ESCĀ — Restaurant in Cairo

As we continue to visit the local restaurants in Cairo, our next stop was Escā in Heliopolis. Host: pleasant and somewhat cooperative. Seating: Chairs are comfortable, tables are nice but the couches are too soft allowing for guests to sink into the couch. It makes for an uncomfortable eating position as the table was chest high. We did ask to be sat at a high table and they apologized saying that they were reserved. However the 2 tables that we were asking to be sat at was never filled throughout the night. We did not understand why they would not try to accommodate us. Staff:nice and try to do their best, still needs more experience with serving in a high end restaurant. At times not attentive and had to fill our own glasses for drinks. Food: Prices are high comparing to the portion size. Starters: We ordered the calamari fritti (270LE) - very nice, good tasting and fair portion size for the price. Korean chicken bites (240LE) - fair portion size - excellent- very tasty and cooked well. Spicy Shrimp Tempura (290 LE) - very good-excellent taste however only came with 5 pieces of shrimp. Gourmet Cheese Platter (400LE) nice collection of cheeses but very little amount for the price. Grilled Chicken Cesar Salad (260 LE) - horrible! Do not eat it, do not order it. It is not a chicken Cesar salad at all! This is the main reason for our 3 star rating. The manager tried to make up for it, he said he would make it up with a different salad and never replaced it. Main courses: Rib eye (750 LE) it was supposed to be 350 grams of meat to which it was not. Extremely overpriced and the temperature was not cooked as desired. They need to increase the portion or decrease the price. Sushi: we ordered the Omakase (635LE) this was an ok collection, Mostly cooked. Crispy roll (200LE) was good! Shrimp crunchy roll (4 pieces for 115LE) - good but small quantity. Overall rating for the food: not a lot of options for sushi and most of it is cooked/fried. Overpriced and portions are small compared to the price you are paying. And DO NOT order the chicken Cesar salad. The service charge for a bottle of alcohol is 500LE - which you get nothing for it. Half the time we had to fill our own glasses. We think that they stop the air conditioning about an hour prior to their close making the restaurant so cloudy from all of the smoke. When we left the restaurant, we smelled like an ash tray - and only one of the people smoked in our group (and they sat on opposite ends from us). One of our friends had difficulty retrieving his coat. And they had a difficult time giving us a bag for our bottle when we left (although we brought it in a bag). Often times we asked for things that were never brought to us. One of our friends did not get a dinner plate and when asked multiple times to different people she never received one having to share a plate with someone else at the table. We asked for apple juice for one of our friends and never received it. In conclusion, we might revisit in a few months, but if we have the same experience with the staff and ventilation leaving us to smell like an ash tray, we would never return. As proper ventilation is mandatory during the times of Covid! Manager/Host needs to stay until the end to make for a smooth departure for all guests. Or if they do not, please do not demand to take guests coats as it is difficult to retrieve it at the end...

I have never been to this restaurant, but I am a graduate of the No.1 university for Hospitality. The first and second generations own renowned restaurants, starting with casual restaurants, gourmet burgers, to upscale clubs. I was surprised, somewhat astonished by negative feedback and reviews. Reviews that are one of the published rules of the place are veiled, and you are not allowed to access the facility. On the contrary, the management respects your rituals and beliefs. Each successful business has its own rules, processes, and framework. It's important to remember that everyone can express their opinions and experiences whether positive or negative. Notwithstanding, that doesn't give you any right to manipulate or jeopardize other people's business. Negative reviews can provide valuable insights into areas needing attention or changes.

Regarding discrimination, it's important to distinguish between personal opinions and discriminatory actions. Discrimination refers to mistreating individuals based on specific characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or disability. Businesses must ensure equal opportunities and fair treatment to all individuals. It's always beneficial for businesses to engage in open dialogue, actively listen to feedback, and strive for continuous improvement to provide the best possible experience for their customers. Discrimination is acts based on illegal prejudice that affects the terms and conditions of employment. Examples include refusal to hire, reducing hours or pay, denial of training, transfer, or promotion opportunities, unequal pay for equal work, demotion, termination, and exclusion.

Based on official statistics, 96% of restaurants in Egypt are alcohol-free, and only 4% of tourist restaurants are licensed to serve alcohol. It's about offering diversity and catering to different needs and...

I visited Escā in Almazah with my partner after a friend recommended the place and I wasn't disappointed at all.

First, the welcoming was great and I was escorted to a very nice table exactly what I asked for when booking. And the distance between the tables is big which gives you and your partner privacy.

Second, the interior, the ambience and the afro house music makes your dining experience unforgettable.

Third, Nour our waiter for the night took our dining experience to the next level, he was professional, knowledgeable and friendly. When he was asking for the drinks, I asked for a beer but he recommended to take a cocktail as their bartenders are really good which made me change my mind and order bloody mary and I didn't regret it at all. The bartender then came and took feedback to see if the cocktail was good. For the food, we ordered the salmon salad and grilled octopus which were great and the salmon special rolls which were average.

The salmon salad has a lot of salmon in it, and the quality of the salmon is really good.

The grilled octopus is amazing as its sauce makes it magical.

The salmon special roll is nice but not great as I would have preffered going for the uramaki since I couldn't taste the salmon in the roll.

Overall, the dining experience was unforgettable and will definitely come back if I visit Cairo again.

N.B. we went the next day to Escā in 5A Waterway as we wanted to visit this outlet before leaving Cairo, as soon as we entered the restaurant we felt unwelcomed all the staff were staring and no one approached us which made us leave and have lunch elsewhere. However, I still gave 5 🌟 for my dinner experience but I wrote it here so the management can look into it as this brand deserves more...