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La Bodega
by Juergen Stryjak
Only some months ago, it arrived on Cairo's restaurant scene,
but very quickly became the darling of the cheerful nightlife
crowd: La Bodega. Almost everyone I meet that has dined at La
Bodega, decides to visit again, if not become regulars.
La Bodega has become Cairo's latest culinary hotspot for many
reasons, and not only for its food. It is perfectly located in the
heart of Zamalek, an inner city upper class neighborhood, the
Bermuda Triangle of the city's pleasure-seekers - a place where
one can become blissfully lost wandering between the restaurants,
bars and pubs. The home of La Bodega belongs to the Baehler
heritage – houses, hotels and mansions, which were initiated by
the Swiss-born hotel manager, Charles Baehler. During the first
quarter of the last century, he created a large number of
beautiful belle époche landmarks in Cairo, for example the
elegant Cosmopolitan Hotel downtown. La Bodega could be a monument
to Baehler. The owner did not only renovate some rooms of the
building, he transferred them into a lively witness of the Baehler
epoch, the exuberant Twenties.
If you want to find the place, simply watch for the name
Baehler above the building's main entrance, as nothing else on the
first floor points to the existence of the restaurant. After
climbing the stairs around the elevator cage, a large stone relief
by the Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr welcomes you. Passing the
little wooden reception desk, the guest dives into a world of
exquisite taste, concerning the food as well as the stylish
interior.
La Bodega offers not only an experience for the palate but for
the eyes, too. It is a place arranged with much love for the
detail, a love hopefully signaling a new trend in Cairo, that is,
the will to preserve the more recent past of the metropolis, as we
have witnessed with the recent reopening of the Café Riche.
The walls of the restaurant La Bodega are murals of oil, copper
and gold, illustrating revelers of the Twenties eating, drinking
and laughing. These works of art are both Egyptian and Western
inspired, created by artist Mira Shihada and the American
Elizabeth Washburn.
The guests have many choices of seating, whether they prefer a
cozy sofa in the alcove or the relaxed bistro-like atmosphere of
the dining room with its stark geometrical lamps, or the always
crowded and noisy bar. If you want to enjoy this variety all in
one evening, just take your glass and move through all of the
rooms, as in a museum. The window views of the romantic Nile are,
of course, complimentary. And don't forget a visit to the
restrooms! The sinks of colored glass are illuminated from below,
with lovely little baskets alongside for collecting the discarded
souvenirs of the evening.
La Bodega is a perfect place for playing the high-society game
of "seen and be seen" without spending much money. The
prices for the mostly continental food are surprisingly
reasonable. For example, an excellent French onion soup, au gratin
with cheese, can be had for 9 Egyptian Pound ($ 2.50) or a tasty
ratatouille for the same money. The extraordinary homemade ravioli
stuffed with mushrooms and topped with cheese sauce cost LE 24 ($
7). Meat dishes are served for around LE 35 ($ 10) and the very
interesting Duck à la órange, a roasted boneless duck with thin
orange zests, served with duck and mushroom filo at LE 56 ($ 16)
is one of the more expensive dishes.
Hours of operation are daily from noon until 1:00 am.
La Bodega. Bistro, Lounge, Bar. 157, 26th of July
Street. Zamalek. Cairo. Telephone: 73 50 543. Reservation
recommended.
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