French restaurants are known for being super-chic, formal, and wellFrench. At Montparnasse, you get to enjoy a folksy experience that differs a bit from typical French dining. To understand the restaurant, a bit of background on its name is required; Montparnasse is an area in Paris that is known for its cafes, bars, and cabarets. It is one of the scruffier French neighborhoods, whose style is exactly what you will find reflected in Cairo’s Montparnasse. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that French scruffy— more café style in this case than lavish French — is nothing like Egyptian scruffy.

Walking into the smallish restaurant, you’ll find the kitchen counter is directly across from the entrance, revealing a pot here and a pan there. If you’re a little antsy about formal outings and worry whether you’ll fit the dress code, the open kitchen set-up immediately puts to those fears to rest, giving the restaurant a homey feel instead. Sturdy, black-dyed, press-back wooden chairs with matching tables to match are neatly arranged and the background music alternates between tracks such as Barry Manilow’s Copacabana and French pop — all of which complement the chummy French setting.

During a meal at Montparnasse, one part of the stereotypical French dining experience did ring true: The portions are tiny. First, diners are served a bowl of lettuce salad, compliments of the chef. If you are a fan of balsamic vinegar, as I am, a table-set decanter lets you drench your salad with the good stuff. The waiter brings crisp, black-leathered menus, which, despite having a limited number of dishes to choose from, are authentic French. A satisfying option is the toasted baguette, with your choice of herbed goat cheese or Camembert melted on top, and a perfectly textured salad and nuts served on the side. It’s a simple and delicious entrée for LE 32, although not enough to fill you up by itself.

Then there are les soupes, from which you can pick a veloute de tomate (cream of tomato), crème d’oignon (cream of onion), or veloute de champignon (cream of mushroom), for LE 25 each. I chose the latter, which was creamy, thick and tasty, but needed extra pepper. The crème d’oignon was also delightful and the ingredients well-balanced, so that you could actually taste the mixture of onion and spices without taking on an unpleasant onion odor for the rest of the night.

For the main course, I ordered the coq au vin — chicken casserole doused in creamy wine sauce and served with boiled potatoes, onions, and mushrooms. I personally did not enjoy this pairing of chicken and sauce, but some of my dining partners liked it, so it may be a matter of taste. The sauce was a bit darker than one would have expected, which made me suspect that it was slightly overcooked. Had rice been included with the dish, perhaps it would have diluted the intensity of the sauce, so you might want to order bread or rice on the side. The dish was priced at a reasonable LE 60.

If you’re a vegetarian scanning the menu, you will be bombarded with meat, meat and more meat. But don’t despair:Montparnasse has a mystery dish that is made especially for vegetarians, though it’s not listed on the menu. When we asked the hitherto frowning maître d’ if there were any vegetarian dishes, he screwed up his eyebrows, tapped his chin and then gave us a broad smile, nodding. Soon after, a mixture of carrots, potatoes, green beans, and squash cooked in a creamy white sauce arrived. Though the dish is nameless and the waiter’s behavior was arguably suspicious, the dish was well served and lip smacking delicious.

Montparnasse is not so fancy as to require its clients to meet a certain age limit, but it is also not an appropriate venue for 13 year-olds. It can be a good setting for a casual outing with friends, though because the restaurant is small, you’ll probably get a fair share of tsk-tsking if you get too noisy. An intimate tête-à-tête with your significant other or a relaxed business meeting is more what Montparnasse is about. The reservations we had made did not appear to be necessary when we arrived, but the manager still recommends playing it safe and reserving beforehand. et