Shakespeare & Co is a Café/Restaurant, Pâtisserie in Maadi.
Mantra: “It is not just our desire to meet, but to exceed your expectations“
Opening hours: Week days: 8:30 am – 12 am, Weekends: 9 am
Address: City Stars, Point 90 and The Platform, Maadi
Tel: 02 3851 4565/66
Website: www.shakespeare-and-co-eg.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/shakespeareandcoegypt
Instagram: shakespeareandcoegypt
Type of cuisine: A mouth-watering selection of 180 menu items. International, with a great Middle Eastern variety included. Items range from super-healthy to super-decadent. Breakfast options cover American, English, Healthy and Lebanese, along with indulgent favorites like Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs. You could happily graze all day, with finger food, sandwiches, burgers, crêpes, soups, salads, pizzas, pastas and beautifully prepared main dishes. Kids have their own menu to keep them happy.
Licensed or not: No, but it has a great selection of fresh mock-tails, coffees, fruit and regular tea, and yummy milkshakes.
Signature dishes: Roast Baby Chicken, served with grilled vegetables, roast potatoes, lemon confit and rosemary sauce. Also Braised Lamb Shank, served with sticky rice, garden vegetables with sun-dried tomatoes and tarragon gravy. The Hammour with braised carrots, wilted spinach, vegetable ratatouille and herb and lemon emulsion is also very popular with fish lovers.
Dishes sampled: Minty-licious cocktail of kiwi, fresh mint, apple juice and lemon sorbet. Fresh home-baked bread with garlic-herb butter. Wild mushroom soup with truffle oil and a splash of fresh cream, (packed with flavor without being too heavy – a ‘must try’). Gnocchi, made with semolina, bathed in a blue cheese and cream sauce, garnished with walnuts.. (Al dente gnocchi and the sauce was divine). To wind up, their special chocolate fondant. It takes time to prepare, but is well worth the wait. Unctuously oozing chocolate heaven served with crème anglaise and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Other menu options that appealed: Everything!
Décor: Uncompromisingly over-the-top Victoriana. Chintz and lace create a visual feast for the eye, a contrast to the stark minimalist lines of the surrounding buildings. It definitely creates a cosy corner to relax in.
Ambiance: Welcoming and relaxed. Service is friendly and efficient, with attention to all the little details that make a meal enjoyable.
Home delivery: Due to popular demand there may soon be delivery service, although the management is understandably concerned about not compromising the food presentation and quality. Catering will be available in the very near future.
Clientele mix: The perfect place for combining a business meeting with good cuisine, a family meal, a ‘ladies-who-lunch’ meet up, or simply a quiet snack and shisha.
Price range: Moderate
Top tip: The best breakfast in town.
Another top tip: Leave space for their brilliant desserts!
Best kept secret: Executive chef, Ibrahim Rashed is proudly Egyptian, but has years of international experience in top restaurants and hotels in the UK, Europe and the USA. His expertise and food knowledge shine through.
