IN A CITY FULL OF INEXPENSIVE EATS, IS LA ZISA WORTH THE PRICE?
The Cost -$51 per person
The Atmosphere – La Zisa is a chic and modern restaurant located inside of the St. Regis Cairo on the east bank of the Nile. It has ample indoor seating with large windows providing you with great views of the river. The vast food and drink menu with the varying regional influences offers something for everyone.
In addition to all its historic wonders, Cairo is a bustling city that has a vibrant night life and exquisite dining options. As many of the high-end dining options tend to be located in hotels, you can easily find a wide array of cuisines to choose from including Latin American, Japanese and even American-style steakhouses. For this meal, I stepped away from the region’s typical Mediterranean cuisine and found La Zisa, a restaurant offering a unique fusion of Italian, Arabic, and European food.
The Order – La Zisa Salad, Tuna Tartare, Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu, and Chicken Diavolo.
The Fantastic – The Gnocchi Lamb Ragu, made with potato filled gnocchi, minced lamb ragu, cherry tomatoes, fresh oregano, and Parmigiano cheese, was, by far, my favorite dish of the evening. The ragu was the star of the show; it was incredibly fresh and had a nice dose of black pepper. It was absolutely brilliant and I could have eaten it by itself with a spoon The gnocchi’s potato filling is also something that deserves recognition though – fluffier and creamier than the typical gnocchi, it really combined well with the heavier ragu to make an excellent pasta dish.
The Good – The Chicken “Alla Diavolo” was served with a side of vegetables and roasted potatoes. The roasted chicken was seasoned with herbs and spices, and marinated in lemon juice and olive oil, giving it a nice citrusy flavor. While I didn’t love the vegetables, I very much enjoyed the potatoes which were crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. When ordering tuna tartare, your hope is to have spectacular fish. Unfortunately, this version of the dish didn’t wow me because of the main ingredient but it did wow me with the almond cream that it is topped with. The flame torched tuna was tasty, but the almond cream was the best part.
The Okay – The La Zisa Salad consisted of root vegetables, mixed lettuce, citrus segments, dried apricot and fig, sunflower seeds, and a lemon-oregano dressing. With all these amazing ingredients, I was expecting the salad to be something special. However, it somehow felt ordinary and is not a dish I would recommend.
The Verdict – While La Zisa certainly offers a very nice setting to enjoy dinner with a view, the food overall was not worthy of the price tag. In a city full of incredible and inexpensive local cuisine as well as excellent fine dining options, I would recommend you try other places before venturing out to La Zisa.