Alexandria Restaurant Tips by zanzooni

Restaurant Name: ABDEL WAHAB or ABD WAHAB

Clean, spacious, with an old world feel, I felt comfortable from the moment I entered. The staff was more than attentive, which is something very uncommon I found while dining in Egypt. The moment we sat down, our drink orders were taken and promptly delivered. The mezze arrived just as quickly. There was a longer delay for the main course to arrive, as the meat is grilled, but it wasn't an issue for us as we had just polished off beans, cheeses, salad and bread.

Favorite Dish: We had a platter of different grilled meats:chicken, beef, and lamb. The lamb chops were something else. I've never tasted anything so delicious and next time I shall just order the lamb. The meal started out with the traditional mezze, a variety of appetizers. I enjoy this part of the egyptian/arab meal. I think they have the most healthy appetizers, unless you consider plain salad an app. Then came the main meal. The smells, the taste....I thought this was the best meal I had my entire stay in Egypt.

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Theme: Middle Eastern
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Portofino Restaurant & Cafe

I met the owner of this restaurant, Afaf Farsi, at the Amrican Embassy in Cairo. She told me she had a restaurant in Alex, but not the exact location. Of course I didn't ask either. Turned out that it was not that far from the hotel that we were staying at.

From the outside, it seemed like it was an older restaurant. We were surprised when we entered to discover that it was new and elegant. It had the look and feel of neoclassicism. We were greeted by someone a little too long after we had been standing in the entrance way, but at that point I was already familiar with the service one can expect in Egypt. We picked a table and sat and waited. And waited. Finally, a server came and started to take our order. This was the beginning of spoty service. We had 5 different servers at our table, the service was slow and the appetizers came a few minutes before 2 of the dinners. The dinners were sent back with clear instructions not to place them under the heat lamps, but that's where they ended up we discovered when they brought the food back out. At that point, my daughter's were frustrated and just ate the food. I spoke to the owner's brother afterwards, as he knew I was in the restaurant industry, plus I found out he owns a restaurant in North Carolina. He knew there were problems with the service and assured me they were working on it. In the US, when there are service issues, as well as food issues in a restaurant, the management goes out of their way to make it right for the customer. Not so in Egypt. Our check was not paid for, nor were we even offered dessert to atone for the sloppy service and the food that sat in the window. I was very disappointed in this regard.

Favorite Dish: I had the Lamb. I love lamb and what better way to enjoy lamb but in a country where lamb is a main staple? I found it to be too fatty and greasy. It wasn't fresh like what I had eaten in other less fancy establishments. It was good, don't get me completely wrong here, but it wasn't the best that I had experienced. Jaeda had chicken parm and I can't recall what she exactly said, but I recall that it wasn't her best. I tried it and I thought it was good. Don't listen to her as she is beyond a finicky eater. The plate presentation was very nice.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 03-590-8455
Address: 52 B El Gesh Road, Camp Caesar, Alexanderia
Directions: Not far from the Bibliotheca Alexandria.