Where to eat in Cairo

1. Abou Shakra (kebab and kofta grill)أبو شقرة

   Downtown and Tahrir · Grill and skewers · street / counter

   Mid-range

   EGP 350–600

   A Cairo grill institution near Garden City, open since the late 1940s: go for kebab and kofta with mezze, lunch or dinner, and expect a full sit-down bill rather than a street-food price.

   • Cairo grill institution since the late 1940s
   • Mixed grill with mezze
   • Sit-down, not street-food pricing
   • Order: Kofta and kebab grill
   • Table seating

   Veg

   ask

   Halal

   yes

   Good for

   solo, couple, family, group

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

2. El Fishawy café (Khan el-Khalili)

   Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili · Coffee, tea and sweets · sit-down

   Budget

   EGP 40–120 with a sheesha

   The old bazaar café for mint tea and shisha: a rest node in the evening; check the price before you order.

   • One of Cairo's oldest coffeehouses
   • Mirrored walls and old photographs
   • Open into the small hours
   • Order: Tea, coffee, sheesha
   • Tables and stools

   Veg

   ?

   Good for

   solo, couple, family

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

3. Felfela (ful, ta'meya and Egyptian classics)فلفلة

   Downtown and Tahrir · Local dishes · street / counter

   Mid-range

   EGP 250–450

   A long-running Downtown restaurant serving ful medames, ta'meya (Egyptian falafel) and home-style Egyptian dishes in an easy, tourist-friendly setting: good for breakfast or lunch and a menu you can read in English.

   • Ful and ta'meya, Egyptian everyday food
   • English menu, easy for a first meal
   • Downtown, walkable from the Egyptian Museum
   • Order: Egyptian classics: ful, ta'meya, mahshi, molokhia
   • Table seating

   Veg

   yes

   Halal

   yes

   Good for

   solo, couple, family

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

4. Lunch near the Giza plateau

   Giza plateau · Coffee, tea and sweets · sit-down

   Price not published

   A local worker's lunch nearby costs far less than a tourist-zone platter, since plateau-edge restaurants are priced for visitors

   A restaurant or café at the plateau edge for an air-conditioned lunch after the site: fixed price, checked before ordering; avoid unsolicited invitations.

   • Air-conditioned break after the plateau
   • Some terraces have a pyramid view
   • Tourist pricing — check the bill
   • Table seating
   • Walk-in window: 12:00–15:00

   Veg

   ?

   Good for

   solo, couple, family

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

5. Koshari Abou Tarek (Downtown)

   Downtown and Tahrir · Rice and bowls, Tempura and fried · sit-down

   Budget

   EGP 40–90

   Koshari (rice, lentils, pasta, fried onion, spiced tomato sauce) at a busy downtown place: go for lunch or an early dinner; it is cheap and quick.

   • Egypt's national comfort dish
   • Naturally vegetarian
   • Cheap, fast, filling
   • Order: Koshari (rice, lentils, pasta, fried onion, spiced tomato sauce)
   • Table seating

   Veg

   ?

   Good for

   solo, couple, family

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

6. Nile-view restaurant, northern Zamalek

   Zamalek · Seafood and sushi · sit-down

   Mid-range

   EGP 400–700

   A sit-down restaurant on the Zamalek riverbank with an open Nile view and shisha: go for a slow evening meal rather than a fast lunch, and book ahead on weekend evenings.

   • Open Nile view
   • Shisha and mezze evenings
   • Book ahead for a river-view table
   • Order: Seafood and grills with a river view
   • Table seating

   Veg

   ask

   Halal

   yes

   Good for

   solo, couple, family, group

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

7. Café in Zamalek

   Zamalek · Coffee, tea and sweets · sit-down

   Budget

   A coffee alone at a mid-range Zamalek café is about EGP 60–120 (2026 estimate)

   A garden or terrace café on the island: the calm evening rest node with coffee and light food; fixed prices.

   • Calm garden or terrace seating
   • Good Wi-Fi for a work break
   • Above-average prices for the island
   • Walk-in window: 10:00–12:00

   Veg

   ?

   Good for

   solo, couple, family

   Voykit page: walk-in windows, diet and payment on file.

8. Ta'meya (Egyptian falafel) stand

   Any neighbourhood · Local dishes · street / counter

   Budget

   EGP 15–35

   Fava-bean falafel in bread with salad and tahini — Egyptian ta'meya is fava-bean based, not the chickpea falafel found elsewhere in the region.

   • Order: Fava-bean falafel in bread with salad and tahini

   Veg

   ?

   From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

9. Ful medames cart

   Any neighbourhood, mornings · Local dishes · street / counter

   Budget

   EGP 20–40

   Slow-cooked fava beans, oil, lemon, cumin — The classic Egyptian breakfast, often eaten in flatbread.

   • Order: Slow-cooked fava beans, oil, lemon, cumin

   Veg

   ?

   From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

10. Molokhia and rabbit or chicken

    Local restaurants citywide · Rice and bowls

    Mid-range

    EGP 250–450

    Jute-leaf stew over rice, a home-style favourite — An acquired texture (mucilaginous) that many visitors end up liking.

    • Order: Jute-leaf stew over rice, a home-style favourite

    Veg

    ?

    From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

11. Nile dinner cruise with a show

    Corniche departure points · Local dishes

    Splurge

    EGP 900–1,800

    Set menu, live band, belly-dancing or tanoura show — Pay for the evening as a whole, not the food alone.

    • Order: Set menu, live band, belly-dancing or tanoura show

    Veg

    ?

    From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

12. Five-star hotel restaurants (Nile-view towers)

    Corniche hotels, Giza-view hotels · International · sit-down

    Splurge

    EGP 1,200–2,500

    International and modern Egyptian menus — The most reliable place to pair Egyptian food with wine or cocktails.

    • Order: International and modern Egyptian menus

    Veg

    ?

    From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

13. Rooftop restaurants with pyramid or Nile views

    Zamalek · Seafood and sushi, International · sit-down

    Splurge

    EGP 1,000–2,000

    Grills, seafood, international — Book a window or terrace table a day ahead for sunset.

    • Order: Grills, seafood, international

    Veg

    ?

    From the city eat guide; no Voykit page yet.

Walk times are straight-line estimates (×1.3 for streets, 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h)); “(area)” means the cluster centre, not the door. Diet “ask” means possible with care; Voykit has not tested cross-contact.