Condetti - NEW - Now open in Dokki

Condetti, a recently opened restaurant on Street 82 ( just round the corner from Abou Sid on Street 7 ), may not have the most central location in Maadi, but those prepared to make the journey over the Metro lines will be rewarded with wonderful food and great service in tasteful and comfortable surroundings.

Reviewed by Nick Rockingham

Maadi - 10 Street 82 off Street 6 - 02 2359 2440

Dokki - 33 Oman Street, Giza - 02 3760 4114

reservations@condetti.com

An extensive menu, including a diet section, ensures a good choice for all, our group managed to sample a good cross-section and we were all hugely impressed, ingredients are fresh and the meals expertly prepared by Ahmed, his 18 years of training and experience in Italy really shows, our only criticism was of the starters, they were far too big!

Of the main dishes, all were excellent, all arrived at the same time - too rare an event in Cairo - the Gnocchi deserves a special mention, too often a dish that ends up being at 1 extreme or the other, here, cooked to perfection with just the right amount of bite, in a superb gorgonzola and spinach sauce.

Desserts were easily the best any of us have had in Cairo, often a course to be skipped on grounds of lack of flavour, here we sampled the brownies with ice cream, and sweet potato with whipped cream and caramel sauce, both excellent, a real treat for those with a sweet-tooth.

Service is calmly efficient, the waiters don't hover but always seem to be there when required.

There are too many places in Cairo that flatter to decieve, Condetti does not fall into that category for 2 very good reasons; firstly, the chef Ahmed and his team produce wonderful food, secondly, thanks to his extensive travels and research in Europe and America, Forty, the general manager, understands what constitutes a good dining experience and that poor customer service can wreck an otherwise perfectly good meal. Comments and suggestions are encouraged not for their p.r. value, but because he understands that he needs his customers' help if he is to realise his ambition of making Condetti an outstanding restaurant. This is a place that deserves to succeed.

To make a reservation, call Forty on 010 542 1155.