We’re always pleased to hear about new dining spots in the heart of the city, so we were delighted to hear that a new gastro-bar was open in Zamalek’s cozy President Hotel. With a menu devised and helmed by a French chef, Monkey Bar & Grill is a welcome addition to the central Cairo dining scene.
Signatures Dishes & Dishes Sampled
Signature dishes include the Moules a L’Escargot, Pate Fois De Poulet, Boeuf L’Entrecôte, Fondue De Fromage.
We opted to start the meal on the seafood side of the spectrum, choosing the Moules a L’Escargot and Salmon Tartar. A novel take on mussels, the dish consists of mushrooms stuffed with moules, baked with herb butter and served with bread and hand cut French fries. It’s a perfect little appetizer to whet the appetite. The diced Salmon Tartar was layered on a bed of avocado mash mixed with horseradish and mustard sauce, resulting in a creamy taste – not as tart and citrusy as other salmon tartar offerings we have tried in the past. Both were the perfect portions that left us ample room to move on to our mains: Boeuf L’Entrecôte and Poulet Tarragon. Our beef arrived as ordered, medium rare, and was incredibly tender – melt in your mouth tender. Monkey Bar & Grill’s special entrecote sauce tastes like a fantastic chimichurri sauce and complements the beef very well. The Poulet Tarragon was also very satisfactory, a sliced chicken breast resting on a bed of tarragon and mushroom sauce. Each main dish comes with hand cut French fries and a garden salad, also some dishes would better suit a mashed potato in order to make better use of the remaining sauce… only because the sauce is too delicious to leave behind! We ended our meal with the Marron Brûlée, a lovely light crème brûlée made with chestnut purée – the perfect ending to a very taste-bud-tantalizing meal.
Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverages Available
Monkey Bar & Grill intends to expand its’ menu very soon, so there will be even more to choose from next time. On our next visit, we would love to tuck into the Warm Goat Cheese Salad, Pate Fois de Poulet, or the Saumon a la Crème de Tomates Sechees – baked salmon with a lemon, butter and sun-dried tomato cream sauce. Yummy!
Beverage options include a fully stocked bar is available with special Sangria jugs to share, a selection of wine and beers, and soft drinks and hot beverages are also available for non-drinkers.
Décor & Ambience
A super cozy cellar-like environment, with colorful art adorning the walls and jungle motif wallpaper, creating the perfect space to escape from the hustle and bustle of our city to enjoy some mood music and great food. There’s an open kitchen where you can watch the chef at work, and plenty of low and high tables for groups of friends to catch up. There’s a lively vibe in the space, and the service is impeccable.
Clientele mix: The late 20s to early 40s segment, with a few famous faces wandering in. This is pegged to be the next Zamalek haunt, so reserve well in advance
Price range: Pricey, but the cuisine is worth it. Also, you will be dining for a cause – a portion of your check goes to the Banati Foundation to help street children.
Contact information
Opening hours: 8 pm until late
Address: 22 Taha Hussein St. – Zamalek
Tel: 0103 349 3330
Facebook: @monkeybarandgrill
