🍴 This week we’re taking a step back in time, visiting one of Cairo’s classic dining establishments to see how well it holds up in 2026. Over the decades, much has changed in Korba — and Le Chantilly bore witness to it all. It may not be the fanciest dining destination or the hottest hangout spot, but its clientele is acutely aware of just what it offers. When we visited on a weeknight, the French double doors opened to reveal crowds often only encountered on weekends. There were barely any empty tables, and patrons’ laughs and chatter rang all around.

This is when we knew we had to drop any predetermined notions and see where the night takes us. We made our way to the restaurant’s outdoor area — which is essentially a historic style alleyway sandwiched between old Heliopolis buildings — and felt like we entered a separate dimension. Le Chantilly, a stalwart in Cairo’s dining scene, has preserved its identity so well that a visit feels like a genuine trek through time back to simpler days when dining was about the people, and not so much the food.

That sentiment carried over to the menu — simple, timeless, and classic international staples. No innovative fusion dishes nor out-of-the-box flavors, just comfort and familiarity. We opted for the creamy tomato soup, along with the fried spiced potato cubes appetizer, and followed by our server’s recommendation of chicken stroganoff as a main. The food wasn’t the most spectacular nor the most beautifully presented, yet it felt wholesome, and indeed, nostalgic — even our soda was served in a vintage glass bottle. Chantilly’s food mirrors that of Egypt’s historic sporting clubs: fresh and homecooked.

While the food wasn’t the star of the evening, the conversation was. That’s the magic of Le Chantilly, it’s a place that makes you want to linger, laugh, and talk through the night, surrounded by fellow restaurantgoers doing just the same. The atmosphere gives off the feeling of being isolated — both from the world, and from your troubles.

Le Chantilly undoubtedly still stands strong, and given the crowds, rest assured that it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. When we set out to ask whether it still stacks up in 2026, we didn’t expect that perhaps the question should have been: how did it take us so long to come back?

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find Le Chantilly in 11 Baghdad St., Korba.

💵 Per person: EGP 900-1.1k

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: Yes

🦽 Accessibility friendly: No

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