Balcona

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 photos of guest celebrities adorn the walls, giving a sense of history to an otherwise understated decor. Specialities include staples like roasted chicken in walnut or a spinach-based molokhiyya sauce, and moussaka with aubergine, tomato and minced meat. No alcohol. Reservations recommended.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cairo attractions

1. Gabalaya Park & Aquarium

1.47 MILES

The pleasant Gabalaya Park & Aquarium has landscaped gardens with aquariums set in rocks (though not many actual fish). It’s a great central spot to…

2. Museum of Islamic Ceramics

1.73 MILES

This museum has been closed for renovation for the past few years. When it reopens, it’s worth a peek for its collection of colourful plates, tiles and…

3. Gezira Arts Centre

1.73 MILES

The several galleries here host rotating contemporary exhibitions, but it was closed for restoration when we were last in town.

4. Cairo Marriott Hotel

1.8 MILES

The core of this luxury hotel is a lavish palace built by Khedive Ismail to house Empress Éugenie when she visited for the opening of the Suez Canal in…

5. Aisha Fahmy Palace

1.83 MILES

Shuttered for years, the Aisha Fahmy Palace was built in 1907 for Egyptian aristocrat Ali Fahmy, who was King Farouk's army chief. Reopened as an arts…

6. Mr & Mrs Mahmoud Khalil Museum

1.96 MILES

In 2010 this museum gained global notoriety when art thieves nicked Van Gogh's Poppy Flowers (valued at US$50 million) right off the wall in broad…

7. Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum

1.99 MILES

Mukhtar (1891–1934) was the sculptor laureate of independent Egypt, responsible for Saad Zaghloul on the nearby roundabout and the Egypt Reawakening…

8. Cairo Tower

2 MILES

This 187m-high tower is the city’s most famous landmark after the Pyramids. Built in 1961, the structure, which resembles a stylised lotus plant with its…