20 Best Places to Eat in Egypt: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Egyptian cuisine is a rich, satisfying fusion of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African flavors. Grounded in thousands of years of agricultural tradition along the Nile Delta, dining in Egypt ranges from bustling street stalls serving crispy falafel and koshary to opulent Nile-side seafood restaurants and historic atmospheric cafes.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

When dining across Egypt, satisfy your palate with these iconic national dishes and traditional street food staples:

Koshary: Egypt's legendary national comfort dish—a hearty bowl of rice, macaroni, lentils, and chickpeas topped with spiced tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and crispy fried onions.
Ta'ameya: Egyptian falafel made exclusively from mashed fava beans (rather than chickpeas) mixed with fresh herbs, fried to a light green, golden-crispy perfection.
Ful Medames: Slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin, served with warm local baladi flatbread.
Hawawshi: Spiced minced beef or lamb baked inside a whole pocket of local baladi bread until crispy and fragrant.
Molokhia: A rich, aromatic green soup made from finely chopped jute leaves cooked in poultry or meat broth with garlic and coriander.
Sayadieh: Fresh Red Sea or Mediterranean fish baked on a bed of caramelized onion rice with fragrant spices and pine nuts.

20 Best Places to Eat in Egypt

1. Koshary Abou Tarek

Cuisine: Authentic Egyptian Koshary
Location: Downtown Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Classic Koshary with Extra Crispy Onions & Garlic Sauce
About the Place: A world-famous multi-story restaurant in central Cairo dedicated entirely to perfecting one dish—koshary. Fast-paced, chaotic, and deliciously authentic.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Koshary Abou Tarek

2. Zooba

Cuisine: Modern Gourmet Egyptian Street Food
Location: Zamalek, Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Spicy Ta'ameya Sandwich & Hawawshi
About the Place: An upscale, modern street food concept that elevates traditional Egyptian street eats using high-quality organic ingredients and creative homemade sauces.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Zooba

3. Naguib Mahfouz Cafe

Cuisine: Traditional Middle Eastern & Egyptian
Location: Khan el-Khalili, Historic Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Mixed Grill Platter, Mint Tea & Egyptian Om Ali Dessert
About the Place: An atmospheric, air-conditioned dining oasis managed by Oberoi, hidden inside Khan el-Khalili bazaar and named after Egypt's Nobel laureate novelist.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Naguib Mahfouz Cafe

4. Abou El Sid

Cuisine: Classic Egyptian Royal Home Cooking
Location: Zamalek, Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Stuffed Pigeon (Hamam Mahshi) & Molokhia with Rabbit
About the Place: Decorated like an opulent 1940s Egyptian manor, serving traditional royal recipes including stuffed pigeon, tajines, and fragrant rice dishes.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Abou El Sid

5. Fish Market (Alexandria)

Cuisine: Mediterranean Fresh Seafood
Location: The Corniche, Alexandria
Must-Try Dish: Charcoal-Grilled Red Snapper & Seafood Sayadieh
About the Place: Perched directly over the Mediterranean Sea, where diners select their fresh catch straight from ice display beds to be cooked to order.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Fish Market Alexandria

6. Felfela

Cuisine: Traditional Egyptian Mezze & Grills
Location: Downtown Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Ful Medames, Ta'ameya & Grilled Kofta
About the Place: Operating since 1959, this rustic, greenery-filled downtown restaurant is legendary for serving authentic traditional Egyptian breakfast mezze and mixed grills.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Felfela

7. Andrea El Mariouteya

Cuisine: Egyptian Countryside Barbecue
Location: New Giza / Pyramids Area
Must-Try Dish: Charcoal Grilled Spatchcock Chicken & Fresh Baladi Bread
About the Place: A famous open-air garden restaurant known for rotisserie-grilled marinated chicken, freshly baked balloon bread, and traditional mezze.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Andrea El Mariouteya

8. 139 Pavilion (Marriott Mena House)

Cuisine: International Fine Dining with Pyramid Views
Location: Giza
Must-Try Dish: Gourmet Seafood Platter & Lamb Chops
About the Place: Offers one of the world's most incredible dining backdrops—open-air garden dining set directly in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Explore More: Read our full guide to 139 Pavilion

