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

Garden 8 is a high-end shopping mall in First New Cairo. This mall has a spacious ground floor terrace area that is home to distinctive contemporary art pieces and various casual-chic restaurants. The newly-opened Binge came in hard with an inclusive menu and pronounced artsy aesthetics. As we made our way to the entrance, the staff asked if we had a reservation; we did not. This was not a problem because it was midweek; however, reservations are a must if anyone decides to go on weekends.

The place has various seating areas, and we decided to sit in the indoor glass-house area with a really sunny yet fresh atmosphere. Once we took our seats, we were handed the food and beverage menus. To start, we got two drinks, one hot and one cold. Our friendly waiter informed us that they had a special hot drink that was not on the menu, the Cotton Candy Coffee (35 LE) – Coffee with cotton candy that slowly melts on top of the surface. It was certainly a fun and innovative way to have coffee – a nice added touch indeed. We also got a Passion Fruit Mojito (85 LE) – this was not on the menu, but we were told that we could pick and choose any Mojito flavour we like, or even order any of their alcoholic cocktails as mocktails, taking off the alcohol its price. This mocktail was exquisite; the passion fruit puree had a tangy yet sugary taste, and the mint brought the whole drink together.

Next in line was the appetiser. After much debate, we settled on the Prawn Avo Sliders (150 LE) – Tempura prawns, Cajun-spiced avocado, Binge mayo, and guacamole in a brioche bun. The marriage of flavours in this dish was enjoyable; the Cajun was an interesting mix, and all the ingredients tasted fresh, but the bun itself was denser than a regular airy brioche.

For our mains, the Artichoke and Cranberry Quesadilla (75 LE) looked intriguing – grilled artichoke hearts, dried cranberries, cheddar and mozzarella. This vegetarian dish was flavourful and quite yummy; the artichokes and mushrooms really worked with the mix of cheeses and the subtle sweetness of the cranberries. We also got the Sesame Seared Tuna (220 LE) – crusted tuna loin, marinated noodles, bok choy salad and teriyaki sauce. This dish had some downsides. The tuna was slightly overcooked, the noodles needed more sauce for the flavour to shine, and it didn’t come with the bok choy salad. The staff happily made us another plate with all our comments seen to – great customer service right there.

To end this lovely meal, we wanted to try one of their desserts. The menu had three options – we went with Churros (90 LE) – the famous Mexican street food. It is a deep-fried dessert with butterscotch and chocolate sauces, a positively sugary dessert, and the portion was substantial. The sauces were home-made, which really gave it a unique elevated taste.

Our visit is one to be repeated for sure. The customer service and the staff were very friendly and attentive. They were even nice enough to take the churros off the check and count it as a complementary dish. Opening up a high-end gastropub is no easy task, but Binge is on the right track for sure.

Follow Binge on Instagram and Facebook.