-
Ahwa al-Hind
during summer the whole 20km length of the Corniche from Ras at-Tin to Montazah becomes one great strung-out ahwa (coffeehouse). You have to squeeze through a passageway almost blocked by clothes stalls to find this one in the central courtyard of the big, battered old building on the corner where Midan Orabi meets Midan Tahrir. It's scruffy, but the setting bristles with atmosphere and is the perfect place to while away a hot afternoon or lazy evening.
-
Al-Shark
Extremely popular Egyptian eatery with traditional dishes, such as Egyptian baked macaroni, rice with gizzards, fatta (dish involving rice and bread soaked in a garlicky-vinegary sauce) with mutton and grilled kebab by the kilo. Simple surroundings and quick service. There's a takeaway and sit-down area.
-
Athineos
Opposite Midan Ramla. This place lives and breathes nostalgia. The café part on the Midan Ramla side still has its original '40s fittings, period character and quite possibly some of its original customers - a loyal following of old men drinking tea who haven't moved for decades. Come for the history, skip the food.
-
Awalad Abdou
With only minor concessions made to hygiene, this überbudget place is nonetheless a smashing find. In two shakes of a lamb's tail, these guys will whip up micro sandwiches with a scrumptious, meat-centric filling of your choice. Just point to what looks good and quaff it down while standing at the counter. During Ramadan, after sundown, the street outside swarms with hungry punters.
-
Brazilian Coffee Store
Popular with local business folk and old Greek men, it also has a branch on Sharia Salah Salem in Attareen (with seats).
-
Centro de Portugal
The Portuguese Club is a favourite with local expats, a place where American petrol workers get together over a beer or game of snooker. With a rowdy, male-centric atmosphere, it serves the best steak and fries in town, as well as other international cuisine, and has a pleasant garden.
-
China House
The prime views over the Eastern Harbour just don't get any better than here, Alexandria's best Chinese restaurant (although admittedly there is little competition). Chicken dumplings are first rate, as is the grilled beef with garlic. Its decent selection of Japanese dishes will have you fumbling for your chopsticks. Beer and Egyptian wine is served.
-
City Café
A slick, bright and modern air-con alternative to musty-time grandeur, this café serves excellent Italian Illy coffee and is popular among the well heeled to sit and chat or discuss business.
-
Coffee Roastery
The hip young things that flock here to listen to MTV blaring on the telly don't seem to mind that the English proverbs around the place make little sense. It's one of the more ritzy places in town, bedecked in dark-wood trim and with a food menu that could have been lifted from an English pub: burgers, steak and fries dominate the choices among token references to Egyptian fare. It also does great coffee, milk shakes and fresh juices.
-
Cordon Rouge
Lively bar-restaurant in a contemporary setting, popular with Alexandrians and expats who prop up the bar and chat to the cool barman, or grab a bite at the Mediterranean-style restaurant. The international menu focuses on salads, pasta dishes and grills. A live DJ pumps up the volume on Thursday night.
-
Advertisement
-
Delicies
This enormous old tearoom drips with atmosphere and it, too, can whip up a decent breakfast. It serves tea and cakes in the afternoon.
-
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 'round the clock and is always bustling, often with locals parked outside for a quick in-car slurp (we've even seen full microbuses stop by!). It's not signposted in English - but you can't miss the thousands of mangoes arranged out the front.
-
El-Sheikh Wafik
This unassuming and breezy corner café has a secret - the best dessert in town. You can get the usual ice cream in several flavours, but the real treats are Egyptian classics like couscousy (around £E8 ) - a yummy mix of couscous, shredded coconut, nuts, raisins, sugar and topped with hot milk.
-
Elite
Near the Cinema Metro, this is one of those Alexandrian time-warp affairs. Cut from the same cloth as an old US diner, it seems sealed in a 1950s bubble, now almost slipping back in time. The menu traverses from the oriental to the occidental and tries to cover everything in between, though it's best to stick to the simple things. The big, street-facing windows make it a great place for an afternoon beer.
-
Fish Market
Well-heeled locals will argue that this is the best place to eat in town, and who are we to argue with local knowledge? It's definitely the most upmarket fish restaurant in Alexandria, with prime views over the Eastern Harbour and flashy silver service where you can pick your own seafood and have it cooked to perfection in the way you desire. The same owners run the Tikka Grill, on the floor below, which offers a similar dining experience for the meat-atarians among you.
-
Gad
Egypt's answer to McDonalds (although a vast improvement), this chain of absurdly popular takeaway joints has people flocking (think Gad-flies) day and night. It serves a huge range of filled sandwiches, kebabs, ta'amiyya and mouth-watering shwarma.
-
Greek Club
The Greek Club is the perfect place for a sunset drink, inside its large newly restored rooms or, even better, on the wide terrace catching the afternoon breeze or watching the lights on this legendary bay. The beers are cold and the atmosphere is perfectly Mediterranean. 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 like moussaka and souvlaki.
-
Hood Gondol Seafood
When Alexandrians need a quick fix of delicious, fresh and ridiculously cheap seafood, they make a beeline for this local favourite near the Bibliotheca Alexandria. A massive plate of mixed seafood, including prawns, calamari, spicy clams and fried fish. There's no menu and little English is spoken here, just turn up, point to the trays of fresh fish lining the downstairs display and find yourself a seat. It's located down an unmarked alley; ask for directions as everyone knows it by name.
-
Housnay Grill
If you're a little fished out in Anfushi, Housnay Grill, opposite Abu Ashraf, is a semi-outdoor restaurant specialising in tasty grilled chicken, kebabs and other meats, served with the usual triumvirate of vegetables, salad and rice.
-
Malek as-Samaan
Just south of the junction with Sharia Yousef, by day this is a small courtyard clothes market, by night an open-air restaurant serving just one dish: quail. Diners sit under an awning on a rough dirt floor and tuck into grilled or stuffed birds served with rice and salad. A bit hard to find, but look for a painted sign with a small bird.
-
Advertisement
-
Mohammed Ahmed
The king of fuul and ta'amiyya has a widespread reputation that has Alexandrians queuing here to fill that gap in their stomachs. There's a menu in English, which, in addition to sandwiches, includes other staples like omelettes and fried cheese. Sit in or takeaway.
-
Qadoura
Pronounced 'Adora', this is one of Alexandria's most authentic fish restaurants. Pick your fish from a huge ice-packed selection, which usually includes sea bass, red and grey mullet, bluefish, sole, squid, crab and prawns, and often a lot more. Food is served at tables in the narrow street. A selection of mezze is served with all orders (don't hope for a menu). It has a second, air-conditioned (though less atmospheric) branch along the Corniche.
-
Samakmak
Owned by Zizi Salem, the retired queen of the Alexandrian belly-dancing scene, Samakmak is definitely one step up from the other fish eateries in the neighbourhood. The fish is as fresh as elsewhere, but customers flock to this place for its specials, including crayfish, marvellous crab tagen (stew cooked in a deep clay pot) and a great spaghetti with clams.
-
Sofianopoulo Coffee Store
A gorgeous coffee retailer that would be in a museum anywhere else in the world. Dominated by huge silver coffee grinders and sacks of shiny, dark aromatic coffee beans, it's the perfect place to grab one last, expertly prepared, espresso at its standing-only bar.
-
Sultan Hussein
One of our favourite Alexandrian ahwas, this is a good, no-nonsense place with first-rate sheesha . It's popular with chess players and has a separate family area where women can sit unharassed.
