BCA Mohandeseen Review

I would like to add a quick word in my blog about the BCA Mohandeseen. I finally got the chance to go and check out the new loction, which is now just few minutes away on the same road as IH Cairo ILI, because I was invited to go and see an Irish band in honour of St Patrick’s Day (Patron Saint of Ireland). To get to the place you turn right past the petrol station on Ahmed Orabi street (heading towards Sudan Street from Sphinx Square). The building is on the second block right opposite a fruit seller and a lot of trees. You really wouldn't notice this building unless you were looking for it as there are no signs outside to speak of. It is  a white building, set back behind a gate. There are security on the door and asking them is the best way to make sure you have the right place!

Just to clarify: The BCA Mohandeseen is now in Ahmed Orabi and not near the Dokki Shooting Club. The website and the Facebook page have different and contradicting information on them. The BCA venue at the top of Mohandeseen closed before Christmas 2011 to relocate to the bottom of Gamet El Dowal, by Sphinx Square. For people new to Cairo I am pretty sure that, like us before Christmas, if they didn't know better and tried to check the website for information then they would never find it.

The BCA is the place to go for a taste of Britain and it is perfectly adequate for the purpose, although like I said to Rami, if you are not native then Britian's standards of pub and bar should not be determined by just this one experience.

I did not get to see the previous venue at the top of Mohandeseen but I was told the new one is not as nice. It is a little dark and small and it doesn't appear to have much potential for out door seating in the summer although I cannot confirm this as it may have  garden. However on this particular night the music was fab and it was full of foreigners, primarily Brits, to make me feel a bit like I was back in a multicultural pub in London on a Thursday night.

We once again sampled the cuisine. It was a dish of Irish stew made especially for the evening. I feel it was a little overpriced for what it was -50LE each and it was certainly not the best stew I have ever had. In fact it didn't really resemble stew at all, more meaty soup. There were no hearty chucks of meat and vegetables and the soup wasn't well seasoned or warming like a stew should be. After the mashed potato experience of the BCA Maadi I have come to the conclusion that if the BCA are going to offer traditional British food they must employ a British chef, or at least a chef who has sampled authentic UK dishes and knows what they should look and taste like! 

However, it was nice to relax with an alcoholic drink for a change, talk to nice people, and listen to good music played by very talented musicians. The alcohol selection was not great - they didn’t even have Guinness (a traditional Irish drink) but at least we could go and have a beer out, and pay the prices that were advertised with no added taxes!

Personal opinions of the BCA will differ greatly I am sure, and it entirely depends on who you are talking to. There are people who simply do not feel the need or desire to intergrate into the life of the country they are living in, who I imagine will feel like the BCA is a safe haven for them to go every week to socialise. Of course this is its primary purpose and I think it suits the job very well for those who need it.

Personally I would say a venue like this is great for a specific event (such as a band night or a party) and it is reassuring to know it exists so close to work, so if I ever feel very homesick I can go and get a taste of the UK. However I don’t think I will be a regular visitor at this one as I am quite enjoying my cafe and shisha Egyptian nights at the moment; sampling the vast selection of fantastic ahwa's (coffee shops) around Cairo on a weekend. I believe I will leave regular pub nights for when I am back in the country that does them best!