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

What is the definition of a great restaurant? The typical answer would be a restaurant with delicious food, quick and friendly service, a soothing atmosphere, and an overall amazing experience. Having said that, there is an extra edge that makes an ordinary, mundane restaurant stand out, and that is sustainability. Fancy food places come and go, but the ones that we always remember are those that stand the test of time. So to answer the initial question, a great restaurant is that which maintains its high quality of food, service, and atmosphere, regardless of any circumstances. This definition is embodied in today’s featured restaurant: Sizzler.

If you’re a Maadi resident, then there’s an extremely high chance that Sizzler has crossed your path at least once, either orally or visually. Even if you’re not a steak fan, fret not for the menu is filled with a plethora of international dishes, including all the options that you could think of.  

Let’s dive right into the mouthwatering portion of our review. As usual, the astounding quality of service did not cease to surprise us. Bear in mind that our visit was on a Friday and some Egyptian restaurants’ performances tend to drop during the weekend. Despite this common phenomenon, Sizzler did not subdue to “social pressure” and delivered a truly nourishing and fulfilling experience.  

After a 20-minute wait, due to the continuous lines of hungry customers, and then whetting our appetite with some garlic bread, chopped olives, and butter, we headed straight for the salad bar. The left side of the bar included some fresh vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, an assortment of colourful chopped up peppers, shiny red beets, and other ingredients. The salads were spread out in the right side containing potato salad, coleslaw, tabbouleh, and a combination of tuna salad and corn. The sauces displayed right next to them did not fail to impress, especially the deliciously sweet yet savoury honey mustard sauce that we tried.

We now move on to the main course, starting with one of their classic signature dishes, the Cordon Bleu. Sizzler offers the meal in both grilled and fried forms. Based on experience, we would recommend the former, but that really comes down to your personal preference. It costs approximately 113 LE and is worth every penny. The crunchy fries, the well-seasoned sautéed vegetables, and the thick, tasty cheese sauce, both poured over and pouring out of the turkey-filled chicken, were impeccable. Simultaneously, the Steak House Burger (89.99 LE) was nearly the perfect definition of a juicy and tender burger that we often visualise in our dreams.      

As for the rest of the factors of the restaurant, the servers were generally amicable, although they may want to work on smiling a bit more. The ambience can only be described as “relaxing” due to its low lighting, soothing paintings, and very comfortable seating.