Egyptian restaurants in Cairo
-
A
Abou El Sid
Cairo’s first hipster Egyptian restaurant, Abou El Sid is as popular with tourists as it is with upper-class natives looking for a taste of their roots – Omar Sharif has been known to savour the chicken with molokhiyya (stewed leaf soup), but you can also enjoy a sugar-cane-and-tequila cocktail at the big bar, or a postprandial sheesha. It’s all served amid hanging lamps, kitschy gilt ‘Louis Farouk’ furniture and fat pillows. The entrance is on the west side of the Baehler’s Mansions complex; look for the tall wooden doors. There’s another branch in Mohandiseen, on Midan Amman ( [tel] 3749 7326). Reservations are a must.
reviewed
-
B
El-Mashrabiah
Excellent Egyptian food is served with formality at this intimate eatery. Located a few steps below street level, the dining room is further darkened by ornate carved panelling, deep leather banquettes and waiters dressed in sombre suits. Meat lovers will find themselves in seventh heaven: the kofta and tagen s (stew cooked in a deep clay pot) are good, as is the rabbit with molokhiyya and the duck with starchy taro root. But vegetarians don’t get much to work with. No alcohol is served.
reviewed
-
C
El Shabrawy
Locals love this place for its makaroneh – big bowls of noodles with a rich meat sauce – but the place also serves dishes such as egg-fried cauliflower and aggah (a cross between an omelette and a giant ta’amiyya ), most of which are vegetarian. It’s signed in Arabic only – look for the red awning. The Shabrawy ta’amiyya stand on the opposite side of the street is also popular.
reviewed
-
D
Kebabgy
The bestselling novel The Yacoubian Building (by Alaa al-Aswany) has a scene set at this Nileside restaurant when loathsome businessman Hagg Azzam and corrupt politician Kamal el-Fouli strike a dodgy deal - a scene close to reality, for the outdoor terrace here is one of the most popular places for Cairo's political and business elite to meet. The kebabs are particularly good. Go for dinner, when you don't have to see how dirty the Nile is.
reviewed
-
E
Justine's
Resembling a discreet gentleman's club, with panoramic views over the lush gardens of the Gezira Club, Justine's is the perfect place for a romantic dinner or important business meeting. Comfortable leather furniture, subdued lighting and pristine napery set a classy tone that the food more than lives up to. This is one of the best places in town to enjoy beef dishes or quality seafood concoctions. There's an impressive and well priced wine list.
reviewed
-
F
Abu Tarek
Abu Tarek ‘We have no other branches!’ proclaims this veritable temple of kushari – no, the place has just expanded, decade by decade, into the upper storeys of its building, even as it has held onto the unofficial Best Kushari title. The line moves fast; it’s worth eating in to get the proper dose of garlicky vinegar, which isn’t packed with takeout orders.
reviewed
-
G
Gad
This fast-food eatery is usually packed to the rafters with a constant stream of young Cairenes sampling its fresh and well-priced food. The fiteer with Greek cheese is scrumptious and the quarter chicken with rice and salad is both tasty and good value. You can sit upstairs or take away from the front counters. It has branches throughout the city, including opposite Khan al-Khalili.
reviewed
-
H
Alfy Bey
In business since 1938, Alfi Bey describes itself as a 'traditional restaurant' and offers a rare Downtown dining experience: old-fashioned décor, age-old waiters and basic, somewhat stodgy food. The plat du jour usually includes dolma, mixed vegetables, rice and some type of roast or grilled meat. Other dishes include kebabs, grilled chicken and stuffed pigeon. No alcohol is served.
reviewed
-
I
Akher Sa’a
A frantically busy fuul and ta’amiyya takeaway joint with a no-frills cafeteria next door, Akher Sa’a has a limited menu but its food is fresh and good. A branch at 14 Sharia Abdel Khalek Sarwat has a fast-food-style set-up downstairs (note the genius giant- ta’amiyya ‘burger’) but glacial table service upstairs.
