Cairo
Egypt's favourite sushi haunt (with several branches across the country) is always buzzing thanks to its reasonable prices and vast menu selection. From…
Must-see restaurants in Egypt
Cairo
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…
Cairo
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…
Cairo
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…
Cairo
Cheap and cheerful shawarma, plus a range of other sandwiches such as oriental sausage and kofta – are served up here.
Luxor
This easy-going restaurant takes over the alleyway running between the souq and the street to the Karnak temples, and adjoins the Nefertiti Hotel. Fresh,…
Cairo
Gad’s lighthouse logo is fitting: it’s a beacon in the night for hungry Cairenes whether they're in the mood for fiteer (sweet or savoury flaky pizza),…
Cairo
A strong latte and avocado toast for a light lunch – well, well Cairo, how times change. This teensy place, with just two high bar-tables and eight seats,…
Luxor
The 1886 is the fanciest restaurant in the town centre, serving inventive Mediterranean-French food and a few Egyptian dishes with a twist, all in a grand…
Aswan
The revamped Old Cataract Hotel has several top-end outlets, none grander than the 1902. Under its Moorish-inspired dome, the chefs – trained here and in…
Luxor
Gerda is one half of a German-Egyptian couple whose restaurant has built a strong following with European residents and regular visitors to Luxor. The…
Port Said
They'll be there for you. Yep. Right down to the sofas and exposed brick walls, it's a copy of that cafe. Owned by a couple of serious Friends fans,…
Aswan
Nubian cafe-restaurant set in a quiet garden on the west bank of the Nile, against the backdrop of a towering sand dune and near a popular swimming spot…
Cairo
This high-ceilinged cafe, with its original arched windows framed by floor-to-ceiling city scenes, is a favoured hang-out for hip, young Cairenes. The…
Aswan
This Nubian restaurant, set on an island just beyond Elephantine Island, burnt down and was rebuilt in early 2017. It continues to serve excellent Nubian…
Dahab
Long known as Dahab's top stop for an authentic taste of Thailand, this Thai-run restaurant has shifted homes a couple of times in the past few years and…
Alexandria
Egypt’s answer to (although a vast improvement on) McDonald’s, this chain of absurdly popular takeaway joints has people flocking to it day and night. It…
Luxor
The most popular Italian restaurant in Luxor. Run by an Italian woman and her Egyptian partner, this small ochre-painted restaurant serves a long list of…
Cairo
For authentic Egyptian flavours in a tourist-free environment, head to Balcona after 9pm to enjoy a quiet evening of kofta and bread. Black-and-white…
Cairo
If you need a hiatus from hummus, this tiny bistro in the heart of Maadi is a solid pick. Tabla Luna is one of the few Latin American restaurants well…
Alexandria
Stop here to admire the 1930s grandeur of its sensational ornate ceiling and faded but still glorious wall panels. Grab a slice of something from the…
Cairo
A mini-empire taking up the better part of a block, El Omda offers numerous ways to put grilled meats into your system. At the takeout joint on the corner…
Alexandria
Need a change from shawarma and kebabs? Atop the Cecil Hotel, this restaurant serves decent Asian flavours complete with lovely service, dangling lanterns…
Khan El Khalili Restaurant & Mahfouz Coffee Shop
Cairo
The tranquil Moorish-style interior of this cafe-restaurant, with its strong air-con and tarboosh-hatted waiters, is a popular haven from the khan’s…
Cairo
At this thronged fast-food operation, pantalooned men work the shawarma skewers, folding meat slices into huge pieces of Syrian-style saj flatbread. It's…
Alexandria
This bustling joint serves some of the best shawarma in town plus excellent hand-thrown sweet or savoury fiteer (Egyptian flaky 'pizza'). Can't choose?…
Alexandria
This cosmopolitan food mall in a downtown mansion is very popular with young, middle-class locals. Several cafes serve coffee, cakes and shisha, including…
Cairo
Egyptian families know a good deal when they see one, and that's why Koshary Goha's outdoor tables are often packed solid in the evening. The kushari (mix…
Luxor
Silk Road is one of the most sophisticated dining experiences in Luxor, offering an exotic cuisine, rich in spices, sourced from India, Thailand, China…
Cairo
Follow the crowds of students to Zamalek’s most popular shawarma stand. True to street food form, Saj & Shawerma keeps it simple with beef and chicken…
Siwa Oasis
Tanta Waa is a great place to hang out after swimming in Cleopatra's Spring. It serves delicious smoothies and fresh juices, pancakes and good paninis…
Aswan
The Nubian House was renovated during the spring 2017, and is now more colourful than ever. The Nubian dishes served here are good, but best of all is the…
El Gouna
A fine-dining experience for the carnivore in your life, Upstairs (which confusingly is not upstairs) has a menu packed to the rafters with French…
Sharm El Sheikh
This restaurant is a journey through the subtle flavours of the Middle East. Choose the chicken livers (cooked in a garlic and pomegranate molasses sauce)…
Dahab
The inventive menu here veers away from Dahab's grilled meat/seafood combos and cherry-picks influences from North African, Asian and Mediterranean…
Alexandria
This excellent restaurant specialises in Syrian-style shawarma, a mouth-watering concoction of spicy grilled lamb or chicken, slathered in garlicky…
Cairo
This branch of the popular takeaway joint is in a prime location, just off Midan Orabi – always thronging with strolling families and gaggles of young…
Cairo
A big outdoor space with sofa seating, as well as indoor dining and a dedicated kids play-area, make Oya a favoured spot for family-friendly casual dining…
Cairo
Exceptionally good Turkish food, served with elan, starting with handwashing in jasmine-scented water and moving on to a dazzling selection of cold mezze,…
Alexandria
Next door to famous tea room Delices and run by the same people, La Veranda is a cosy place that specialises in Greek and French cuisine, with steaks,…
