By Mona El Manawhly

Situated on the border between Nasr City and Heliopolis, amidst the Citystars rush, Bellini Cocktail Lounge is found on the lobby floor of the alluring InterContinental Cairo Citystars hotel. As I had learned prior to setting off, Bellini is a cocktail of peach purée and sparkling wine first made at Harry's Bar in early 1940's Venice.

It is said that the bar's owner named the drink after noticing the unique color closely resembled the toga of a saint in a painting by a 15th century artist, Giovanni Bellini.

As we entered, we immediately felt a trip back to an early 20th century England. The spacious pub featured deep mahogany walls, dimmed lights and classic old English furniture, providing a tranquil ambiance. Smoking and non-smoking areas were divided accordingly. With a friendly demeanor, the waitress escorted us to our seats. The seating areas had more of a loungingand snacking character than that of a dinner atmosphere. The tables were fairly small and low, but the seating was comfortable, with the units being unconfined and generous.

Looking over the beverages menu, there was clearly a variety of exotic cocktails both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. We went for two very different drinks. First was a Lemonade Slash, consisting of 7up, lemon juice, blue Curacao and blueberry. Blue Curacao is derived from the dried peel of the lahara citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curacao, off Venezuela's coastline. It had nice blueberry flavor, not particularly unique, but very refreshing. The second cocktail was the Pyramid Sunset consisting of lychee, coconut milk, pineapple and orange. This drink had a lovely blend of flavors, where each component could be tasted individually. Along with the cocktails, we received complimentary starters of nuts, olives and chips.

Examining the menu, it was clear that there wasn't a large selection, however the variety was enormous. Appetizers included Chicken Nachos, Crispy Calamari Rings and Caesar Salad. While the main courses included the North American Salmon Steak, Chili Con Carne, Mushroom Swiss Burger and the Seafood Platter. Dishes were customizable with a large choice of side entrées and sauces. Just a touch of each world!

For the appetizer we decided to go for a Selection of Cheeses, which included four different types from a decent mix of cultures. Gouda, Danish blue, young Mozzarella and Egypt's very own Roumy. The cheeses arrived in a lovely presentation with grapes, crackers and sprinkled nuts.

Main courses were next. After a flip of a coin, we decided to settle with the US Rib Eye and Grilled Jumbo Prawns. The rib eye was a tender 300gm steak, order medium/well-done with sautéed vegetables and an exquisite Béarnaise sauce made of butter, egg yolk and herbs. The jumbo prawns consisted of four Asian marinated prawns on a platter with sautéed vegetables, baked potato with sour cream and delicious lemon, butter and garlic sauce. It was quite a messy, but truly scrumptious meal.

We wondered why no dessert was available on the menu and were informed that cakes and fruit platters are available upon request and are brought fresh from the hotel's bakery.

We finished up our cocktails and headed out. On that note we left this sophisticated end-of-the-day retreat. Such an amiable hideaway in the midst of Cairo's unrelenting rush!