On a Friday afternoon we set off to Telal, planning to catch a late lunch, a sort of pre-sunset meal with a nice sea breeze. A great idea it turned out. Crimson Shore mainly offers the same menu as its Cairo’s counterpart, with a fun summer season twist which makes us claim they’re aiming to be one of the best restaurants in Sa7el.
Type of cuisine: International chargrill
Signature dish: Veal Rack, but everything on the menu is worth a try.
Dishes Sampled
The Head Chef gave us a menu overview, and guided us into selecting some of the most popular dishes. We started with the Goat Cheese Salad; a big bowl of crunchy, chopped, mixed lettuce leaves drizzled with honey and oregano dressing, topped with baked goat cheese on round baguette mini toasts, with caramelized pine nuts and cherry tomatoes. The hot and cold appetizers then arrived simultaneously.
Our Diavlo Shrimps consisted of mildly spicy shrimp balls, with just enough punch, on a bed of fried noodles, accompanied by Thousand Island sauce. Even though the name Diavlo evokes something very hot, it was actually rather gentle by our standards. Contrary to the Fried Squid, which was quite fiery and needed dunking in the accompanying tartar sauce to soothe our palates. The squid bites were chunky, firm and chewy, a perfect textural contrast to their bed of crispy rice noodles.
The Carpaccio Sea Bass was generously cut, with the portion served on a round plate, then drizzled with a tangy dressing and sprinkled pink peppers. The dish was garnished in the middle with a quinoa vinaigrette salad, and alfalfa sprouts to give it a final flourish. Our last appetizer was the Grilled Stuffed Bell Peppers, a colorful, flavor-packed combination of yellow and red bell pepper rolls filled with creamy cheese, sliced eggplant, sun dried tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. Another perfect, light, summery choice for a late lunch by the sea.
We moved on to try two pasta dishes, Penne Primavera and Salmon Romanov, and then followed up with Risotto Funghi with Crimson’s signature dish, the Veal Rack. The Penne Primavera was a safe option, a light dish for a hot day, with a selection of vegetables, black olives, with a tomato salsa base.
The Salmon Romanov was incredibly pleasant and a real winner. The pasta sauce was rich, and creamy but not heavy. The salmon was cooked to perfection: slightly crunchy skin and pink inside. Another flavor-packed dish, the Risotto Funghi had been cooked with white wine and finished with a hint of truffle oil: a rich and impeccably presented dish. Crimson rests its fame on its grilled options, and its’ Veal Rack was nothing short of succulent. The bone-in chops of the veal were tender and bursting with flavor, served with broad green beans, pan-fried spinach in a creamy sauce and accompanied by a pepper sauce. We rounded off our delicious lunch with two pieces of apple cinnamon and dark chocolate gateaux along with espresso shots.
Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverages Available
We would like to try the Molten Lasagna, homemade pasta stuffed with ragù, Parmesan and mozzarella.
Crimson offers a full-fledged bar with an amazing selection of innovative cocktails and local wine and beer.
Photos
Décor & Ambience
The restaurant is situated in a prime location overlooking the beach. White canopies and umbrellas give the necessary shade. A well distributed arrangement of high and low tables gives clients a clear view of the sea. In the front row, it is possible to sit on comfortable pouffe stools. The interior is a combination of wooden panels, rough stones walls, and white tree bushes. Tables are decorated with mini vases of cactus, and night candles give it a romantic and cozy atmosphere when the sun goes down. A lovely music selection gives the place an even more chilled-out vibe.
Clientele mix: A sophisticated older crowd rather than the younger Telalians.
Price range: High-end.
Worth noting: Oriental breakfast is served until 2 pm, and the soundtrack comes from the owner’s private playlist.
Contact Information
Tel: 012 069 99923
Facebook: CrimsonCairo
Instagram: crimson.shore
