Positioned within the Conrad Hotel, Stage One is a favorite haunt of fashionable locals and foreigners. A decent nightspot that offers good quality snacks and an enormous variety of drinks in relaxed surroundings smartly balances style and a comfy touch. It was clear from the moment we’d arrived at this posh lounge that the attention they gave to the place’s ambiance was worth appointing to. This feeling was further intensified by their impressive cigar stand stacked with original Cuban cigars, turning this sophisticated place into a venue able to indulge all your senses. Wishing to treat guests to the breathtaking elegance of modern royalty, Conrad infuses its dining and entertainment venues with meticulous care and unparalleled opulence. The venue is divided into three areas: a bar serving a range of alcoholic drinks, a dancing/mingling area and, finally, the lounge boasting a modernly designed fireplace, where guests can relax and enjoy the mesmerizing vista of the Nile. A smart division of the guests is obvious too: business clientele is seated on either the bar or the small tables; whereas groups find it more convenient to stick to the area catering to large numbers. The place is best suitable for three scenarios: pre-business-meeting drinks, pre-long-night-of-clubbing adventures or after-a-long-day-of-work must haves. After admiring that marvelous view and absorbing a collection of some good tunes, we decided upon our drinks. Examining the menu, however, we realized that our senses would be teased but not indulged, as the long list only featured a decent selection of snacks and a variety of venue’s specials, quite a limited option if satisfying the appetite before dancing is your major purpose. Knowing though that we came here for the sake of the experience, rather than food, we picked up two non-alcoholic drinks, namely: the Aida Stage – an icy mix of strawberry, cranberry and lemon juices, mixed with amaretto syrup; and the spicy-icy Light Chili made of fresh red chillis, mango juice, lime and coconut milk. With the approach of midnight, when music got louder and crowds – merrier, we decided to explore venue’s limited snack menu choosing items from different cuisines. These included: Deluxe Selection of Lebanese Mezzehs (a sampling of hot and cold delicacies with bread crisps), Assorted Dim-Sum (golden chicken dumpling, vegetables spring rolls and siew mai shrimp) and Potato Wedges with Smoked Salmon (a piece of smoked salmon on a bed of potato skin with lemon and sour cream). But instead of satisfying our hunger, these fabulous appetizers just got us going. The waiter invited us to savor from Stage One’s Asian neighbor – Kamala, providing us with a menu featuring an array of mouthwatering dishes. Following his wise advice, we opted for Sate Campur (an Indonesian plate of prawns, beef and chicken grilled and seasoned with peanut sauce). The food was served right away whilst we were listening to the mesmerizing tunes of Okasha Ali band, playing songs from different decades (definitely managed to entertain the high-class clientele of the venue). Finally, when food has done its magical job and the sounds got us hypnotized by the unfolding scene, we decided to give their Cuban cigars a try. A two-pages menu, unveiling all the possible varieties of this notorious delight, promised an unbeatable experience. Imported directly from Cuba, the cigars were served with all their original tools, including a cutter, huge matches and ashtrays. In conclusion I would like to say that the atmosphere, the food, the entertainment and the service Stage One provides makes it a local’s slice of heaven or a destination must-go for all party animals and food connoisseurs.
