This review was a totally different experience, we were coming to try food from five completely different restaurants. We were in for a culinary journey through France, Italy, Mexico, the seven seas and the motherland, Egypt.

The very first idea was to open a chic café/tea room/restaurant on the molds of Parisian Ladurée. Then the idea developed into a bigger venture and a very bold move. Five distinguished and completely different restaurants, interlinked by a passage, where the experience, décor, cuisine and music, change as you enter each separate space.

Our adventure covered Amelie, French patisserie; Pipa, Italian pizza/pasta; Bonita, vibrant Mexican; fresh catches of the day at Sailor’s Catch; and Teta’s representing Egyptian comfort food. All five restaurants sharing a single, huge outdoor area.

Dishes Sampled

We loved that you can sit outdoors and order from any of the five restaurants. So if you are in a group that cannot decide what to eat, you would come, enjoy everyone’s company and still please everyone’s food cravings.

From Amelie we ordered Camembert crisps, fairly good bite sizes of cheese served with fig jam and small baby leaf salad with vinaigrette on the side. We also had Smoked Salmon Rillettes, similar to the more commonly known pate. Along with that, we were served a basket of freshly baked bread and herbed butter.

From the Mexican, we opted for a trio of tacos served with soft and hard tortilla. Our three options were: Beans and Cheese, BBQ Chicken, and Slow Cooked Beef Brisket. The tacos were instantly gone. Special mention to the tenderness of pulled beef.

The Italian brought us a sizzling wooden fire Quattro Fromaggi Pizza with a drizzle of Black Truffle Oil. Divine texture, aroma and taste. To follow, the Spinach Ravioli with white sauce and Linguine Frutti di Mare hit the spot.

Pipa’s, the Italian restaurant, makes its own dough quite evident from the freshness and softness of the pasta. This had to be our evening’s winner. Portions are quite big so it might be a good idea to order a few and just share them.

We couldn’t leave without trying the Beef Tenderloin. Pan-roasted beef tenderloin cooked just right that you can cut it with the fork alone. This dish is served on a bed of potato puree, smoked butter sauce and asparagus on the side.

Chapeau! As much curiosity as we had for the other restaurants, we definitely needed to book another day. Sailor’s Catch and Teta’s are to be reviewed in the near future. We happily left carrying a charming little box of lovely éclairs. The next morning’s coffee had a pleasing French feel.

Other Dishes that Appealed: The gloriously messy Sailor’s Catch experience.

Clientele Mix: New Cairo residents, young and vibrant college students and families.

Address: O1 Mall, Mohamed Naguib Axis, New Cairo

Walk-in only

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On the river platform along which the Four Seasons boat lives, is a casual outdoor pizzeria aptly named Riva, Italian for someone who lives by a wharf or on the bank of the river. Being the fastidious pizza critics we are, and lovers of authentic Neapolitan pizza only consumed in Italy, we were ready to dig our teeth – and shrewd taste buds – into Riva’s offerings.

Riva offers a concisely curated menu, put together by Italian F&B director Mr. Michele Garbuio offers a simple and straightforward selection of traditional Italian dishes and brick oven pizza.

Signature Dishes & Dishes Sampled

Signature is the pizza of course, we were first greeted with Riva’s take on the complimentary bread basket, slices of plain pizza dough baked with rosemary, (freshly plucked from the neighboring chef’s nursery, visible from where we were sitting). Served with a dynamic dip of fried onion, Parmesan and olive oil paste, a deep flavor profile with an ever so slight sweet kick that set the tone for the night.

Antipasto: We were quick to order our starter dishes, we knew exactly what we wanted, the Arancini, a mark of any consummate Italian chef, the Vitello Tonnato, a staple in restaurants in Italy, and the Caprese.

The Arancini ai Funghi – fried risotto ball with mushrooms and basil, served with tomato salsa and Parmesan fondue – was coated in a perfect golden crunch on the outside, and had a melt-in-your-mouth soft and gooey inside. This got our full approval, was likely the star antipasto for the night. The Caprese came in a rustic presentation – fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil, with splashes of pesto and olive oil on the dish – a refreshing cool bite after the warm Arancini. Also got our approval.

The Vitello Tonnato – thinly sliced, slow cooked veal fillet with tuna sauce, Parmesan and capers. The tuna sauce certainly gave this dish the salty, creamy kick that the overcooked veal fillet needed. Still enjoyable, but could have done with a thinner slice and less cooking time.

Pizza: Our pizza order soon landed at our table looking every bit as rustic as we’d imagined having just come out of the brick oven. The Margherita with cow’s milk mozzarella, tomato sauce and olive oil made for a satisfyingly chewy bite. The garlic in the sauce slightly overwhelmed, but if you’re a garlic lover like us, you’ll be well pleased. The dough was thin and pulled nicely, a mark of authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

The Salsiccia pizza with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, smoked Scarmoza cheese, veal sausage, oregano and olive oil did not disappoint either. The smoked Scarmoza gave this pizza a more evolved flavor profile with smoky, nutty hints, while the sausage surprised our palates with bursts of spice. This probably won the pizza round.

Dessert: We opted to share a Panna Cotta as this would also be very telling of the authenticity of the cuisine, but also because the dairy and gluten overload we had just indulged in left no room in our overly satiated bellies. The Panna Cotta came covered in a berry sauce with blueberries, cherries and raspberries, shaved almonds, and cookie crumbs.

We could have done without all that fuss on top and would have been fine and dandy with a simple sauce on the side. The Panna Cotta itself however gave a good bounce-back when we dug our spoons into it, not too sweet. The perfectly smooth texture, along with the tangy sauce ended our dinner on a perfectly sweet note.

Drinks: We sipped on the house sangria, fruity and refreshing and a virgin cocktail of lemonade, cranberry juice and rosemary, a vibrant drink.

Décor & Ambiance

What you would expect from an outdoor deck or terrace. Lots of bright woods, white seating with light grey upholstery, potted plants everywhere, large fans spritzing water into the air, making for a nice, fresh breeze. The brick pizza oven in plain sight. No fuss, casual, spacious.

Clientele Mix

While our dinner took place midweek, we were told that Riva is buzzing with lunch and dinner patrons Wednesday to Friday: families, couples, groups of friends mid-twenties and up, professionals from neighboring offices.

Social Distancing

The staff is all donning masks, with sanitizer available on each table, and the sanitized cutlery presented in a small plastic bag, which we found a bit unwarranted as every time the cutlery was changed, more plastic bags piled up on our table.

Price Range: We found the prices to be on par with other authentic-style pizzerias around town, mid to high range.

Contact information:

Tel: 356 71600

Opening hours: 12 pm to 11 pm

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