John and John's English and International restaurant.
Many regular visitors to Luxor will be familiar with the two Johns. They were the first to open an English restaurant in Luxor, 7Days 7Ways. They became so well known that their restaurant was often known as the Two Johns. For a while they also had an interest in Pub 2000, nearer to the centre of town.
John's restaurant on the ground floor
After a short break the Johns came back, this time in partnership with an Egyptian businessman, to run Luxor's first self-service carvery. Just past the Isis hotel at the southern end of town and just a few steps from 7Ways, the new carvery was called John and Johns. The Johns have now moved on from there as well and the carvery became the Thebes International restaurant and then the Red Dragon.
Most regulars know that only one of the Johns is involved with the restaurants now and that he has moved to the Gaddis hotel, opposite the Isis hotel, a stone's throw from the previous restaurants. Initially there was John & John's restaurant and John and John's Tavern, both on the first floor by the pool. There was also the Bamboo restaurant, serving low-cost set meals mainly, but not exclusively, to half-board guests at the Gaddis on the ground floor and the King Dude, an Egyptian restaurant with Egyptian styling and a choice of Egyptian set menus, and a coffee bar.
Uncle John's Pizza in the lobby at Gaddis
Things have changed and simplified quite a bit. Instead of King Dude's there is now a bar called John's bar behind a simple pizza and pasta restaurant, called Uncle John's Pizza and Pasta, serving in-house and also offering takeaway. The Bamboo has been replaced with John's restaurant. The top floor restaurant by the pool remains, but the tavern has gone.
The meals are all well presented and keep up the standards that made the Johns famous in the first place. Prices in the middle bracket, in the same general range as their two former restaurants (7Ways and Thebes), marginally under the likes of Snobs but rather higher than the value restaurants such as Maximes.
John's restaurant by the pool in the Gaddis
You have to wonder whether a location at the back of one of the quieter hotels will be a viable place to sustain restaurants. Because of his huge reputation, John may be able to depend on some of his traditional customer base, particularly from 7Days, where in the good old days there was rarely a seat to be had in the busy season. However, the competition has heated up since then, with many new, excellent restaurants nearby. Although many hotel guests like to eat out, the Gaddis is not the obvious place to go to for a meal. If people staying at the Gaddis go out to eat, and few people staying at other hotels go into the Gaddis, then one wonders if reputation alone will be enough to bring in sufficient diners. Only time will tell, but as time passes and memories of John & John's bumper days fade, we fear the remaining John will mostly be catering for Gaddis hotel guests.
Review updated March 2010