We had a fun time here in this historic restaurant. The ambience is nice, though stuffy - the food was just okay and didn't merit the price, but we still enjoyed ourselves and the experience.
We had a fun time here in this historic restaurant. The ambience is nice, though stuffy - the food was just okay and didn't merit the price, but we still enjoyed ourselves and the experience.
Poor food, very poor atmosphere and depressing for an Iconic restaurant. Do not recommend to anyone until they sort this out. Is this an example of a big chain ruining another wonderful venue?
Delicious, beautifully presented food in a stunningly beautiful, historic setting. You really feel like you are dining in a monarch's dining room! The staff were so warm, friendly and attentive to our every need / desire. There is so much attention to detail to everything...from the decor to the cutlery, that it creates an amazing ambiance! Also I note that the food was sustainably sourced. Be sure to have your elegant attire with you - males can borrow a tie and dinner jacket if needed! We loved it so much we ate dinner here twice!More
Stay at the Winter Palace, but book B&B! Lunch at the pool-side cafe is fine, but food in the two indoor restaurants mostly disappointed us, particularly at the 1886. Tony P
the food was really delicious, the vibe that the restaurant give is like old style but is very nice and the service was excellent
Professional staff with great style. In this restaurant one gets overwhelmed by the great luxury and "old style" of the Winter Hotel. Excellent cuisine!
It promised a lot. An historic hotel and restaurant where one is required to wear a jacket and tie. Promising that standards are being kept. However we were the only ones required to wear that tie. No one else did. Disappointing. Then the food, drink...and service were as poor as it gets. Sofitel, you can do significantly better. This was as bad as it gets. Even the vegetables were frozen. And it was so expensive. The whole hotel felt like it’s dying on its feet. Please do not stay there or eat there if you read this. Sofitel can do well, so why drop the standards so much? You are damaging your global reputation. Sorry, but it’s all true.More
You can enjoy with beautiful meals with an amazing view inside the restaurant. We will do it again..
Very nice environment, excellent food and very good services, worth each penny!! Try it, you will not regret!!
The restaurant has two sittings. We opted for the 9.30 pm, which was rather too late for comfort but better than the earlier one of 7.00pm. When we turned up, we were the only people for that sitting. There were two other tables with customers...who were part way through their main courses so were obviously not from the 7.00 sitting. If only we'd known we could have arrived at our preferred time of 8.00-8.30 but this was never given as an option. After the other two tables were vacated, we were the only people left so the ambiance was nil. The staff began to set up for the following day's service and we cut the meal short. The food was OK but nothing special and was quite expensive for what it was. This was meant to be our final celebratory meal at the end of our holiday and it just didn't feel all that special. Such a pity as the hotel itself is superb.More
I would say that 1886 Restaurant was the only part of our excellent stay at Winter Palace (see separate review) which was just OK. For some reason the stuff is not fully trained (or we just got unlucky) but we have multiple requests which were...forgotten or wrong item was delivered. Maybe our expectations were to high given how amazing the Winter Palace isMore
Thankfully the décor does not change (no bilious greens, suspect browns, and funereal greys as is sadly so often the case nowadays) but soft, two-toned ochre for the walls, soft reds and greens for the (comfortable) gilt Louis XVI armchairs, red and white crystal chandeliers,...silver cutlery--slightly shabby-genteel, old-world atmosphere--lovely. The food is totally safe (as in La Corniche) unlike most of the restaurants in town--a very important point when you are travelling. The cuisine is really very good considering this is not Paris or Geneva (fish and meat tend to be overcooked though). Of course many ingredients need to frozen (we heard a French person ask if the red mullet was fresh--probably thought it came from the Nile--some people do not travel well). The foie gras they usually do very well was not available this year because of the bird flu outbreaks in France. The desserts are also particularly good. All in all the 1886 ranks with a good French restaurant in France (this is no mean compliment) and is far, far better than the 1902 in Aswan where the food can be atrocious (e.g. the NYE dinner this year which will live in infamy). The French and foreign wines are ridiculously expensive because of the punitive taxes BUT the white Egyptian wines made with Chardonnay grapes from France are delicious and rank with a good Macon Lugny for ex. The reds tend to be a bit heavy. Most importantly the staff are both adorable and well trained. Mr. Nabil, the head waiter, must be commended highly for running a very tight ship. SO if you go, try to respect the place and the people who work there so diligently : no shorts, no T-shirts, no sneakers PLEASE! They will lend you a jacket if you don't have one.More
fabulous decor, superbly outdated, outstanding service... the starters were delicious, the mains (sea bass, slow cooking salmon) disappointing (frozen fish or overcooked?) ... good egyptian wine by the glass.... acceptable prices... unbeatable for a romantic dinner ❤️
Lentil and mushroom soup was very tasty. Smoked salmon also very good. The duck breast was good although a little tough and the date and apple tarts were very good. My apple tart with caramel was scorched on the bottom but staff offered to bring...another. I know if that hadn’t happened it would have been excellent.More
This restaurant is the best in the Winter Palace hotel. The ambience was very nice and food was good as well. Service was a little spotty and they sent my wife the wrong dish and did nothing to replace it with the correct dish. Requires...coat and slacks for men and dresses for women. No slacks allowed!More