Entertainment in Egypt
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Al-Tannoura Egyptian Heritage Dance Troupe
Egypt’s only Sufi dance troupe – far more raucous and colourful than white-clad Turkish dervishes – puts on a mesmerising performance at the Wikala of Al-Ghouri. It’s a great opportunity to see one of the medieval spaces in use; arrive about an hour ahead to secure a seat.
reviewed
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Simonds
The recent overhaul of this century-old French-style cafe has divided locals: some say that all the faded charm has been thoroughly sterilised, while others welcome the fresh coat of paint and bold new look. Whatever your opinion, at least the coffee is still good.
reviewed
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Makan
The Egyptian Centre for Culture & Art runs this intimate space dedicated to traditional music. Don’t miss the Mazaher ensemble, performing the traditional women’s zar, a sort of musical trance and healing ritual (usually Wednesday, 9pm; E£20).
reviewed
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Crazy House
Housed in a historic two-storey wooden building, the Crazy House serves cheap beer, and there's even a billiard table - what more do you need?
reviewed
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El Tugareya
Although it may not look like much to the uninitiated (it doesn’t even sport a sign), this 90-year-old institution is one of the most important ahwa s in town. It’s an informal centre of business and trade (the name roughly translates to ‘commerce’), where deals are brokered in the time-honoured tradition – over a glass of tea. The cafe is separated into multiple rooms, covering a whole block. The southern side is a male-dominated area dedicated to games and informal socialising, while along the Corniche you’re likely to be part of a rambunctious mix of writers, film-makers, students, expats, and courting couples filling the hall with a cacophony of animated…
reviewed
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Centro de Portugal
This hard-to-find expat haven is fully equipped for fun: a garden bar in a leafy patio, an inside bar with darts, foosball and pool, plus a tiny disco complete with mirrored ball. Best of all, the beverages are very cold. Drinks are purchased via an unusual card system: E£70 gets you five credits; beers are one credit, while cocktails are two. The food menu (dishes E£40 to E£55) sports Western standards, from noodles to pasta to fish, along with the house speciality – pepper steak. It’s a great place to unwind, hidden away from the hubbub of the city, and meet local expats while sucking down an icy gin and tonic. The entrance is unmarked; look for the gate on the south…
reviewed
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Arous el Zilzila
This fantastic ahwa across from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is practically unique in Alexandria – you can sip tea and sheesha to the sound of waves rolling in, smelling sea air instead of petrol fumes. Directly on the water, it has rustic open-air tables and palm trees with cheerful coloured lights, set around a small curving beach where you can hardly hear the traffic. It’s a great place to relax in the sultry breeze, enjoying the Mediterranean vibe. To find it, look for the modern sculpture with three white needles, directly across the Corniche from the library. Walk past the sculpture towards the sea; the entrance is down the steps to the right.
reviewed
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Cap d’Or
The Cap d’Or, just off Sharia Saad Zaghloul, is a top spot to relax, and one of the only surviving typical Alexandrian bars. With beer flowing generously, stained-glass windows, a long marble-topped bar, plenty of ancient memorabilia decorating the walls and crackling tapes of old French chanson (type of traditional folk music) or Egyptian hits, it feels very much like an Andalusian tapas bar. Crowds come to drink cold Stella beer, snack on great seafood, or just hang out at the bar and chew the proverbial fat with fellow drinkers. Thursday and Friday nights are more ‘open-minded’ than most nights in Alexandria.
reviewed
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Topkapi
Tucked below the street opposite the Four Seasons Nile Plaza and behind a moored restaurant boat, this mellow Nileside hangout is easy to miss. Once down here, though, parked at a picnic bench and enjoying a sheesha and beer, it's easy to forget the traffic on the corniche. Inside the tentlike main room, a DJ spins hip international and Arabic tunes, and the menu (mains around £E25 to around £E42) is a quirky mix of local and Turkish flavours, with nightly specials.
It occasionally hosts special, ticket-only parties.
reviewed
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Horreyya
The Horreyya (there’s no real sign outside – look for a pale-pink facade and plywood over some of the windows) is one of the city’s classic ahwas. Here you stare dreamily through the sheesha smoke up at the high ceilings, down at the sawdust-strewn floor and out across a great cross-section of customers. Bonus: there are regular, ongoing chess matches here that attract some truly gifted players. Another bonus: beer is also available, but it’s only allowed to be quaffed in designated areas, far away from the boards.
reviewed
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Groppi’s
Distinctly not part of the new coffee wave, Groppi’s high point was more than 50 years ago when it was one of the most celebrated patisseries this side of the Mediterranean, as well as the preferred venue of ritzy society functions and concert dances. Today, the offerings are sadly poor and overpriced, and the tearoom reeks of cheap tobacco. The only hint of glitter remaining is in the beautiful mosaics around the doorway, but it nevertheless continues to appeal to hardcore nostalgia buffs.