reviewed
-
J
Gomhouriya
Stuffed pigeon is the only thing on the menu, but it's splendid, served with salad and all-you-can-drink mugs of peppery, lemony broth. No alcohol, and easy to miss because it's small and there's no English sign; look for the big open oven. Out back are a few tables, along with sinks for washing off the grease when you're done nibbling the tasty fowl.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Emara Hati al-Gish, Downtown
Carnivores will salivate instantly upon entering this grill palace, where the air is heavy with the smell of charcoal-cooked meat, from a quarter-kilo (around £E18) - up to a full stuffed, roasted sheep on request. The kastileeta (lamb chops) are particularly splendid, and the mouza (shins) good for gnawing. No alcohol.
reviewed
-
L
At-Tabei Ad-Dumyati
About 200m north of Midan Orabi, this place offers some of the cheapest local meals in Cairo. Start by picking four salads from a large array, then order shwarma or ta’amiyya, along with some lentil soup or fuul. There are also branches in the food court of the Talaat Harb Complex and in Mohandiseen.
reviewed
-
M
Citadel View
Eating at this gorgeous restaurant – on a vast multilevel terrace, with Cairo’s elite seated around you and the whole city sprawled below – feels almost like visiting a luxury resort. Fortunately the prices are not so stratospheric, and the food, all traditional Egyptian grill items, is quite good.
reviewed
-
N
Felfela Restaurant
Attracting tourists, coach parties and locals since 1963, Felfela is an institution that can deliver a reliable, if not wildly delicious, meal and good service. A bizarre jungle theme rules the decor, but the food is straight-down-the-line Egyptian and consistently decent, especially the mezze and grilled chicken.
reviewed
-
O
Petit Palmyra
Old-school Heliopolis, with stiffly starched serviettes, puffy chairs, sepia-toned photos on the wall and someone tickling the ivories while you eat. Egyptian-Levantine staples such as stuffed pigeon are great; a few European dishes such as penne puttanesca are decent.
reviewed
-
P
Abu al-Hassan al-Haty
With its foggy mirrors, dusty chandeliers and waiters who look older than the building itself, this is a beautiful relic of Downtown – it’s often used as a set for period TV shows. The food (all grilled items) is a bit secondary, but perfectly palatable.
reviewed
-
International Public Meal Kushari
The grand chandeliers, etched mirrors and marble walls of this Cairo institution stand in bizarre contrast with its sawdust-strewn floor and Formica-topped tables. The quality of the kushari is only average, but the waiters are friendly and service is fast.
reviewed
-
Q
Khan el-Khalili Restaurant & Mahfouz Coffee Shop
The luxurious Moorish-style interiors of this restaurant and adjoining cafe are a popular haven from the khan’s bustle and hassle. The place may be geared entirely to tourists but the food is reasonably good, the air-con is strong and the toilets are clean.
reviewed
-
R
Fatatri at-Tahrir
This tiny place just off Midan Tahrir has been serving sweet and savoury fiteer to Downtown residents, AUC students and legions of backpackers for decades. It’s reliable and delicious, though it can get very crowded in the afternoon.
reviewed
-
Felfela
If you want a cheap but good-quality eatery within walking distance of the Pyramids, try the Giza branch of Felfela. You'll find it on the main road off the roundabout in front of the Mena House Oberoi hotel (Cairo side).
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Al-Omda
A mini-empire taking up the better part of a block, Al-Omda offers numerous ways to put grilled meats into your system. At the takeout joint on the corner, get a shish tawouq sandwich with spicy pickles.
reviewed
-
T
Sayed Hanafy
Sayed Hanafy Though relatively new, this tiny place is building a big and well-deserved reputation for its excellent kushari and good pavement tables.
reviewed
-
U
Koshary El Tahrir
Our independent taste tests confirmed that this place is actually better than Abu Tarek (heresy!). There's a second branch on Sharia Abdel Khalek Sarwat.
reviewed
-
V
Al-Halwagy
This good ta’amiyya, fuul and salad place has been around for nearly a century. You can eat at pavement tables or hide away upstairs.
reviewed
-
W
Koshary Goha
Average kushari but gorgeous vintage-Cairo setting.
reviewed