Friday March 29th, 2024
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The Tap: A Truly Different Pub Going Experience

We get the first look at the hotly-anticipated British-style gastropub ahead of it's big opening this Thursday and sit down with founders Tamer Emad and Galal El Kerdani to find out more...

Staff Writer

The Tap: A Truly Different Pub Going Experience

In this day and age, who wants to be normal? With the world being so interconnected, the challenge of standing out is shared by both individuals and businesses. All too often a new nightlife venue will open up making grand promises of "a fresh new concept" that fails to impress even the lamest of phonies. Looking to redefine the meaning of being different is Maadi’s soon-to-be-everyone's-favourite-neighbourhood-indie-pub, The Tap.

The Tap opens Thursday and is the brain child of Tamer Emad and Galal El Kerdani, who were tired of searching high and low in Cairo for an authentic English pub to call their second home. According to El Kerdani, “We’ve both lived abroad most of our lives and in North America and Europe, where there are bars that you could go to everyday after work to have a beer, grab some food, hangout with your friends, talk, listen to eclectic indie music and, most importantly, have fun.”

Entering The Tap feels much like travelling through a portal and finding yourself instantly teleported to a modern, underground English-style pub. From exposed rustic red bricks tagged with eye catching graffiti to portraits of cats and dogs dressed in imperial uniforms hanging over stylishly comfy booths, The Tap’s décor easily stands out as one of kind on the Cairo nightlife scene. Responsible for the refreshingly, clever style is Galal, who has both experience in both front and back of house and clear eye for design. “Galal gained a lot of experience when he was given a month to design the décor for The Garden,” explains Emad. Given even less time than that, El Kerdani has once again managed to strip a location to its foundation and give it a completely new and unique identity in under four weeks... Though we can't reveal that much right now.

No true pub can be called such without a well stocked bar, a diverse menu of comforting pub fare, and interesting music and theme nights that ultimately turn patrons into regulars. “There isn’t one restaurant in Egypt that does proper barbecue ribs because it’s too expensive to get that rack of beef ribs. So were doing the effort to get that and sell it to you at a very reasonable price, while supplying other types of food we love that aren’t widely available like poutine, proper buffalo wings with Frank's red hot sauce, jalapeño poppers, potato skins with sour cream and beef bacon,” describes El Kerdani about the Tap’s mouth watering menu offerings.

Adding to the authentic pub experience is the bar that offers a wide variety of cocktails, but with a focus on providing the widest selection of beers in Cairo. “We provide all the local beers, but our menu will feature a cherry beer in January, and we're in the process of securing imported beers you can’t find here. We’ll also be making and offering different flavoured beers that we will flavour in the house, and will give patrons the option of ordering a pint or a three litre tower of beer that you order and get delivered right to your table,” an exuberant Emad proclaims.  

Completing the experience is Emad's musical ear and his determination to supply Egyptians with eclectic sounds ranging from Indie to Soul to Funk, while providing a venue for independent artists to be heard. “I don’t understand why venues pay large sums for international DJs. Egyptian DJs are just as good if not better. What we need are more amazing live bands. The House music sector is completely covered in Cairo. What we’re focusing on is independent music. I really want to promote young bands... I wanna produce young bands, if I can!” envisions Emad. As a musician, he understands the difficulties of finding a good venue to play in Cairo, and as such will be performing on the opening night with his band the Brass Knuckles. Each performance will be documented by video and will be available on their social media platforms and website so that patrons can relive good times or catch what they missed. Aside from providing live musical entertainment, Emad is also planning a variety of board games, foosball and theme nights ranging from comedy showcases and karaoke to pub quizzes, ensuring that every night will be fun and different.

The best news of all is that The Tap is already in the process of opening not just one, but three locations, hoping to develop a brand that is synonymous with being the best neighbourhood pub. Although Maadi is opening this Thursday, a much larger venue is being prepared in Katameya and Sheikh Zayed. Promising to retain high standards throughout all their locations, the larger venue will allow the Tap to increase the fun by equipping the new location with a variety of classic arcade games.

Clearly there will be no shortage of refreshing fun to be had at The Tap. Staying true to the spirit of being different, The Tap has seemingly thought of everything a successful pub requires to stand out in an oversaturated and yet misrepresented market. If you've been invited to the opening night, we'll see you there!

To learn more visit there Facebook here.