Dine in Style at Aqua e Luce

Crossing the foyer of the Fairmont Towers in Heliopolis, where we were invited to a night of fine dining, Aqua e Luce greets you with a modern, chic setting and a view of the flower and plant arrangements and the panoramic windows of the lobby.

We were greeted by the managers and the main chef Eduardo Bronte upon our arrival and were excited to learn that Thursdays were Brazilian cuisine nights. The restaurant serves an international contemporary cuisine, with Wednesdays being dedicated to Alexandrian fish and seafood nights. The manager also told us that while salads and desserts are served at their open buffet, steak and chicken are ordered a lacarte.

My colleague and I started with the salads, choosing the Brazilian Beef salad and the Brazilian Salpicao. The Brazilian Beef salad was sweet and sour, mixing honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and spinach. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Salpicao was sweet with a spicy kick, combining cantaloupe, mint, red pepper and white cheese. Both of the salads tasted spectacular and balanced off flavors perfectly well.

After gobbling down our salads, we were served Brazilian garlic bread and cheese bread. Both had a fluffy texture that quickly melted inside our mouths. Although a treat on its own, when dipped in one of the sauces served—chimichurri, barbeque sauce and Brazilian vinaigrette it took it to a whole new level.

The bread basket was just the start of a true treat of a meal. Next came the appetizers; which included a fried banana that tasted incredibly good but was a bit hard to chew. We were also served the stuffed potato, alongside grilled halloumi cheese; which were both creamy and delicious.

After we were finished with the salad, breadbasket and the starters, we were served different kinds of Churrasco, a Spanish and Portugese term for beef or grilled meat, and grilled pineapple. We were served 14 different kinds of Churrasco, including Picanha (rump steak), Maminha (tri-trip), Fraldinfa (flap meat), veal ten- derloin, tenderloin, chicken heart, chicken breasts with smoked cheese and dried tomato, lamb chops, lamb leg and veal rack. All meats were tender to the bite and easy to chew and swallow. The pineapple is delicious on its own, but when it is grilled with honey, lime juice and cinnamon, it becomes a feast of flavors. My colleague and I were left pleading for more.

We then ordered lemon and orange juices that were fresh and tasty and then headed to the buffet for some sweet indulgence. The desserts were not Brazilian, but rather traditional desserts like English cake, chocolate cake, fruits and fruit salads. I tried the chocolate cake and fruit salad, which were both heavenly.
The food was great, but the atmosphere was fantastic and the service attentive.

Aqua e Luce, Fairmont Towers, Orouba Street, Heliopolis • Tel. +2 (02) 2696-0000 • Open daily from 6 am to midnight.