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Windows on the World
By
Juergen Stryjak
The bar’s name is quite an understatement. Behind its
slightly tinted panoramic windows one cannot see the world
only, it is a view on nothing less than the Umm al-Donya,
the Mother of the World, as Cairo has been known since the
time of »A Thousand And One Nights«.
I have been there several times during the last years,
with people from around the planet, and all have said that
they will never forget the sunset they have witnessed from
»Windows On The World«. Many of them dream to see it once
again in their lifetime.
The bar and restaurant »Windows On The World« offers,
in my opinion, but not only in my opinion, the most
fascinating view of the city one can have in Cairo, and it
doesn’t matter which time of day you are there. The best
is, of course, to switch through the several phases of the
sunset, while sitting directly beside the window and sipping
a cocktail or a cappuccino. You look down to the Nile, the
metropolis twinkles silently – a huge organism with
flowing traffic veins, neon lights, illuminated buildings
and cruising ships. To have a window table, watching the
city transform as the sun sets, while you enjoy your gourmet
meal, is one of the most memorable evenings in Cairo that
you can experience. A miracle.
It seems that the »Window On The World« is the perfect
nightlife location. The music is enough to give you the
sensation of floating over the city. A mix of easy listening
jazz is offered, whether it comes from a tape, as it does
early evening and during breaks of the life performances, or
from live performances. Daily from 6 to 10 pm Saadat, a
female vibraphone player, performs. Thursday, Friday and
Saturday the »Jazz Band« plays, beginning at 10 pm –
alternating with the »POP & ZIZ Band« at Wednesdays
and the »Touch of Class Band« every Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday.
The »Windows On The World« offers excellent cuisine,
for lunch and dinner. This is not surprising for a Five-star
hotel, as well as the bill you’ll get finally. The prices
are rather high; a dish costs at least LE 50 ($ 13),
excluding taxes and service charge. The service is
attentive. The interior is elegant, modern, and urban.
Alcohol is expensive; you can save some money if you stay
with mineral water, soft drinks, coffee or cappuccino.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter how much you have saved at
the end, there is a minimum charge of around 40 LE for each
person. Just keep in mind, the view alone is worth every
piastre.
Thankfully, mobile phones apparently don’t work here,
so one will be spared the ringing phone that is omnipresent
in Cairo. Last visit, my wife and I wanted to call home to
ask our older son, if everything was okay with our younger
son. But I had to leave the Ramses Hilton Hotel completely
and to walk 50 meters away from the building to get a
connection to my CLICK GSM mobile phone network provider.
Windows On The World. Bar, restaurant, lounge at the 36th
level of the Ramses Hilton Hotel. Open daily from noon till
2:00 am – lunch till 4:00 pm, dinner from 6:00 pm.
Reservation recommended.
1115, Corniche El Nil, Downtown, Cairo. Telephone: 57 77
444 or 57 44 400. Fax: 57 57 152 or 57 82 221. E-Mail:
rhinet@intouch.com.
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