Estro - an Italian Rooftop — Restaurant in Cairo

Overall: The Estro - Sicilian Rooftop restaurant has excellent food and outstanding customer services, both in a relaxed ambiance.

After five years of being in Egypt, we finally visited the Estro - Sicilian Rooftop - all at the invitation of our friend Mr. Mostafa Ascar, who's a regular at the Estro. The Estro Sicilian Rooftop is a small modern restaurant well decorated and extremely clean. Its decoration provides a relaxed ambiance. The bar is well decorated and organized. Good temperature is maintained within the restaurant. The outside area has glass doors and rooftops, allowing the restaurant to control the temperature during cold and hot weather seasons. The toilets are modern and kept spotless. Smoking is allowed in the restaurant.

Facility/Infrastructure: The restaurant is located on the rooftop (19th floor) of the Royal Maadi Hotel. It is well lit. The dining area has low and high tables. Parking is available but limited. Estro is friendly for access to wheelchair-bound persons. In fact, Estro has the only toilets with handicapped handles installed we have ever seen in Egypt. The facility is equipped with AC and heaters.

Security/Safety: A security camera system was not observed at the restaurant. However, being located at a hotel, there is likely a 24-hour security camera system installed in the area. There were two fire extinguishers in the dining area - likely as part of their fire suppression system. The ground hotel entrance had a metal detector, but it was unmanned upon our arrival. The hotel elevator opens up right into the restaurant in front of the restrooms area. No suspicious criminal activity was observed in the surrounding areas of the restaurant - it is safe.

Food & Spirits: The restaurant menu includes, but is not limited to, seafood, pasta/risoto, steaks, chicken, and a variety of delicious dessert dishes. I had the fish filet, sauté veggies, pasta, fried calamari, and tasted three different desserts, and all were delicious! The bar is well equipped with spirits, beer, soft drinks, and red and white wines. Wine can be purchased by glasses or bottles.

Staff: We were well greeted by their staff. I had the chance to meet and congratulate Chef Mahmoud Sayed for the excellent food experience we had. I would like to highlight the great customer services provided by our waiter, Mr. Hassan, and thanks to Mr. Remon, manager, for being so accommodating. In general, staff members are professionals with great demeanor and outstanding customer services. Kudos to all! We really had a great customer experience.

We definitely recommend...

Ambiance: beautifully conceived and executed rooftop restaurant. The space would fit perfectly in Milan or Paris — everything from the glasses and silverware, to the olive oil and vinegar bottles, to the music selection was just beautifully done, with a clear attention to detail. The only giveaway that we’re in Cairo was all the ugly, dusty buildings on view outside in daytime. But if you squint, you might be able to just focus on the pyramids in the far distance.

Service: professional and quick. Don’t expect a lot of fun banter with the service staff, but they get the job done, and it’s clear that there is good training and supervision.

Food: although the emphasis is on Sicilian specialties, there is also a fair mix of the usual popular items from other regions (e.g. veal Milanese, ossobuco, etc.). The Pasta alla Norma was delicious (the mini penne rigate were served al dente, not a common thing in Egypt. The antipasti we ordered were fine and the Ravioli lacked much taste — spinach stuffing was fresh tasting, but it seems someone forgot to add the ricotta cheese and some salt to the mix. The cannoli dessert (ricotta stuffed pastry shells) was disappointing.

All in all, despite some of our minor misgivings, this place deserves 5 stars, especially when you compare it to the paltry options that pass for Italian restaurants in much of Cairo.

Special request: add some of detective Montalbano’s favorites to the menu — like the pasta ‘ncasciata and the pasta con le sarde — pleaaaaase. And add a proper cassata to the dessert menu. And open for breakfast and offer the brioche with some...

Rooftop Italian/Sicilian restaurant that uses high quality ingredients and has great service. Recommended.

The service is outstanding, with polite, attentive and professional staff.

The atmosphere is great, very nice view and decor. The music was a bit too “techno” for me and for the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Food: overall very good food, but not perfect. Gladly recommend it though and would love to go back and try other dishes as well.

We ordered: Bruschetta with tomatoes and basil: very good, tomatoes and basil very fresh, grilled bread was very nice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar very tasty Rucola mushroom salad: in the beginning a bit bland, lacked some acidity for my taste. After the addition of some balsamic vinegar and some tomatoes and basil we had from the bruschetta the salad was great. Arancini with bolognese ragu: good, not great for me, but my wife liked them

Tagliatelle shrimps tomato pesto: interesting dish, unique taste, not a typical tomato sauce. It tasted good, but not our favorite tagliatelle with mushroom cream: loved it, you can very much taste the mushroom and the herbs. My wife found it a bit heavy.

General note about the pasta: the texture of the pasta was excellent.

Note: best to reserve early to guarantee a table...