Designopolis’ main eatery, Le Terrace, was on the path to party central when the revolution hit. In fact, a gathering of who’s who in 6th of October City was planned for Friday, 28 January, but, well, things fell through! Prior to that fateful weekend, Le Terrace had been getting little press. In an effort to step up its game beyond a convenient spot for the Sodic sales team to lunch, Le Terrace even catered the opening of Tache, a gallery located in a home accessory and furniture complex.
But Le Terrace has not picked up as expected. A visit to the semi deserted Designopolis offered up the opportunity for lunch at Le Terrace. The promise of a variety of fabulous appetizers and light salads gave way to a one-page stale selection of Cairo cafe life hand-me-downs. The ‘soup of the day’ was mushroom or asparagus, and we ordered both; the asparagus was watery and bland while the mushroom was murky and lacked luster.
In all fairness to the service and management, the manager removed the soup from our check as quickly as the waiter removed our ¾ full bowls from the table.
The main courses were considerably more appetizing: spaghetti Carbonara, a creamy Alfredo-like sauce over spaghetti with shavings of beef bacon and ‘Chicken Parmesan,’ a breaded chicken fillet over a bed of cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. But our excitement with the shoestring fries and the little bowls of ketchup and mayonnaise revealed that our excitement might have been a product of extreme hunger.
The alcoholic cocktails looked fabulous: a ‘diamond ring’ consisting of honey and a mixture of alcohols and a ‘berry martini’ which seemed similarly tantalizing.
Prices were high for everything but the cocktails which priced at LE45. Soups were also around LE 40 and main dishes ranged from LE50 to LE180. Lunch for two was LE250 and this appeared to be when things really fell apart. The credit card machine was not working and the waiter, though apologetic, seemed to think it was logical to ask me to pass by (on the desert road? seriously?) later and pay the rest in cash.
In any case, highlights of the meal included a plate of bread (similar to the bread offered at Aperitivo), olives, and labne. I thoroughly enjoyed my Perrier. Le Terrace has its own water, named Pearl, which comes in a slightly suspicious cylindrical bottle.
With a great location for Designopolis, Le Terrace could offer much more than it presently does. Variety on the menu and consistent effort remains lacking. So, if you’re in the vicinity and feeling hungry, pass by for a bite (main course only, as the only appetizers are potato wedges) and make sure you’ve got cash on you. Otherwise, definitely not worth the trip.
