Stuffed Quail, Slow-cooked Lamb shoulder/leg, and Sun-dried Tomato Labneh stuffed Chicken,  but, we went with the Truffle Tenderloin Steak (280LE) with truffle gnocchi, parmesan, and mixed greens. What a dish! Truffle is a hard ingredient to play with, but it was used perfectly in this dish. The well-done steak was impeccably cooked alongside the creamy yet pleasingly earthy gnocchi. 

Our night was a total success – the ambience, the staff, the drinks, and the food were excellent. A definite shout out to the CJC 610 team for maintaining this level of refined flavours that one would only expect at a high-end restaurant. The fact that one could have dinner with a few drinks before the whole place turns into a party is a spot-on concept. You don’t need to have dinner then go to another venue for the party – just stay put, and the party will come to you.