9. Sofra Restaurant & Cafe

Cuisine: Authentic Upper Egyptian & Middle Eastern
Location: Luxor
Must-Try Dish: Duck Tajine with Orange & Stuffed Vine Leaves
About the Place: Set inside a beautifully restored 1930s traditional townhouse in Luxor, celebrated for slow-cooked claypot tajines and Middle Eastern mezze.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Sofra Restaurant & Cafe

10. Al Sahaby Lane Restaurant

Cuisine: Egyptian & Bedouin Specialties
Location: Luxor Souk
Must-Try Dish: Camel Meat Tajine & Stuffed Vegetables (Mahshi)
About the Place: A vibrant rooftop restaurant in central Luxor souk, offering camel burgers, traditional Egyptian stews, and rooftop town views.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Al Sahaby Lane Restaurant

11. Soliman Nubian Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Nubian Home Cooking
Location: Elephantine Island, Aswan
Must-Try Dish: Nubian Chicken Tajine with Spiced Okra
About the Place: A colorful riverfront home-style restaurant on Elephantine Island, serving wholesome Nubian meals cooked fresh by local hosts.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soliman Nubian Restaurant

12. The Terrace at Old Cataract

Cuisine: High Tea & Gourmet Fine Dining
Location: Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, Aswan
Must-Try Dish: Traditional Royal High Tea & Nile Sea Bass
About the Place: The legendary cliffside terrace where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile, offering breathtaking views over Nile feluccas at sunset.
Explore More: Read our full guide to The Terrace at Old Cataract

13. Mohamed Ahmed

Cuisine: Traditional Alexandrian Breakfast
Location: Downtown Alexandria
Must-Try Dish: Ful with Olive Oil & Fluffy Ta'ameya
About the Place: Alexandria's most famous casual breakfast spot since 1957, once visited by Queen Sofia of Spain, serving exceptional ful medames and hot flatbreads.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mohamed Ahmed

14. Star Fish Seafood Restaurant

Cuisine: Red Sea Fresh Seafood
Location: Hurghada
Must-Try Dish: Seafood Soup & Baked Butter-Garlic Lobster
About the Place: Hurghada's premier seafood destination, featuring large aquariums and ice beds where guests choose fresh catches to be cooked to preference.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Star Fish Seafood Restaurant

15. El Masrien

Cuisine: Traditional Egyptian Grills
Location: Sharm El Sheikh (Old Market)
Must-Try Dish: Charcoal Kofta, Kebab & Stuffed Pigeon
About the Place: Located in the heart of Sharm El Sheikh's Old Market, famous for generous platters of charcoal-grilled spiced meat skewers and traditional sides.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Masrien

16. Sameh Seamarket

Cuisine: Fresh Coastal Seafood
Location: Dahab
Must-Try Dish: Grilled Red Sea Calamari & Shrimp Tajine
About the Place: A laid-back waterfront restaurant in Dahab where diners relax on floor cushions while enjoying fresh seafood cooked with coastal spices.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Sameh Seamarket

17. Kebdet El Brens

Cuisine: Authentic Egyptian Street Grills
Location: Imbaba, Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Alexandrian Liver (Kebda) & Molokhia Sizzler
About the Place: A legendary street dining hotspot in Cairo where crowds gather for sizzling pans of spiced beef liver, sausage, and theatrical molokhia pours.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Kebdet El Brens

18. Bab Al Sharq

Cuisine: Middle Eastern & Arabian Fine Dining
Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Lebanese Mixed Grill & Fresh Hummus
About the Place: An elegant outdoor garden venue overlooking the Egyptian Museum, serving high-end Arabian grills, shisha, and live traditional entertainment.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Bab Al Sharq

19. Greek Club (Le Club Grec)

Cuisine: Mediterranean & Seafood
Location: Downtown Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Fried Calamari & Cold Greek Salad
About the Place: A historic balcony restaurant overlooking Talaat Harb Square in downtown Cairo, offering nostalgic mid-century Mediterranean charm and cold beverages.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Greek Club

20. El Kebabgy (Sofitel El Gezirah)

Cuisine: Gourmet Egyptian Kebab & Grill
Location: Zamalek, Cairo
Must-Try Dish: Premium Lamb Chops & Tarb (Fat-Wrapped Kebab)
About the Place: An upscale Nile-side restaurant featuring open charcoal grills, traditional bread ovens, and open-air waterfront dining on Gezira Island.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Kebabgy

Featured Image

Traditional Egyptian Koshary & Feast Display