Willow’s is a culinary home away from home

? New Cairo’s Willow’s touts itself as a home away from home — and if that’s indeed the case, then they have some seriously talented home cooks running the show. High-end offerings meet casual dining, Willow’s ticks all the boxes for a weekend dining experience where all you have to do is sit back, enjoy your company, and know for sure that your cravings are bound to be satisfied.

A couple of hours spent at Willow’s feel like hours spent in the comfort of a home terrace. The restaurant is welcoming, calming, and filled with greenery, artwork, and a slew of mismatched-yet-complementary trinkets. It’s a get-comfortable kind of place, and makes it easy to do just that. While both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements carry their own charm, an evening spent enjoying your meal outdoors proves ideal.

Ambiance aside, the menu has quite a lot to offer as well. If you’re going for breakfast, expect everything from omelettes and benedicts to shakshouka and English muffins. Our sights were set on the all-day menu, however, which boasts a curated selection of soups, appetizers ranging from quick-bite potato tots to salmon ceviche, fondue platters, hearty salads, and a variety of international mains, grills, pastas, and sammies.

The chicken katsu curry called, and we promptly heeded. Alongside it, we opted for the panko shrimp sandwich, the signature beef and mushroom fettuccine, and the cookie dough pan for good measure. A spicy strawberry juice also caught our eye — but more on that later. The fettuccine won the round, closely followed by the panko shrimp sandwich — which offered a crunch we didn’t know we needed on a strikingly soft bread base. The chicken katsu, while delicious, was done the disservice of being on the same table as its culinary counterparts, slightly paling in comparison. The cookie dough pan was hard to keep away from, yet might be a tad too sweet for many.

The star of the show at Willow’s was surprisingly the spicy strawberry juice. When reading the words “hot spanish red pepper” and “fresh strawberry” in the same sentence, you might be inclined to skip on to the next menu entry. We didn’t — and it was the best decision we made all night. While initially jarring, the explosive flavor quickly proves itself worthy of your time. It’s hot, spicy, and yet still sweet — a novel combination we’ll be going back for.

To put it simply, if you find yourself in proximity to Willow’s this weekend, you’d be doing yourself a favor by walking right in. Truth be told, however, food took quite a while to show up on our tables — but with the right company, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Willow’s has two branches; one at New Cairo’s District 5, and the other at Sheikh Zayed’s Arkan Plaza.

? Per person: EGP 800 - 900

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes