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THE EXECUTIVE LIFE
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Art for the palate

The concept of mixing art and cuisine is hardly new. London’s trendy Sketch Gallery has showcased everything from portraits-in-progress to streaming video art to its culture-hungry diners ever since opening in 2002. With the opening of Ciabatta in Zamalek last month, the idea looks to catch on here.

Occupying the northern tip of Zamalek as part of the new Sequoia complex, Ciabatta is a collaboration between entertainment giant Sindbad Group and the Townhouse Gallery. It shares prime Nile-side real estate with the scaled-down but decidedly upscale remodeled Andrea restaurant and Yazid, a stylish new bar certain to draw the basha crowd.

Minimalism is the key. Comfortable chairs dressed in white cotton covers surround amply spaced tables on the cafe’s mahogany-tinted wood deck. Diners enjoy Nile views on one side and contemporary art on the other.

Chilly winter weather works against the café’s favor. Gas heaters are spread throughout the outdoor space, but too far and few between to make any real difference. For now, at least, Ciabatta might be a better option for those seeking a hip breakfast or lunch venue. Come summer, however, this could be an ideal location for the long, warm nights.

The outdoor location also works against securing art for the exhibits, admits Townhouse owner William Wells. Gradually, however, artists have overcome their fear of exposure to the elements for a different kind of exposure. The thought of art aficionados dining in the purview of their winterized scultpures and vinyl-coated wall paintings is a strong lure for Cairo’s talent.

According to Wells, the exhibitions will change every few weeks to keep the space fresh. On the night of our visit, the work of three local painters and sculptors was on display. The installations began at the entrance, where a posse of rope sculpture cats looked hungrily at a dangling fish skeleton. Rest assured, this was no sign of a poorly stocked kitchen.

Food is the second dimension of the Ciabatta experience. The menu offers a suitable selection of healthy and tasty items. Salads, sandwiches, melts, crepes and pizzas are made with fresh ingredients and given aesthetic presentations.

The Cobb Salad (£E 17), generously portioned with chicken breast, smoked turkey, avocado, tomatoes and romaine lettuce, came with a zesty garlic herb dressing, but the rocca promised on the menu was notably missing. Still, the chef did manage to avoid the fatal mistake of letting the dressing overtake the salad rather than the opposite.

For the main course, my companion and I opted for pizzas, made from scratch in a wood-fired oven. The BBQ Chicken Pizza (£E 18), with black olives and red, yellow and green peppers, sounded delicious. So did the Funghi Pizza (£E 16), with an ample helping of mushrooms and black olives.

Unfortunately, the chef was still fine-tuning his wood-fire techniques and the thin crusted pizzas came out too burnt for our liking. Given a little practice, we’re sure he’ll get it right.

Much better were the Panini Clubs, fresh Italian bread stuffed with everything from roast chicken to cheese. I tried the Ciabatta Caprese (£E 14), a tasty medley of mozzarella, tomatoes, rocca, pickled cucumbers and pesto sauce in fresh ciabatta bread. This time the rocca was not only present, it was fresh and tasty as well. My friend’s Turkey Special (£E 18) proved equally satisfying, with juicy slices of turkey and layers of crunchy rocca and romaine lettuce.

Tantalizing dessert selections, including cheesecake and baked goodies, are exhibited like art in a glass display case. Crepes are a house specialty, so we went for the most exotic of the bunch and ordered Crepes Jamaica (£E 18). A wise choice. Stuffed with caramelized bananas and decorated with apple slices, the crepe’s vanilla ice cream was the perfect touch. And as it wasn’t thickly layered in cream, there were no unnecessary guilt trips after the meal.

We finished the evening with a fine café latte (£E 8), but were careful not to linger too much as a cool breeze was in the making. With a warm jacket and an appreciation of good food and art, Ciabatta is worth a trip.

Maha El-Dahan

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