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

On a beautiful side street in inner Maadi resides a fantastic bakery by the name of Ratios. This impressive endeavour that soon became a hit started by selling bread to friends through word-of-mouth in the Maadi community. This family business offers many sweet and savoury recipes ranging from artisan sourdough bread, tarts, and quiches to macarons, croissants, pizza, sandwiches, crackers, and more.

We wanted to visit this amazing new bakery that was the talk of the town for quite some time. However, they close at 2 PM, so if you’re planning to visit, you can go as early as 8 AM; after 10 AM, everything starts flying off the shelves. The best thing about this cosy spot is that it has a backyard where you can sit and enjoy your goodies with a cup of coffee from Fyngan. As you enter the bakery, you can tell how homey and inviting it is; the place is buzzing with customers, bakers, and staff, all smiling and enjoying their day. We were greeted by one of the staff members, who happened to stay with us through our extensive ordering process, graciously explaining all the items on display.  We wanted to try a few different things, so we started with one Artichoke and Onion Tart (40 LE), Lemon Tart (35 LE), and a Citrus Morning Bun (35). We took our order to try in the backyard that was quite lively, and began to taste everything; the savoury tart was flavourful, and the dough was the right amount of chewy and soft. The lemon tart was out of this world; the sweetness of the meringue on top and the zesty lemon filling was balanced and simply delicious, as was the morning bun. The hint of orange was quite delectable, and the dough was soft and satisfyingly buttery.

We went inside again for our second round of trials. This time, we got one Pistachio Cruffin (75 LE) – a hybrid between a muffin and a croissant, a Flower Macaroon (20 LE), a Chocolate Chip Cookie (25 LE), and an Olive Ficelle (25 LE) – mini sourdough baguette with olives. The macaroon was an absolute delight; sweet with floral undertones that were just heavenly, the cookie was just as successful, chewy and sugar balanced – both were perfect to pair with coffee. The olive baguette was picture-perfect, filled with olives and had the ideal chew; we shamelessly finished it all right there. The cruffin was also quite flavourful but a bit heavy because of all the butter – if you’re a butter fan, it is definitely for you.

As we were leaving, we decided to get a small pack of sourdough bread to go. The bread stayed fresh outside of the fridge for four days, but we were told it also freezes well. All in all, our experience was rather lovely, from the friendly and helpful staff to the exquisite selection of baked goods. Everything we tried was spot on; you can taste the quality ingredients and passion for baking in every bite. Also, alongside their extensive offerings, you can find homemade nut butters, fresh juices, cakes, and more – this place is every pastry lover dream come true.