The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Marzipan, the latest edition to the traditional Egyptian restaurant scene, is here to keep our appetites satisfied and mood brightened, all whilst feeling delightfully nostalgic. Enjoying our country’s beloved cuisine in a high-end vibe always hits different because you can see how simple Levantine recipes can be elevated to compete with international dishes.

Marzipan opened their first branch in The Waterway back in 2020, followed by another in Park Street last year. Situated right across from Bocca, just beneath Ni, the Japanese-Italian hot spot, you’ll find Marizpan huddled in the corner. Their luxurious yet laid-back interior is undoubtedly unique –  with velvet furniture, subtle greenery, modern light fixtures, and classical props like vintage frames and books beautifully stacked all around the venue. At first glance, one wouldn’t suspect that this is a traditional Egyptian restaurant. Still, once you step in and see Faten Hamama, Omar El-Sherif, and Egypt’s most beloved stars framed all over the shelves and walls, one begins to understand the concept. We visited the Park Street branch in the morning one sunny Friday, and we simply had to opt for the authentic breakfast experience that lasts until 1:30 PM. We browsed through their breakfast section filled with many tempting options like tameya, medahrag eggs, feteer, ful, and more.

If you prefer eating light during the mornings, Marzipan’s breakfast plates are perfect for sharing – when you order a few dishes to share with one more person, you’ll get the ideal portion for a light Friday breakfast. They have the Marzipan Tray already made for two people if you’re too lazy to pick out your dishes; however, we decided to mix and match our own. So we got the Ful with Olive Oil (56 LE), Sesame Tameya (56 LE), and Cheese with Tomato (58 LE) – all of which are staples on any Egyptian breakfast table. We didn’t have a single comment on any of the plates served; the ful was creamy, seasoned, and velvety, while the tameya was perfectly fried and spiced. The cheese with tomato was also a star dish; the cheese was creamy, of excellent quality, and fresh and bright tomatoes.

We had also ordered the Shakshouka (61 LE) – scrambled eggs with tomato, and one Beetroot Salad (89 LE) – beetroot and orange seasoned salad. The beetroot salad was refreshingly tangy and had a nice contrast with the rest of the meal, while the shakshouka was adequately seasoned. We had a different style in mind when we ordered, probably the Moroccan, but this was also quite tasty. Finally, we ordered the Ice Tea Peach (50 LE) and the Sobia with Coconut as drinks, but sadly the sobia was unavailable. To end our meal, we wanted to try their feteer, but we were pretty full and satisfied – the best thing is, feteer is an all-day option, so maybe next time we can give it a go when we try their lunch menu.

Marzipan is a place to add to your go-to breakfast list around Sheikh Zayed – boasting fantastic quality, outstanding options and even better service. Yes, you might be paying a bit more for dishes you can get for much less elsewhere, but the atmosphere, presentation, and aura surrounding the place is definitely worth it.