Cairo is a loud city. It’s crowded and triggers all your senses with the hustle and bustle of the city, the variety of pungent smells, the lights that seem to be designed to trigger seizures, and all the different tastes of nightlife. It can be overwhelming, but it certainly does leave you asking for more, sometimes not fully understanding why.
When living here, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the best from the worst. As I mentioned before, it’s very difficult to expect anything in Egypt. In this post, I’ll share with you my best experiences in Cairo’s wining and dining scene.
Nightlife in Cairo starts quite late and seems to be filled with loud laughter and chatter on every single night of the week. The city is filled with “work hard - play harder” fanatics who come home from work around 6:00 then eat, sleep, rave, repeat! Of course not everyone is out partying till the break of dawn, but a more pleasant Cairo does seem to appear around 8:30 in the evenings. Friends, families, and colleagues get together and hit the streets to shop, meet for coffee or drinks, and discover new cuisines or revisit old favorites.
Food is a passion in Egypt, for all social and economic segments of society. Hospitality in Egyptian homes is considered sacred and Egyptian women love to show off their hosting skills; something I passionately share with them. On the other hand, eating out is one of the most common evening activities here and Cairo is filled with restaurants, cafes, and nightspots. There are so many choices that it becomes very confusing and taking your chances on a place you have no information about whatsoever can be risky.
Italian
One of my favorites, hidden away in Korba, Heliopolis, is Peppenero. Peppenero is a little Italian haven tucked away on the first floor of an apartment building in the heart of Heliopolis. I didn’t expect much when I first got there. I saw no visible signs until we reached the door after climbing
an old and narrow flight of stairs. I still felt that I was going to a friend’s apartment.
When we first walked in, we were greeted by a smiling man in a suit at the door, who walked us to a little table on the terrace. I noticed that the restaurant was set in an old apartment from the early 1900s. The high ceilings, spacious rooms, and enormous terrace gave away that it was one of the buildings inspired by the Baron Empain’s designs during that time. The view from the terrace was the crowded main street of Korba, sandwiched in between two sides of gorgeous architecture from about a century ago. With very romantic lighting, this is a fantastic date spot.
The food at Peppenero’ was exquisite. Their main courses are great, but the main highlights for me were the seafood risotto and Italian pizza made with buffalo mozzarella. My biggest prize was their salad bar. Far beyond a salad bar, it does not only include a wide selection of raw vegetables, cheese platters, dressings, and all the popular salads like potato, chicken caesar, and cole slaw; there were also pepperoni rolls, cheese pastries, and a selection of vegetables stuffed with buffalo mozzarella amongst other things.
Peppenero does not serve alcohol, but you can still expect to pay around LE 800 for dinner for two. It’s always better to make a reservation before you go, especially on the weekends.
Asian
Another hidden gem I make a drive to Maadi for is Dragon House. Dragon House may seem a little dingy at first. It is located on Road 9, above Drinkies. Go up the stairs on the right hand side after Drinkies and once you’re at the top, make the first right. Don’t be too surprised if you find the place almost empty, that happens a lot.
Dragon House offers Indian, Thai, and Chinese food. I’m a huge fan of their Chinese menu and my husband is a huge fan of their Thai menu. Their beef in oyster sauce is delicious. I would also recommend that you try their sweet and sour chicken, which is very different
from what you will taste in any other Asian restaurants around Cairo. Their steamed dumplings are perfect, but you have to explain to the waiter that you do not want them steam-fried, just steamed. Try their fried wontons and spring rolls too. Unlike many other places, they are not too oily and full of flavor. Dragon House also offers many kinds of beer and wine with dinner. Check their menu or ask your waiter if there is something you can’t find.
American
If you haven’t been to The Tap yet, it’s about time you go. Located both in Maadi and in New Cairo, The Tap is the one pub / nightspot where I actually look forward to eating. In addition to their wide selection of beer, wine, and awesome cocktails made with imported alcohol, their food is simply mouthwatering! Don’t miss out on trying their chicken wings, loaded nachos, cheese balls, and dips. Their main courses come in excellent portions and even though their cocktails may be a bit pricey (above LE 150 each), their food is quite reasonable in comparison.
The Maadi branch is smaller than The Tap East, where there is a large outdoor area in addition to the huge indoor area. Both locations have a lot of events on many nights of the week, including open-mic nights and many live bands. Reservations are a must unless you’re going for an early evening dinner and drinks.
Burgers
Now that we have gone over these fancier spots, I believe that we should also mention burgers. Living in Heliopolis, I found two burger places that I continuously keep going back to on the east side of the city. In Heliopolis, you can’t miss out on trying ChilliBuzz. Thick burger patties cooked to perfection, held tight by buttered buns, and covered with sauces and toppings that are so generously poured in to the point that they ooze out as you eat. They have to give you gloves to eat them! I personally love their sweet spicy bacon burger which is topped with beef bacon, house BBQ sauce, and jalapeno cheddar cheese sauce. They also offer many other choices and you are guaranteed to get a big burger with fries for under LE 100. Their burgers are very filling and full of flavor.
I would recommend the Merghani Street branch in heliopolis, not their Nasr City branch. Unfortunately, consistency is not something you can always expect here in Egypt. Even American franchises, like McDonald’s, have some very shocking differences in the quality offered at their different branches. When mentioning ChilliBuzz, I must mention that their Merghani (Heliopolis) branch meets the description I gave, but their Nasr City branch was a huge disappointment for me.
Another burger heaven for me is Shocks Burger. Located in New Cairo, Shocks is a proper airstream food truck outside Waterway. Their Shocker Burger is one of the best things that has ever been in my mouth. Caramelized onions, jalapenos, and so much more. Try their appetizers too. They make delicious cheese fries and jalapeno poppers.
There are so many great places to eat in Cairo, but these are the ones I keep going back to every time I try something new. I’ll keep you all updated when I find something else that haunts my dreams!