Restaurant review:
A touch of Latex
A close encounter with strange objects of comfort
The skirts were tight-fitting and curvaceous, black and soft and glossy. They had zippers in the back, creeping surreptitiously up legs that were too long to be human. And they weren't. The high stools in Latex rose to the fetishist challenge of the nightclub's name with their suggestive upholstery. They stood, on long steely legs, in front of tube-like tables made of white Formica, and hummed inaudibly every time you climbed atop.
Latex, formerly the renowned Jackie's at the Nile Hilton's basement, has just received a face -- and bottom -- lift. I have never been to Jackie's before, but old timers recall a poorly-lit place with velvety couches and an unspoken code of generational segregation.
Not any more. In its new attire, Latex floods with soft lighting, coming from playful ceiling spotlights and aquarium- shaped wall fixtures. The walls are lined with smoked mirrors, enhancing both light and perplexity, giving you the eerie feeling you expect in lounges of space travel terminals, a combination of the pride that you got a pass, and the curiosity of what happens next.
Aside from the long white bar that runs the lengths of a spacious dance floor, a standing only space, Latex has a sparse seating arrangement. One section is furnished with red and white and black couches, all done in shiny synthetics. Another has a couple of high seating areas, with the aforementioned stools, perfect to circulate, see and be seen.
Latex was launched in its post-modern guise only a couple of weeks ago. The transition was masterminded by Nicha Sursock, an enigmatic Egyptian-Lebanese-Croatian restaurateur who burst on Cairo's dining scene 15 years ago. He upset the structure of the three-course concept, introduced T-shirt clad waiters, knocked up first floor flats to connect them with ground-level shops, had falafel stuffed with cheese and smoked salmon wrapped in vine leaves, all of which came in designer-styled interiors, casually packaged for the up-and- coming and up-and-still-coming hipsters of various ages. Latex is his third creation at the Nile Hilton -- Hi Heels and Jazz-Up happened last summer.
If you're really hungry, have a bite first. The food in Latex is a state of mind. The Latex Caesar with Cajun Grilled Shrimps featured three jumbo shrimps that couldn't be taken seriously from their distant corners on the huge plate of lettuce. The Latex Mezze had a peanut-flavoured babaganoug, spicy chicken strips, and chicken liver, in quantities sufficient for two people, if one is not eating. Once we ventured out of the familiar landscape of beer into the treacherous world of cocktails, we encountered the unfamiliar Caipirinha, which was alcoholically anaemic, and a Margarita which could have been fruitier.
We landed there at 11pm on a Monday night, when the place was just picking up. A dozen or so clientele were already there, mostly young, a few dancing. As the night progressed, the place began to fill up. The clientele was mostly young and hip, but a few businessmen showed up in business suits, and some Asian tourists eventually took refuge there from their minders.
The night, we knew in advance, was devoted to music from the 1960s and 1970s. This gave me and another friend of a certain age the chance to exhibit long-forgotten and never-really- mustered skills. One of our younger partners was impressed. The other promised to come again, with different people.
The door policy could be tricky. Come in couples, look smart, and be ready for the LE100 minimum charge fee (enforced Tuesdays through Fridays). Phoning in advance helps. Our seven drinks and two food entries cost LE370 including tips.
Latex is at the Corniche side of the Nile Hilton. Tel: 5780444.
By Nabil Shawkat
