The relaxing setting beside Al Azhar Park's little lake is a bonus though the surly staff and so-so dishes are a bit of a downer. The simple, typical Egyptian mezze options are better than the mains.
Lakeside Cafe
Cairo
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.85 MILES
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…
1.91 MILES
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…
11.89 MILES
Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…
0.77 MILES
This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…
0.55 MILES
Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…
0.64 MILES
Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…
2.96 MILES
This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…
11.44 MILES
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…
Nearby Cairo attractions
0.11 MILES
With funds from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, what had been a mountain of garbage, amassed over centuries, was in 2005, almost miraculously, transformed…
2. Mosque of Aslam Al Silahdar
0.21 MILES
As the closest monument to the Bab Al Mahruq entrance to Al Azhar Park, this mosque makes a good landmark for finding your way there. The 14th-century…
0.21 MILES
The western entrance into Al Azhar Park is through the medieval gate of Bab Al Mahruq in the old Ayyubid walls.
0.22 MILES
Built in 1347 and well restored in 2015, this building is highly touted by would-be guides, but it’s nothing like its Istanbul namesake. It’s classic…
5. Mosque-Madrassa of Umm Sultan Sha’aban
0.22 MILES
With its towering red-and-white-striped facade and entrance trimmed with a triangular arrangement of muqarnas vaulting, this complex is more interesting…
0.25 MILES
Emir Khayrbek, governor of Aleppo under Sultan Al Ghouri, defected to the Ottoman side in 1516, which effectively ended Mamluk rule. He then became the…
0.25 MILES
This 1339 building incorporates architectural elements from several different periods: eight granite columns were taken from a Pharaonic monument; the…
0.32 MILES
This remarkable mosque, built in 1481 by Prince Sayf Al Din Qijmas, above a row of shops, is one of Cairo's best examples of Mamluk architecture. Its…