By Dina Elessawy

One thing is certain about “The Cellardoor Bistro”---an experience there is unforgettable because of both: its flavorful meals and its cozy, unpretentious atmosphere.

As soon as you enter this restaurant, you literally feel at home. It’s simple, peaceful and elegant – all together. Something we’ve been missing these days. Once seated, you are served with a complimentary basket of bread with garlic and butter; enough to impress you and introduce you to the quality of food you are about to indulge yourself with.

The menu is unusual, filled with recipes from out of this world. For starters, they may have been main dishes on their own. One of the famous plates is the grilled Portobello Mushrooms, which sits on a bed of wilted spinach and is topped with green beans and onion rings. This plate will make you love mushrooms even if you normally don’t like them. The Bruschetta is a definition of perfection, and will literally take you to the streets of Rome. And their apple salad is just heavenly.

For the main dishes, you will definitely find something that suits your taste. My personal favorite platter is the Moroccan Style Casbah Chicken cooked with the ideal amount of cinnamon; brown sugar and orange juice and placed on raisin risotto. The seared Norwegian Salmon Plate, the Red Curry Chicken and the Beef Stroganoff are signature plates as well. To make it easier for you; you won’t regret whatever you order.

As for desserts, the items may sound a bit familiar and usual, but they certainly have an extraordinary taste. The flavors of cheesecakes vary from caramel to cherry. And the raspberry mousse cake would make you think that it’s cooked with fruit that you’ve never tasted before.

After the food has done its job with satisfying your stomach, and the ambience has ensured a peace of mind, you will be ready to finish your journey. But, I can bet you, that if you take another glimpse at the menu, you will be ordering another dessert plate.

The place is surely bliss to Egypt. Perfect for a casual date, a reminiscing session with an old friend, a business one-on-one meeting to close a deal, or a birthday party, each one of you will find something to relate to.