Having lived in West Bay for 3 years surrounded by bars, cafes and restaurants moving to Rehab has been a big change. I definitely think we’ve made the right choice but I do miss being able to walk across the road to Quickbites or next door to Prime! In a search for a new ‘local’ Greg found The Tap East, marketed as a ‘Neighbourhood Bar’ we thought we’d go and check it out and I reserved a table through their website which was very efficient. It was fairly quiet when we arrived but we immediately felt welcome.

I would describe the decor as industrial meets American Diner. The exposed brick walls have small recessed TVs and there’s a variety of red leather booths, steel tables and stools with a large central bar displaying their ‘towers of beer’. Wall murals of Audrey Hepburn and Jim Morrison provide a backdrop to the area by the mixing decks and stage (there is live music most nights). There’s also a large outside terrace which will be great when it’s cooler. The menu was pretty good too, a wide selection of bar snacks and main meals. I was pleasantly surprised to see imported drinks too such as Newcastle Brown Ale! ​

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​We decided to share the nachos as an appetiser and I ordered the buffalo chicken salad for my main with Greg choosing the boneless BBQ rib sandwich along with a couple of bottles of Desparados. As we waited for our food we spent most of the time shazaming the soundtrack which was excellent and create a cool, laid back atmosphere. Mustafa, member of staff, also came over for a quick chat to find out where were from and what we thought of the bar – everyone was really friendly. Soon our nachos arrived and they were a good portion size for sharing. There was a good balance of melted cheese to nacho with a splattering of beef chili and sides of salsa and sour cream. Unfortunately shortly after we started tucking in to them our main courses were brought out. I find this a bit frustrating especially when we specified we wanted an appetiser followed by mains. 

My buffalo chicken salad was really tasty and just on the right side of spicy for my taste. I did think there was a little too much lettuce but that’s probably because I don’t particularly like it! The salad was nicely presented and the vegetables were crunchy and fresh.

Greg really enjoyed his rib sandwich. Again there was a generous portion of tender beef in a fresh bun with a tangy BBQ sauce served with crunchy fries and creamy coleslaw. Overall the food was good, solid bar food.

After a couple more drinks we asked for the bill and left very happy that we’d found a new ‘local’ and of course, survived our first month in Cairo!

​We paid just under 700LE in total for our food and drinks which was reasonable value. I’d like to go back again when it’s a bit busier, maybe when there’s a band on. Overall we enjoyed our night.

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