The outdoor space between the Nile Hilton Hotel and its swimming pool has always been a rather awkwardly shaped area with no defined purpose. At times it held a desultory bar and occasionally it was used to host events, but most of the time it just seemed a desolate space quickly bypassed on the way to the splendid pool.

Cairo restaurateur Nicha Sursock, a man with a near-magical touch when it comes to nightspots, tackled the spot several years ago. He created High Heels, which became widely popular with Cairo’s bright and beautiful people.

Two years later the place has been transformed once again, into Kaab Aali (literally, “High Heel”), featuring a makeover of both the menu and the setting.

Where High Heels featured an electric assortment of fusion-influenced appetizers and grilled meat dishes, Kaab Aali follows the increasingly popular trend of gourmet Egyptian food with some Lebanese highlights.

The menu features daily specials, and Thursday’s laban ommo, lamb in white sauce with pearl onions, was excellent. The menu does not feature the variety of some other restaurants, however; the remaining entrees are familiar offerings like shish tawouq and mixed grill. For the adventurous, there was a “fusion” option involving chicken ravioli in a molokheya sauce that looked… unusual. Portions are not massive, but then neither are the prices, with most main dishes around LE35.

Ultimately, Kaab Aali is not meant to be a restaurant, but a nightspot. The biggest challenge the place has to overcome is its sprawling footprint. The area is spread over several levels, giving the feeling of multiple restaurants. First is the blue-neon art deco sweep of the bar area. With its chair-less high tables, this part seems designed for a very hip club full of slender people drinking chilled vodka.

Next to it on a raised platform is a massive, bright red box made of mashrabiya wood, enclosing several brightly lit dining tables—it gives the sensation of dining in a bird cage. From here the venue sweeps down into the lounge area with a series of postmodern low tables with backless benches and stools. Dining here is necessarily a quick affair as few can stand the lack of back support.

Then there are the private tents, like VIP lounges. With a red décor, funky furniture and curtains that close, it’s hard not imagine all sorts of funny business when the place really gets going.