A Much-Loved Hangout on the Shores of Telal making it arguably the best beach bar in Sa7el!
Concept: Casual beach restaurant, and late-night dance-bar.
Type of cuisine: Everything we’ve come to know and love from Carlo’s over the years. A mix of oriental, international, fusion, and more.
Signature dishes: Carlo’s classics are too many to list. Worth noting though is the special Beach Mezzeh developed just for Sahel. A must-try!
Dishes sampled: We began our foray into the food-sampling with some starters from the Sahel specialties, a short menu concocted just for Sahel, with specialties like Clams, Shrimp Salad, and Octopus Salad. First came the Octopus Salad made up of slices of boiled octopus drenched in a citrusy, herby jus. On its heels was the Herring Salad, a flavorful concoction of herring and its caviar, tahini, tomato, lime juice, some spices, and apple! A perfect bite in every spoon, with the crunch and sweetness of the apple offsetting the squishy and salty bite of the herring. Then came the Wasabi Hummus, it’s difficult to go back to having just regular hummus after this, a flavor marriage made in culinary heaven! The Fried Calamari joined its’ starter friends on our table, perfectly golden brown and crunchy, accompanied by a dipping sauce made of tahini, mayonnaise and wasabi, genius! The hero for this reviewer, however, was the Clams Provencal, gandofli swimming in a buttery, citrusy sauce, with green herbs and garlic. Once the clams were devoured, Carlo’s famous freshly-baked shami bread became vessels for the sauce, soaking it all up and making this one happy reviewer.
For our mains, we went for the Cheeseburger Sliders and Mini Shrimp Sandwiches. The sandwiches are a perfect tiny little bite accompanied by a tahini dipping-cup. The sliders were reminiscent of oriental grilled kofta, quite large and filling.
Other menu options that appealed: Everything! But if we had to narrow it down we’d say the Grilled Quail with Le Pacha’s Special Herbs, the Oxtail Tajin, and the Seafood Pizza.
Beverages: Smoothies, mocktails, spirits, beers, cocktails, hot drinks, and cold drinks.
Décor: Casual, clean, and contemporary. All seating is gray, seating cushions are made of waterproof material set in steel frames.
Ambiance: With the sea-waves lapping to the background of chill-house music, the chitter-chatter of patrons is interrupted by the occasional burst of laughter. It’s relaxed and familiar, no frills, no pretention.
Clientele mix: Families, young, old, and everything in between.
Carlo’s Beach Bar is a spacious hangout with multiple seating options. Only meters away from the beach, Carlo’s Beach Bar serves beachgoers from 11 am with waiters available on the beach to collect orders. From 11 am to 3 pm, Carlo’s Beach Bar offers dishes from the breakfast menu, a menu that includes items from the regular menu as well as egg dishes and feteer. Kids are welcome at all times until 10 pm. From 10 pm onwards the going-out crowd begins to emerge, music gets louder, the high tables and bar get fuller, the drinks start flowing and the minimum charge kicks in. Before that however, the crowd is laid back, sometimes bare-foot, still in their beachwear and beach hair.
Top tip: Reservations are a must, definitely best to secure your table ahead of time.
Price range: A bit on the higher end, with a minimum charge of EGP400 kicking in at 10 pm.
Opening hours: 11 am until the crowd fizzles, probably around 3 am.
Address: Telal
Telephone number: 01000010888
