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

Previously occupying a spot behind Landmark Hotel, the Mood was one of the finest local restaurants to open in New Cairo, providing a satisfying pool-side dining experience. Now relocated behind the Basilic Church in Heliopolis, the brand new spot boasts a colourful modern outdoor area surrounded by radiant greens and equipped with misting fans to beat the heat, while the indoor area has a cosier setting with minimal lighting, relaxing sofas and big screen TVs, all of which make it a great spot for large groups.

Going through the menu, we were a little lost between the variety, with the restaurant offering everything from from grilled foods, fish dishes, pastas and pizzas, to sandwiches and even Oriental fattas.

We decided to start our meal with Cheese sambousek (31.99LE) and, for the mains, we went for Chicken Curry (69.99LE) and the 'Mood Seafood' (110.99LE) with a side of French fries and sautéed vegetables.

Five large pieces of cheese-infused sambousak served lukewarm. The five large pieces of sambousak, unfortunately, had a bland cheese flavour and a stale, re-heated taste, which was made all the worse by the fact that they were served lukewarm.

Soon after, our mains arrived in satisfying-looking portions. Comprised of small chunks of tender chicken soaked in well-prepared green Thai curry sauce –essentially basil and green Thai chili sauce – our chicken curry was absolutely delicious, boasting  a hint of garlic, a smooth and creamy sauce and a great spicy aftertaste.  

The 'Mood Seafood' dish, meanwhile, was just as good. The combination of lightly fried fish fillet and evenly cooked calamari and shrimps is enveloped in rich, well-seasoned cream and herb sauce, which had the perfect consistency and the right amount of freshly chopped dill. As the restauran's signature seafood dish, was another hit that we couldn’t get enough of.

The dessert menu includes some Levant desserts such as Ghazal Beirut (31.99LE) along with other basic desserts like molten cake with ice cream (37.99LE), but we instead decided to go for sweet potato with ice cream (30.99LE).

Coming warm out of the oven, topped with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with delicious caramel sauce and nuts, the entire ensemble was the perfect mix between hot and cold and marked a perfect ending to the meal, after which we went for with kiwi and mango-flavoured shisha (46LE) which was well-tended to, but the mu‘assel was seemingly burnt, which translated into the flavour, and it was a little steep in price.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit to the Mood, but our experience wasn't without fault. But the chilling ambiance, the friendly staff and the tasty main courses definitely show a lot of potential and are enough reasons for us to come back.