tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post4480304073252687370..comments2024-03-20T01:06:12.181-04:00Comments on MEI Editor's Blog: Cairo's Cafe Riche: a Classic or Living Off its Reputation?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post-40436153687187986032011-08-08T10:18:54.913-04:002011-08-08T10:18:54.913-04:00I went to Cafe Riche a couple of times last summer...I went to Cafe Riche a couple of times last summer, and my experience is similar to what you describe. Maybe my expectations were high from reading about Cafe Riche's history, but I did get the feeling that it couldn't have been the same Riche of years past.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post-29888047089024065892011-08-07T13:52:03.537-04:002011-08-07T13:52:03.537-04:00Well, on the one hand, even though they were Syria...Well, on the one hand, even though they were Syrians, they were ruled by Egypt through the UAR, the only Mukhabarat were UAR Mukhabarat, and Abdel-Nasser had ordered their party dissolved. On the other hand, they weren't really plotting against him at that stage, more just plotting generally.<br /><br />Coming to think of it, Café Havanna in Damascus deserves special mention. It used to be THE place to conspire against the government, back in the days when Syria was still more of a banana republic than a police state.aronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post-88161225826244739892011-08-07T00:27:50.739-04:002011-08-07T00:27:50.739-04:00Oh, and while I'm sure there were Egyptian muk...Oh, and while I'm sure there were Egyptian mukhabarat hanging out in Groppi's, there probably weren't Syrian. Revised version: You don't plot an EGYPTIAN coup in an EGYPTIAN cofeehouse.Michael Collins Dunnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07398326467953722017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post-8180723796311624432011-08-07T00:26:13.102-04:002011-08-07T00:26:13.102-04:00aron:
Groppi of course deserves a major post of i...aron:<br /><br />Groppi of course deserves a major post of its own, and I'll reserve comment till I have time for that. It may have a far better claim (though less frequently asserted) to fame than Riche.Michael Collins Dunnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07398326467953722017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22261571.post-52475198427453779952011-08-06T07:31:13.402-04:002011-08-06T07:31:13.402-04:00"You don't plot a coup in a coffeehouse.&..."You don't plot a coup in a coffeehouse." <br /><br />As a matter of fact, the Military Committee which took power on behalf of the Baath in Syria in 1963 is said to have formed just around the corner from Riche, at Groppi's. Hafez el-Assad, Salah Jadid and other Syrian officers used to hang out there during their transfer to Egypt during the United Arab Republic era. (But I guess they must have tried Riche too...)aronnoreply@blogger.com