But before we dive into top restaurants in Egypt, we’d like to give you examples of traditional Egyptian food like hamam, falafel, ful, kebab and kofta.
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Egyptian Liver (Kebda)
Where: Ezz El Menoufy
Location: Cairo (Heliopolis, New Cairo, Downtown, Dokki, Maadi)
Price: $.50
Local advice: My favorite branch is Heliopolis— not busy like others and located in a hotspot in a prestigious neighborhood.
One of the underrated Egyptian food, Kebda is shopped-flavored beef liver served with Egyptian loaf bread and sliced bell pepper, topped with a creamy tahini sauce. The seasoned meat is placed in a special marinate, intensifying its authentic taste. It also goes perfectly with Koshary or macaroni. But this restaurant will help you kill two birds with one stone (figuratively!).
Ezz El Menoufy is an all-in-one combo culinary tour where you can enjoy Egyptian sausage (Sodk Eskndrany) and another special Egyptian sandwich (Skalans)- a combination of (honey, butter, strawberry jam)
YES, insane— but once you eat one, you won’t be able to stop!
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Stuffed Pita (Hawawshi)
Where: Hawawshi El Rabie
Location: Giza (El-Tahrir City, Imbaba)
Price: $2
Local advice: Consider hiring a local guide in Egypt to assist you in easily reaching your destination and finding a suitable table, as the area is known to be congested with narrow streets. Thankfully, you can find them in Simsem in Jordon and soon in Egypt.
A foodie’s paradise, Egypt is filled with tons of opportunities to test decent local delicacies, and Hawawshi El Rabie is a must-visit destination, offering affordable, mouthwatering and rich.
So, what is Hawawshi?
It’s a traditional Egyptian food, stuffed pita— spiced meat filling, making it a wonderful snack. It’s like a burger with crisp bread that will tantalize the taste buds.
You will find different types of Hawawshi there, but if it’s your first time, order the plain one (with no cheese or sausage).
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Stuffed Squab (Hamam Mahshi)
Where: Kababgy Farahat
Location: Cairo (Downtown, Heliopolis)
Price: $3.8
Local advice: Go to the Heliopolis branch— the service is better, and a two-story restaurant is situated in a central street at the heart of Heliopolis.
It’s our way to celebrate; we have Hamam for lunch today! (As a side note, lunch is considered the main meal in Egypt and is typically served between 3:00 – 6:00 pm.)
You have two options to order: stuffed with rice or freekeh (cracked green wheat). For me, I go with the first option. Also, don’t forget to try Molokhia (Egyptian green soup) — Kababgy Farahat’s chefs master it.
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Grilled Meat (Shawarma)
Where: Abou Haidar Shawerma
Location: Cairo (Heliopolis)
Price: $.8
Local advice: Don’t go to Abou Haidar on weekends (Fridays and Saturdays)- it becomes super crowded, and you have to wait in a long line till you order and another one to get your sandwiches.
You might come across a Shawarma Skewer (stacked in a cone-like shape) in many different areas: Turkey, Tunisia, Lebanon, or even outside the Arab world, where there is an Arab community. But there is something different in Egyptian Shawarma; you will never know it before trying it 😉
It’s primarily meat-stuffed sandwiches. The meat chop into thin slices, marinated in garlic, coriander, and other spices, and served with Egyptian small Fino bread.