reviewed
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Cairo Opera House
The opera complex has five halls. Performances by the Cairo Opera and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra tend to be held in its Main Hall while recitals, theatre and dance from Egypt and the rest of the world in its Small Hall, Gomhouria Theatre, Arab Music Institute and an open-air theatre. Jacket and tie are required by males for Main Hall performances (travellers have been known to borrow them from staff). Programs are available at the information window (right of the main entrance) .
reviewed
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El Rehany
This expansive and breezy Alexandrian classic is reputed to have the best sheesha in town, served with a flourish by attentive boys in smart two-toned waistcoats while waiters in black-and-white bring tea in silver urns. The decor is eclectically elegant, with lofty ceilings etched with elaborate floral patterns, tables and chairs in Islamic designs, and burgundy tablecloths. Check out the bizarre assortment of knick-knacks in the glass displays in the back.
reviewed
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Palmyra
The furthest on the ‘other end of the scale’ is Palmyra, a cavernous, dilapidated 1950s dancehall in an alley off Sharia 26th of July. It has a full Arab musical contingent, belly dancers who get better the more money is thrown at them, and an occasional singer or acrobat. In addition to the entrance fee, there’s a minimum charge of E£30, which basically covers a beer and a sheesha.
reviewed
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Greek Club
The Greek Club is a great place for a sunset drink, inside its large newly restored rooms or, even better, on the wide terrace catching the afternoon breeze. The menu has a selection of fresh fish cooked any way you like it (grilled with olive oil, oregano and lemon, baked or Egyptian style), as well as Greek classics such as moussaka (E£14) and souvlaki (E£32). An admission fee is sometimes charged.
reviewed
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New Oum Koulsoum Coffee Shop
Pleasant ahwa (coffeehouse) right at the heart of the souq, on a large terrace with welcome mist machines, where you can recover from shopping and haggling in the souq and watch the crowds without any hassle. On the menu are fresh juices (E£10 to E£15), hot and cold drinks and a good sheesha (E£10) as well as ‘professional Nespresso’ coffee (E£15).
reviewed
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El Qobesi
El Qobesi has crowned itself the ‘king of mango’ but take one sip and you will bow down a loyal peon. Slivers of several ripe mangoes are cajoled nearly whole into a tall, chilled glass to make the single best mango juice we’ve ever tried. Ever. It’s open around the clock and is always bustling, often with locals parked outside for a quick in-car slurp.
reviewed
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Sound and Light Show
The Sphinx narrates the somewhat cheesy sound and light show, but it’s neat to see the Pyramids so dramatically lit. Though there’s officially no student discount, you may be able to negotiate one. Schedules were as follows at the time of writing, but check the website for the latest. Note that this is the winter schedule; in summer shows start two hours later.
reviewed
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Sofianopoulos Coffee Store
Head over to the Sofianopoulos Coffee Store, a gorgeous coffee retailer that would be in a museum anywhere else in the world. Dominated by huge silver coffee grinders, stacks of glossy beans and the wonderful, faintly herbal aroma of roasted java, end your tour here with a flourish, sipping a thick Turkish coffee fit for a king.
reviewed
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After Eight
A funky, poorly ventilated venue that gets packed for everything from jazz trios to a Frank Sinatra impersonator to the wildly popular DJ Dina, who mixes James Brown, ’70s Egyptian pop and the latest cab-driver favourites; the clientele is equally eclectic. Reserve online (the website’s style in no way reflects the club’s).
reviewed
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Nile Pharaoh Dinner Cruises
A touristy but quite enjoyable option is to join the package tourists on one of the Nile cruises that are operated by the Mena House Oberoi hotel. These feature a floorshow with belly dancer and Egyptian singer. The meal is buffet-style international cuisine and the cruise takes two hours, from Giza to Downtown and back. Bookings are essential.
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Metropolitan Café & Restaurant
A pleasant, popular outdoor cafe, right on the Nile, in front of the Old Winter Palace Hotel. Beers (Stella E£15) and a wide selection of cocktails are available, served on a terrace with rattan furniture and mist machines. The perfect place to enjoy a sundowner, but apart from some snacks with the drinks, the food is pretty mediocre.
reviewed
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Kaab Aaly
Formerly named High Heels (Kaab Aaly is the Arabic translation), this place is where local fashion victims come to strut their stuff. Occupying one of the hotel's Nileside outdoor terraces, it's a great place to enjoy a few drinks before heading out for the night. Its popular dining area has a decent Lebanese menu and juice bar.
reviewed
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Latex
The grande dame of Cairo’s club scene, the Nile Hotel’s basement party zone has changed hands several times over the years, but it still manages to keep up with the times. The music is always some variation on house, with the occasional Arabic pop hit thrown in, and the crowd is largely 20-somethings.
reviewed
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Farouk Cafe
This venerable sheesha joint doesn’t look like it’s changed an iota since it opened in 1928. It’s a charmingly ramshackle old place, with dusty bronze lanterns outside, and charmingly fusty old men arguing and playing board games at the tables. Women may not feel comfortable here.
reviewed