We entered this restaurant with high expectations. Initially undecided as to whether to sit overlooking the Nile on the beautiful terrace, or to sit inside, we quickly chose the latter to escape the heat. We ordered two orange juices which took around 15 minutes to arrive, although we were given an apology after 10 and told that they would be on our table shortly. I ordered a mixed grill and my partner the chicken. When the food arrived, our plate did not appear to be steaming as much as the other guests. Hercule Poirot by now may have guessed what was coming before the meat was even cut into, raw chicken! The chicken was eventually dodged and we shared the mixed grill. The kofta was fine and one of the steak skewer's was fantastic, the other quite dry. Of the sides, the two out of four that did arrive were, for our tastes, too salty. Ironically, in a hotel like The Old Cataract, it is adversity such as this that shows you why this jewel is so renowned. It began with a very sincere apology from the waiter, who took the chicken off the bill and arranged for a desert to be sent to our room later that evening, it was delicious. It continued in the morning at breakfast. The restaurant had very classily advised the hotel manager of the incident, who approached us immediately to firstly ask if we were okay, and then to tell us that the entire meal had been taken off our bill. During the remainder of a very light breakfast (on account of our upset stomachs), the increased diligence of the staff was a timely reminder of whats special about this old hotel.