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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 28 January 1999 Issue No. 413 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 28 January 1999 Issue No. 413
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Focus Economy Opinion Culture Features Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Full of beans
By Andrew SteeleDid you know that cappuccino is so named because the drink's peak of foam resembles the cowl of a Capuchin friar's habit? Well, they do at the Harris Café in Heliopolis. In fact, the natty little place mats proffer a wealth of coffee trivia to keep you amused while your order arrives. Located just next to Thomas Cook on Korba's recently made-over Baghdad Street, the Harris offers a viable alternative to the nearby Chantilly for the Java crowd. And there's Java a-plenty. The menu offers in excess of ten different styles (not roasts) of coffee, and a tea or two to boot. There is even a modicum of grub to peck at whilst slurping.
The setting is a courtyard covered by an awning, offering seating for about 30. The tables are small, round and plastic, masquerading as marble. The paint job is that Maison Thomas green that seems to be rather desperately saying, "Look at me, I'm classy!", and which, naturally, must be accompanied by a dark stained wood, trying its darndest to look like teak. The Harris 'H' can be found everywhere, on decals, on the crockery and behind the counter, the space that is also home to the gurgling coffee machine in best, shining stainless. A difficult-to-navigate spiral staircase winds up to the well-appointed bathroom.
We started with coffee. I chose a Ristetto, billed on the menu as a very Italian version of the ubiquitous espresso. Small and black it was, but sadly lacking that very Italian kick in the head provided by the Real McCoy. Mohamed's cappuccino did indeed appear to have a Capuchin friar lurking beneath its foamy surface, and was proclaimed perfectly good. I later tried an espresso, just for comparative purposes, and it too, lacked that throaty kick.
And so to food. A selection of hot and cold sandwiches and a small array of salads are available. All very lunchy, all very reasonably priced, save the smoked salmon affairs, which, as is par for the course in most Cairo eateries, had a tariff as inflated as their supposed kudos. I plumped for the cheese and tomato toast, a toastie in the British vernacular, crisp and hot from one of those clever little Breville machines. The cheese was rich, mature cheddar, nicely supplemented by the addition of the stated tomato slices, along with the odd olive and dill pickle. Big thumbs up. Mohamed's tuna salad was equally edible. What looked like a whole tin of tuna (minus points for flake variety) turned onto a lettuce leaf, and nicely garnisheed with eggs, onions and cucumber. Slivers of tomato and green pepper also adorned.
Service was mighty efficient and came with a smile; in fact, the whole set-up is worthy of recommendation. One imagines that in the summer months, with the awning rolled back and the hubbub of Baghdad Street as a background, the place really comes into its own. Luncheon for two with three kinds of coffee came to a wallet-cheering LE28.
The Harris Café, 7 Baghdad Street, Korba, Heliopolis
Tel: 4176796
