?Weekends are all about reconnecting with family and friends — so where do you go to do just that? Cairo certainly has no shortage of comfort-food-first social eateries, but this week, we found solace (and flavor) at Coco.

It’s in the tagline. Coco boasts its status as a friendly dine-in restaurant — and it really is. Visits to Coco are ones accompanied by chipper chatter and comfortable postures. For our latest visit to the eatery, we opted to pass by the City Center Almaza branch, which is right by the Vox Cinemas complex. It’s an outdoor seating arrangement for the most part, with ample space that doesn’t get claustrophobic when the footfall intensifies.

Snug in our seats, we got to dissecting the menu. As we’ve come to expect of international restaurants, the menu has a little bit of everything, from fajitas and burgers to pizzas, pastas, and starters worth ignoring MyFitnessPal for. The chicken nachos were a no-brainer, followed by the risotto truffle mushroom, chicken milano, and a chocolate lava cake to end the show — but more on that later. For refreshments, we opted for blueberry and peach iced teas.

We waited, and then we waited. While the food took quite some time to show up on our table — around 40 minutes, to be exact — it quickly made up for the delay. The nachos were fresh, crispy, and the toppings were generous. Which is to say, no nacho chip went ungarnished. The chicken milano and its accompanying side of pasta checked all the marks, and while the risotto smelled heavenly, we found ourselves going back to its table neighbors. The iced teas weren’t out of the ordinary, but proved ideal companions to the meal.

The show ended with a sweet bang. Though at this point we were already filled to the brim, we couldn’t bring ourselves to break the cardinal rule of eating out — having dessert. The chocolate lava cake was the equivalent of a theatrical showstopper, swooping in at the very last minute to garner all the attention, leaving costars in the dust. Soft, hot, and covered in vanilla ice cream, it was all we could ask for in a sweet treat on a hot summer day.

The verdict: If you’re looking for comfort food in a comfortable setting, Coco is where to go — though know you might find yourself waiting a little longer than usual.

WHERE TO FIND COCO: Coco has branches all over Cairo, including City Center Almaza, Heliopolis, Arkan Plaza, New Cairo’s EDNC, CFCM, and Madinaty’s Open Air Mall. You can also order from Talabat.

? Per person: EGP 700-800

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

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