It is a warm evening in Cairo in the early 1950s. Talaat Harb Square glows under the streetlights, shop windows are lit and trams rattle by. Inside Groppi, marble floors shine under chandeliers, the glass counters gleam with rows of chocolates, and cakes draw in every passerby. Waiters in crisp uniforms move quickly between tables, their trays balancing porcelain cups and pots of coffee. At the back, the garden comes alive. Lanterns hang from the trees, casting soft light across the greenery. The air carries the sweetness of pastries mixed with the sharp notes of tobacco smoke. A band begins to play, the sound of violins and brass floats above the chatter of Cairo’s elites; actors, singers, politicians, and writers, are gathered in small groups as their voices rise and fall with excitement. The projector hums, ready to throw moving images onto a screen as couples lean back in their chairs, the night filled with music, film, and the easy glamour of a city at its peak. This was Groppi Café in Talaat Harb Square during the 1950s. Groppi was founded by Swiss chocolatier Giacomo Groppi in Alexandria in 1890….
