? When it comes to Lebanese cuisine, you can’t go wrong with Villa Caracas — and their Salon is no different. With one branch in Walk of Cairo and another that has recently opened its doors in New Cairo’s District 5, Salon Caracas is Villa Caracas’ younger sibling — and it’s living up to the family name.

Expectations were high, and so was the literal ceiling. We paid a visit to the District 5 branch and immediately felt at ease. The artisanal café’s indoor space would fool you upon first glance — the ceilings are high enough that for a moment, you’d think you’re outside. The generous natural lighting perfectly sets you up for a meal that is equally delightful.

The menu doesn’t miss. All sorts of Lebanese classics make an appearance — we’re talking makloubes, man’ouches, batata harre, Lebanese grills, and everything one would expect to be served at a Beiruti grandmother’s family gathering. The options are aplenty, though not overwhelming. Craving a taste of authenticity, we went for a few classics ourselves.

Salon Caracas served — in more ways than one. The Lebanese fatteh immediately caught our attention, and we paired it with a classic hummus dip, batata harre, wara’ enab, and fattoush. For safe measures, we also ordered a plate of shish tawook — and while we might have overestimated our appetites, nothing went back to the kitchen.

Word of advice: don’t miss out on the fatteh kofta karaz. There’s a perfect balance of flavors in the fatteh that only an authentic Lebanese destination like Caracas can muster up — it’s soft, creamy, light, and yet incredibly filling. The cherry sauce perfectly offsets the acidity of the yoghurt, and it ends up feeling like a match made in heaven. The hummus wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it got the job done.

The cherry sauce might have stolen the show, but the wara’ ‘enab was the stage-setter. The appetizers were quick to manifest on our table, and were devoured even faster. The fattoush was as fresh as it gets, and the same could be said for the batata harre as far as heat is concerned. For the picky eaters amongst us, the shish tawook and the accompanying fries proved satisfactory — tender and familiar, though we’d recommend fatteh over it.

It wasn’t just the food that left an impression, however. Service at Salon Caracas was quick, and the servers made an effort to make you laugh — and no, not in the cliché sort of way. So next time you find yourself walking around District 5, we’d definitely recommend passing by Salon Caracas for a visit that will likely linger.

? Per person: EGP 500-600

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

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