Must-see restaurants in Cairo

‘We have no other branches!’ proclaims this temple of kushari (mix of noodles, rice, black lentils, fried onions and tomato sauce). No, the place has just…

A few years ago, Cairo was a-tizz with new sushi joints; now all the newbie restaurants are Italian and O's Pasta is our pick of the bunch. Squeeze – and…

Egyptian street food gets a modern makeover. Zööba has taken the country's classic cheap eats and given them contemporary twists. Whole-grain kushari (mix…

The takeaway section out front does a roaring trade in shawarma (meat sliced off a spit and stuffed in a bread roll with chopped tomatoes and garnish) and…

Delicious Lebanese food in a sumptuous but relaxed atmosphere. There's plenty of grilled meat mains, but the mezze here is the real star of the show…

Cairo may not be synonymous with luxury, but travellers with a chunk of dough can head to Africa’s top-rated Cantonese restaurant. The crispy crab claw…

For one of the smartest European kitchen menus outside of Cairo’s grand hotels, head to U Bistro & Bar, the long-awaited replacement to the street’s…

Cairo’s first hipster Egyptian restaurant (and now a national franchise), Abou El Sid is as popular with tourists as it is with upper-class natives. You…

Dig into contemporary versions of traditional wholesome Egyptian home cooking. Order from the counter – brown-rice kushari, molokhiyya (garlicky leaf soup…

A little slice of the Continent, with loads of brass and mirrors, and friendly waiters in long white aprons, Maison Thomas has been serving up Cairo's…

A Peruvian-Mexican fusion restaurant should be enough to keep a cook busy, but Mezcal also throws sushi in the mix, with something to suit all tastes. The…

This casual restaurant at Mena House has huge windows opening on to the Pyramids – a great place to rest up for lunch after a morning of Pyramids…

Most definitely not a place for vegetarians; Crave specialises in meaty comfort dishes that the clientele of Egyptian families and big groups of friends…

The self-proclaimed proprietors of the best pizza in town is by no means an overstatement. The crispy thin-crust pizzas from its wood-fired oven, combined…

Attracting tourists, coach parties and locals since 1959, Felfela is an institution that can deliver a reliable, if not wildly delicious, meal with good…

Egypt's favourite sushi haunt (with several branches across the country) is always buzzing thanks to its reasonable prices and vast menu selection. From…

Not the place for maintaining your diet. This coffee and cake joint is sugar-rush heaven with brownies, always at least six different cakes – including…

On a sweltering summer's day, we make a beeline here to cool off with a mixed scoop of watermelon and prickly pear. For chocoholics, the Twix and chilli…

This ice cream parlour is a hit with local families taking the kids out for a treat. For a fruity kick, get stuck into the zabadi bi tut (yoghurt with…

Cheap and cheerful shawarma, plus a range of other sandwiches such as oriental sausage and kofta – are served up here.