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

With restaurants opening almost weekly in Cairo, a familiar face can be more comforting and a sure bet for a good experience. Romano’s Macaroni Grill has finally branched out of busy Heliopolis and made its way to New Cairo at Cairo Festival City.

With a huge sign in the fountain area, you can’t miss it tucked between two other greats, The Edward’s and El Chico, with both an outdoor area overlooking the dancing fountain and a cosy indoor area with an open kitchen bursting with aromas and spicy smells.

As we took our seats outside, we were served a plate filled with olive oil topped with herbs and spices, as well as a plate with a loaf of bread. Unfortunately, the bread wasn’t too fresh ,which gave it a crumbly, stale exterior,  but a tender inside worked well when dipped into the olive oil.

We ordered the Romano Sampler (91LE) as our appetiser which came remarkably fast; three tomato bruschettas, three mozzarella frittas and fried calamari, accompanied with some arrabiata sauce.

With a crispy exterior and a cheesy tender filling, the fried mozzarella frittas were heavenly, especially when paired with the spicy arrabiata sauce. The fried calamari was well seasoned, giving a special flavour to the dish which would have been enhanced if there was some tartar sauce. As for the tomato bruschetta, it was topped with some cheese shavings and tomato slices which gave a nice blend of juicy and salty to make it a great mix.

Fifteen minutes later, our main dishes arrived; the BBQ Fillet (179LE) came as a medium-sized fillet topped with BBQ sauce and served with a side of mashed potatoes and penne pasta topped with cheese, bacon bits and peas.

The fillet was cooked thoroughly and its dryness was rescued with the great addition of the BBQ sauce giving a tangy, sweet backdrop to the earthy, gamy beef. The pasta was cooked till tender, with the gooey cheese giving a taste resembling mac’n’cheese, blending well with the smoky taste of the bacon bits and the mushiness of the sauteed peas. Finally, the golden mashed potatoes had a smooth texture and was cooked perfectly without lumps.

Our second dish, the Chicken Parmesan (109LE), came as one large piece of a fried chicken breast topped with melted mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes with a side of penne pasta covered with Alfredo sauce and cheese shavings.

The Chicken was fried to perfection with a crunchy breading and a juicy tender interior. The gooey cheesy mozzarella topping gave it a slightly salty aftertaste, while the pasta and rich sauce was bursting with flavour, making it a well-rounded dish.

Finally, our last dish the Penne Rustica (131LE), had a penne pasta base topped with a mix of roasted chicken, slices of veal, shrimp, Parmesan cheese and gratinata sauce. All the toppings were well cooked, giving an almost surf and turf vibe to the dish, with the shrimp being the stand flavour. However,  the sauce was the main star, blending all of the ingredients together to make a fantastic dish.

Macaroni Grill lives up to its name with some of the best pasta we’ve had for some time, however their presentation could use some work as the portions look minuscule and untidy on the plate; and their staff were almost nowhere to be found after we made our order.