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

We’re heading towards mid-Ramadan; it’s almost surreal how fast time passes (especially when we’re having a good time!). Mid-Ramadan is when the holy month’s most annoying problem comes to the surface: boredom, or more accurately, getting tired of most types of food. Egyptians naturally choose to go big at any opportunity, and Ramadan is a special month in the heart of Egypt. So naturally, everyone goes really big, overloading the table the first day with all the beloved traditional Egyptian meals all at once, and doing it over and again for the rest of the first week. Towards the end of Ramadan, we seem to have exhausted the entire cuisine. 

If you get annoyed by this feeling, have no worries! La Gourmandise at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence presents Al Saraya Tent with an international Iftar buffet! The buffet draws from Italian cuisine, the best dishes of freshly prepared risotto, pasta, and authentic Napoletana Pizza. It also prepares dishes from Asia, including your favourite Asian-wok noodles with sweet and sour chicken and a smooth Indian Butter Chicken. Greek cuisine is also on their menu, where you can have moussaka and koulouri, and of course all our favourite Middle Eastern dishes! 

The buffet takes its inspiration from the First Nile Boat’s restaurants Riva, Nairu, and Zoe, all masters in the cuisines mentioned above. 

Of course, it’s not just the food that makes a buffet special. After you feed your stomach the deliciously varied family-style Iftar set menus curated by Chef Ahmed Zoghbi, where you’ll have a choice between hot and cold mezzeh and different grills and tagines, you can relax by the pool under Cairo’s mesmerising sky in the pleasant evening breeze, munching on the best of their Arabian desserts. 

Then for Suhoor, Aura’s private cabanas offer you privacy, live entertainment, and an à la carte menu to decide what to enjoy to help you through the next day. 

If you might want to have your Iftar and Suhoor in a more Mediterranean style, then Zoe on the upper deck of the First Nile Boat offers you the best delights of Egypt and Greece. Zoe’s à la carte Suhoor menu also has Greek and Egyptian dishes. 

There’s one big Ramadan surprise we’ve not yet mentioned; O’zoomat! Whether you’re hosting a corporate Iftar or Suhoor event for your coworkers or a more intimate family and friends gathering, Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence will take all the trouble off your back by perfectly curating it to any size, type, and place in Cairo, or even in the hotel’s grand ballrooms if your heart so desires!

AN INTERNATIONAL RAMADAN: EGP 700 per adult and EGP 350 per child ages 6 to 12, subject to service charge and applicable taxes.

IFTAR AND SUHOOR UNDER THE STARS: Iftar menus are EGP 700 per adult, EGP 350 per child ages 6 to 12 and complimentary for children ages five and under – service charges excluded, and an Iftar supplement of EGP 500, inclusive of service charge and applicable taxes. There’s also a Suhoor minimum of EGP 400 per guest, and an Aura cabana Suhoor supplement of EGP 1,400 per guest, inclusive of service charge and applicable taxes.

A TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ON THE NILE: Iftar buffet is EGP 700 per adult, EGP 325 per child ages 6 to 12, excluding service charge and applicable taxes, and complimentary for children ages five and under. Suhoor à la carte menu has a minimum spend of EGP 350, inclusive of all applicable taxes.