ESCĀ CUEVA — Restaurant in Giza

Esca Cueva: A Chaotic and Overbooked Experience. 14th of Feb 2025 - 10:26 pm

I had one of my worst experiences at Esca Cueva. What was supposed to be a smooth and enjoyable night turned into an absolute mess due to poor management, lack of organization, and a completely flawed reservation system.

Reservation & Check-in: My reservation was at 10:00 PM, and I arrived at 10:26 PM, well within the 30-minute grace period. The reservation desk staff were polite and hospitable, but the check-in process was disorganized. The person handling our entry she seemed unprepared and uncomfortable, which didn’t set a good first impression she was checking us in a very clumsy and weird way. She didn’t escort us inside, seemingly reluctant to do so, and we even witnessed a bouncer reminding her to actually do her job—a strange and unprofessional interaction to witness as a guest.

Seating Chaos & Lack of Guidance: Once inside, no one guided us to our seats. Instead, staff only seemed to assist flashy, show-off guests or those causing a scene. When I asked a waiter about my reserved bar seating, he checked and simply told me it was fully occupied. Instead of offering an alternative, he told me to check back with the reservation team outside aka “arg3 li madame Afaf 4th floor.”

When I did, they politely admitted they were overbooked, but their solution? Standing in the aisle—a cramped (attached an IMG) uncomfortable spot that felt more like a holding area than a seating alternative. They even refused to provide a single chair, offering instead two low chairs that didn’t even reach the bar counter. Why not just seat us at an actual table until a bar seat became available? (They got an outdoor and it was a too early stage to be crowded they could have provided that as an alternative)

Poor Problem-Solving & Reservation System: The staff had no real strategy for handling over-bookings, aside from offering bad alternatives or shrugging off concerns. On a chaotic night like Valentine’s Day, it became clear that the venue prioritizes who you know over actual customer experience.

The reservation system itself is unnecessarily complicated, reminiscent of بلبن Blaban’s model of making it really complicated to make a booking as this gives the essence of the chosen one of the power of being selected but worse. Their booking process feels like applying for a job, requiring unnecessary details and long wait times unless you “know someone”—which, unfortunately, is the only way my reservation even went through.

The Atmosphere & Crowd: The overall atmosphere was pretentious and uncomfortable. The crowd consisted mostly of wannabes, people pretending to have money but actually relying on connections, and an overwhelming sugar-daddy culture. It felt more like a Hunger Games scenario, where people competed for seats or reserved chairs for their “friends” just to maintain social status. No one seemed real, no one seemed comfortable, and it certainly wasn’t a safe or enjoyable experience.

By 11:00 PM, I had had enough and left for Kasr Kababgy instead. If you’re looking for a better experience, I’d recommend Neon, which has a far nicer staff and a better reservation system in addition they got literally the same view, or Lemon tree way better experience honestly speaking.

Esca Cueva did not meet my expectations for fancy dining or high-end service. Maybe they were overwhelmed, but that’s no excuse for poor management, an unfriendly booking system, and an overall uncomfortable experience. Unless you’re willing to pay extra under the table or cause a scene, don’t expect much.

I highly doubt they’ll care about this feedback, but it...

This place is really terrible and when I say terrible I do mean it for the following reasons.

I reserved online for the 4-7 slot, the confirmation was pending forever, We kept calling the number on your instagram and on google maps and unfortunately no one answered. when we reached the place it was empty with no one there (literally only the two of us). We were questioned by the waiter in regards to our reservation upon arrival even though we were the only ones there. Overall the process to book and be seated was not smooth.

Mentioning a minimum charge of 2K is unacceptable especially for the afternoon slot, no music, no vibes, nothing whatsoever. Absolutely disappointing atmosphere.

Right behind our table, there was drilling going on to hang up a sign (since your opening is at 4pm, why wait to drill during working hours when you can get done in the morning 9:00 - 15:00).

Food was very average, nothing special. Waiter spilled my juice while serving(which is fine we all make mistakes however he didn’t clean up the mess properly in-fact he just sent someone else to clean)

The view is terrible with trucks and garbage and not what is being promoted online.

Finally, 24hrs after my booking the hospitality staff reached out to me ask about my experience and I told them everything just to get an AI generated. Pathetic!

Overall, the afternoon 4-7 slot is not nice and there are no vibes, barely even music or Dj. Those arriving in this slot should be charged less than the night slot. I would not recommend the afternoon slot to anyone and don't believe I will be visiting again anytime soon. It was my fiancés birthday and we expected much better and unfortunately did not satisfy or meet our...

"Dear Owner of ESCÀ CUEVA":

I'm writing to express my utter disgust and disappointment at the appalling service my family and I received at your establishment. As first-time visitors to Egypt, we were excited to dine at your restaurant after seeing videos on TikTok. However, your team's incompetence and rudeness left us stunned.

Despite multiple attempts to book a reservation via email, Instagram, and phone calls, we were met with complete silence. We decided to take a drive in person to see if we could make a reservation in person and or perhaps dine. Upon arrival at 9:30 pm, we were shocked to find the restaurant nearly empty. When we approached the staff, including the reservation manager, they showed blatant disregard for our presence.

The reservation manager's behavior was particularly egregious, displaying a clear lack of hospitality and customer care. Her insistence on adhering to "rules" despite the restaurant's low occupancy was absurd. The humiliation and disrespect shown to my family, especially my daughters, were unacceptable.

In stark contrast, Noi Restaurant next door demonstrated exceptional service and kindness. When we were forced to seek alternative dining options, they warmly welcomed us and provided outstanding hospitality. Their staff were attentive, friendly, and accommodating – a true reflection of what your restaurant should strive for.

To improve, I suggest "ESCÀ CURVA" takes a long, hard look at its customer service standards and staff training. Until then, potential customers would be wise to avoid this disappointing establishment and opt for Noi Restaurant instead.

One star, and that's being...