A Stroll through G.S.C.

Gone are the times that smartly dressed gentlemen gathered here for a match of cricket, ladies lingered for a game of bridge, and Egypt's young elite flocked to the pool to exercise and gossip. Only some of the buildings still bear testimony to its colonial past as the Khedivial Sporting Club of the 1880s, one of them being the lovely red-bricked manager's cottage. The Gezira Sporting Club in Zamalek, short The Club, might have lost most of it's splendour and grandeur, but it still is a pleasant place for an extended stroll on a Saturday afternoon without the traffic, noise and hawkers that are a staple in most other parts of town. The good news is, it's now a rather democratic place, also granting access to us ordinary people as long as we can fork out the LE100 entrance fee. If you find the right entrance, though, it's only LE5. The Club is especially popular with families and while the young ones practise soccer or tennis, mummies and daddies meet over coffee and shish kebab in one of the many food outlets. Going with the times, there's a veritable food court now that can compete with most shopping malls around (if that's what you like), boasting even a miniature McDonalds branch and many an ice cream parlour.

Groppi.

It's one of those Downtown institutions that act as living reminder of Cairo's grand past as one of the cosmopolitan centres of a globalized world circa 1920. Occupying a chunk of prime property on beautiful Talaat Harb Square, Café Groppi welcomes its guests with an ornate entrance of wrought iron and large glass-and-wood doors that lead into the main hall, a cavernous space with huge windows, high ceilings and a splendid stone floor. Well, and this is unfortunately where the splendour ends. The coffee that's served here is decent but nothing to write home about and the cake display is very basic with even their modest Danishes not available most of the time. Given Groppi's status as one of the oldest cafés in Cairo with a name that even today manages to conjure up images of dapper gents and ladies meeting over high tea, you wonder why the owners don't capitalize more on this unique heritage. Still, it's a great spot to sit for a while and watch the crazy world pass by outside in the street. Bring a book and a camera and pretend you're Agatha Christie on a voyage of the Middle East.

Maison Thomas.

When the afternoon light comes shining in at the Maison Thomas Zamalek branch and the racing green interior gets that chic glow, you can for a moment or two forget the mayhem happening outside. An intriguing mix of an English country pub, a French bistro, and an Italian trattoria, Maison Thomas is a beloved Cairo classic and has been a mainstay of the capital's culinary scene ever since the golden 20s. Come here for a leisurely lunch of pizza and salad on the way from a meeting or on the way into a well-deserved weekend and watch the chefs working away at doughs and toppings behind the glass partition that separates the seating area with its bar stools and high tables from the kitchen. Their signature delivery boxes in natural brown with the restaurant's timeless logo printed on top are stacked high on the wall behind the kitchen and payment counters, so don't be surprised to see a stream of delivery boys darting in and out of the place to cart the hot pizzas to customers around town. Close your visit in style with an espresso and a helping of their heavenly tiramisu. Adds a silver lining to even the bleakest of days.

http://www.elmenus.com/cairo/restaurants/maison-thomas-1519