Cairo, Egypt — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Cairo, Egypt
Restaurants
Expensive
Aqua
Two large aquaria welcome you into this sleekly modern restaurant where a sushi bar complements delicious seafood, the recipes ranging from the traditional (lobster thermidor) to Pacific fusion (pan-seared salmon pagoda with foie gras and teriyaki sauce). Non-seafood and vegetarian options are also available. Homesick Americans may prefer steaks, with a traditional steakhouse menu from buffalo wings and Caesar salad to, of course, steak - in many guises.
Four Seasons, 1089 Corniche el Nil, Garden City, Roda Island
Tel: (02) 2791 7000.
Website: www.fourseasons.com/caironp
Moderate
Khan El-Khalili Restaurant & Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop
Set in the heart of the Khan al-Khalili market, this is an atmospheric indoor restaurant that makes an ideal place for a midday break from shopping in Cairo's great bazaar. The food is traditional Egyptian, the service charming, the cleanliness excellent and the restaurant is blessedly air-conditioned. The coffee shop, which offers light meals and snacks, is named after Egypt's Nobel prize-winning novelist, who set many of his works in this area. The coffee shop continues to pride itself on its clientele of local artists and intellectuals. Booking advised for dinner.
5 El Baddistan Lane, Khan al-Khalili
Tel: (02) 590 3788 or 593 2262.
Revolving Restaurant
It is worth arriving early to admire the sunset from the cocktail lounge on the 40th floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, before heading up one more floor to the Revolving Restaurant, with Cairo spread out at your feet like a tapestry of light. More suited for intimate dinners for two than large parties, as the tables are fitted round the central platform, the setting is incomparable and an inspiring French haute cuisine menu more than measures up. If you prefer staying at ground level, head down to the casual indoor and outdoor El Sakya terraces, with Japanese, Italian, Indian and seafood restaurants and tables right on the Nile's edge.
Grand Hyatt, Corniche el Nil, Garden City, Roda Island
Tel: (02) 365 1234.
Website: www.cairo.grand.hyatt.com
Cheap
Andrea
Andrea, tucked out of the way in Giza, near the pyramids, is a traditional Egyptian grill with a shady garden terrace, indoor dining room and cellar bar. A popular lunch spot for local families, tempting the tastebuds from the moment you step out of the taxi with the smell of chicken, quails and kofte sizzling over a charcoal grill and fresh baked bread from the clay oven. The meats are backed up by a wide selection of meze. Wine and beer are served but there are no desserts. Friday lunch in the gardens is an Egyptian family tradition. On late nights in winter, the restaurant transforms itself into a chic nightclub. Make sure you get the right place - many imitations have borrowed the name. Reservations essential.
59-60, Maryutiya Canal
Tel: (02) 383 1133.
La'Aubergine
Billing itself as Cairo's only vegetarian restaurant (although you can find vegetarian dishes anywhere serving Egyptian or Middle Eastern cuisine), this British-owned Mediterranean-style establishment has become a popular meeting place for travelers and trendy Cairenes alike. Soups, salads and pastas are the staples of a regularly changing menu and there are a few fish and meat dishes thrown in. The atmosphere is intimate at night, lit by candles, while the upstairs bar also proves popular. Reservations essential.
5 Shar'a Sayed al-Bakry, Zamalek
Tel: (02) 332 0080.
Nightlife
Cairo is even livelier at night than it is during the day, and the Cairenes have always known how to enjoy themselves. As the sun goes down, the people come out. Shopping, socializing and drinking coffee all need to take place before the serious business of eating, drinking, dancing and music begins. The fun goes on for as long as you can stand the pace and even though most places wind down around 0300 or 0400, you will still find some that are open 24 hours. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the days for the big nights out.
Although Egypt is a Muslim country and many Cairenes will enjoy themselves all night long by only drinking soft drinks, alcohol is not difficult to come by for those who want it. Some Muslims are more devout than others, but if you are with Egyptian friends or contacts and they decline your offer of a drink, you must be sensitive to their religious beliefs.
There is plenty of nightlife in Cairo. Most basic are the baladi bars, often called 'cafeterias' to disguise the fact that they are selling alcohol. They are perfectly safe, although a little rough and women on their own might feel uncomfortable in what is essentially a male domain. If you want to seek some out, try the Sharia Alfy area around the Midan Orabi.
To find out what's on, get the Egyptian Gazette (Egyptian Mail on Saturdays), the English-language edition of Al-Ahram Weekly (http://weekly.ahram.org.eg), or the monthly magazine Egypt Today (www.egypttoday.com) (but double-check as monthlies are not completely up to date).
Bars
Harry's Pub
Located at the Cairo Marriott Hotel in Zamalek, this place is always busy, with its karaoke and ladies' nights. Replicating an English pub, it serves English pub grub and a wide selection of beverages.
Saray El Gezira Street
Tel: (02) 2728 3000.
Website: www.marriott.com
Windows on the World
This bar on the 36th floor of the Ramses Hilton is one of the best places to have a sundowner with its stunning views over Cairo. It offers wonderful cocktails, good food, and live music (jazz and pop).
1115 Cornish El Nile
Tel: (02) 2577 7444.
Website: www.hilton.com
Sultan Bar
If looking for something special in Giza, head for the Sultan Bar at the Mena House, a glorious palace hotel with views of the pyramids.
Pyramids' Road, Giza
Tel: (02) 3377 3222.
Website: www.oberoihotels.com
Clubs
Jackie's Joint
Jackie's Joint at the Nile Hilton is an upmarket favorite with a dance floor, pool tables, private karaoke rooms, and 1970s and 80s nights.
Tahrir Square
Tel: (02) 578 044.
Cairo Jazz Club
Away from the hotels, the Cairo Jazz Club, 197 26th of July Street (website: www.cairojazzclub.com) offers a sophisticated mix of live jazz, blues, a DJ and drinks in a dimly lit, smoke-filled environment.
197, 26th of July Street
Tel: (02) 3345 9939.
Website: www.cairojazzclub.com
Africana
Africana is something very different, a noisy, crowded, energetic if somewhat scruffy place with the music and most of the clientele coming from sub-Saharan Africa.
Pyramids Road, Giza
