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

Behind every favourite restaurant, memorable meal and great cup of coffee is a team working to make the experience worthwhile. On 13 November 2026, it will be their turn to celebrate as the F&B Awards Egypt returns for its second edition, bringing the country’s food and hospitality industry together at the historic Cairo Citadel. With public voting introduced for the first time, a panel of industry leaders and a selection of familiar names among the nominees, this year’s ceremony gives diners a chance to celebrate the places and people shaping Egypt’s food scene.

What Are the F&B Awards Egypt?

Created by the team behind F&B Summit, the F&B Awards Egypt recognises the restaurants, brands, professionals and creative talents contributing to the country’s food and beverage industry. The first edition welcomed more than 1,000 guests and featured over 250 nominees across four categories, bringing together different sides of Egypt’s hospitality community. For 2026, the celebration moves to the courtyard of the Police Museum at the Cairo Citadel, placing the ceremony within one of Cairo’s most recognisable historic landmarks.

What’s Different About This Year’s Awards?

This year, the F&B Awards Egypt is giving the public a voice in choosing the winners. For the first time, diners can vote for their favourites through the Fav app, with the results determined jointly by public voting and an industry jury.

The ceremony features 14 awards across four main categories:

• Business Excellence: Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Coffee House, Homegrown Brand and Experiential Concept of the Year.
• People & Leadership: F&B Woman, Executive Chef and Rising Founder of the Year.
• Creative Excellence: Food Content Series, Social Media Presence and Restaurant Interior & Ambiance of the Year.
• Product & Innovation: Food Product, Beverage Product and Packaging Innovation of the Year.

As Peter Boules, CEO and Founder of F&B Awards and F&B Summit, explains, the idea is to celebrate an industry that spends much of its time creating memorable experiences for others. By bringing public opinion together with professional expertise, the awards aim to reflect both the industry’s achievements and the dining experiences Egyptians genuinely appreciate.

Meet the Jury Behind the 2026 Awards

Alongside public voting, five industry leaders will help determine this year’s winners. The 2026 jury brings together professionals from different areas of Egypt’s food and beverage industry:

• Ahmed Samy, Chief Executive Officer of Edita Food Industries
• Chris Abboud, General Manager of Beyti, an Almarai subsidiary
• Luay Torky, Co-Founder of Saal Food Group
• Mohanad Khedr, Founder and CEO of Linah Group
• Reif Othman, Founder of Hotaru Holdings

Additional expertise comes from Hussien Bahgat, Founder and Managing Director of Ritual Coffee, who advises on the Coffee House of the Year award, and Omar Abo Shady, Director of the F&B Business Unit at ACT, who advises on the technology-related award within Business Excellence. Together, the jury and public voting introduce two perspectives into the selection process, combining industry knowledge with the preferences of everyday diners.

Who’s Nominated? Here Are the Shortlists So Far

This is where Cairo’s food lovers can start looking for familiar favourites. Seven award shortlists have been announced so far, with seven nominees competing in each category.

Quick Service Restaurant of the Year: Fino, Takosan, Chicken Worx, Howlin Birds, Primos, El Koftageya and Roufy’s.

Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Don Eatery, Chicken & Ribs, Hara Hachi Bu, Berro’s Brasserie, Willow’s Restaurant, Ovio and Lebanese Bistro.

Coffee House of the Year: Seven Fortunes, 929, Dark Solution, Social, Twenty Grams, AM:PM and Bean N’Bun.

Homegrown Brand of the Year: Amis Bakery, Fostok, Cookie Vore, Oven Heaven Bakery, Zero Sugar, Oh My Brownie and Birdrock Eats.

Social Media Presence of the Year: STRIP, Lil Kitchen, Wingo, Lokali, Puffy Pops, Nancy Bakes and Common Burgers.

Food Product of the Year: Eishna, Own, Digs, Refuel, Halo, Keep Going and Scrunch.

Beverage Product of the Year: Dose, Drink Electro, Hona, Frozy, Caffie’s Water, Reqaf and Momentum Hydrate.

From established favourites to homegrown names, the announced shortlists reflect the variety of concepts and products competing for recognition this year. And with public voting now part of the process, diners have an opportunity to support the names they believe deserve to win.

Why the Cairo Citadel?

An occasion celebrating Egypt’s hospitality industry deserves a setting with a story of its own. Founded by Salah El-Din in the 12th century, the Cairo Citadel has stood above the capital for centuries, overlooking a city that has continued to evolve around it. With its historic architecture, elevated setting and views across Cairo, the landmark offers a distinctive backdrop for the second edition of the awards.

This year’s ceremony will take place in the Police Museum courtyard, bringing a contemporary celebration of food and hospitality into one of Egypt’s most significant historic settings. Of course, organising an event within a landmark of this scale comes with challenges that extend well beyond choosing the venue.

Meet LOriental Moments, the Team Catering the Celebration

Behind the food at this year’s ceremony is LOriental Moments, the official caterer of the F&B Awards Egypt 2026. The Egyptian experiential catering company has built extensive experience working in historic landmarks, where creating a memorable dining experience requires as much attention to logistics as it does to the menu. Its portfolio includes events at the Cairo Citadel, Baron Empain Palace, Mohamed Ali Palace in Manial, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza and Prince Naguib Palace on Dahab Island.

These locations offer remarkable settings, but they also require careful planning to accommodate food preparation, equipment, service and guest movement while respecting the surrounding heritage. For LOriental, the challenge is to make those arrangements work smoothly without distracting guests from the occasion itself.

From Historic Palaces to Diplomatic Celebrations

LOriental Moments’ experience extends beyond weddings and private celebrations. The company has worked with corporate clients including Maserati, Bayer and Grohe, alongside various United Nations agencies. Its portfolio also includes diplomatic events for the embassies of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, China and Germany. More recently, the Embassy of Belgium selected LOriental to cater its 2026 King’s Day celebration at the Official Residence.

These occasions bring their own considerations, from formal protocol and security requirements to accommodating guests with different expectations and preferences. As Sherif Hussein, Co-founder and CEO of LOriental Moments, explains, working on diplomatic events has shaped the team’s approach to planning, where every detail needs to be considered well before guests arrive. That experience carries through to other occasions, including the upcoming F&B Awards at the Citadel.

What Does It Take to Cater Inside a Historic Landmark?

A beautiful setting does not always come with the facilities of a conventional event venue. Historic landmarks can present restrictions around equipment access, kitchen facilities, power supply and the movement of catering teams. At the same time, the buildings and their surroundings must remain protected. For LOriental Moments, this means adapting the operation to the venue rather than expecting the venue to accommodate a traditional catering setup. The company has delivered more than 2,000 events since 2020 and operates from its own licensed production facility, certified to ISO 22000:2018 for food safety management, with credentials from Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) and Industrial Development Authority (IDA).

Hussein describes the responsibility simply that the venue must remain protected, while guests should be free to enjoy the experience without noticing the complicated arrangements taking place behind the scenes. It is an approach that will be particularly relevant when the company caters for an audience made up of the very people who understand Egypt’s food and hospitality industry best.

How Can You Take Part?

Whether your favourite is a local coffee house, a homegrown bakery or a restaurant you regularly return to, the F&B Awards Egypt 2026 offers a chance to show your support. With 14 awards, a panel of industry leaders and public voting introduced for the first time, this year’s ceremony brings together the professionals behind Egypt’s dining experiences and the people who enjoy them.

To participate, explore the announced shortlists and vote for your favourites through the Fav app. Follow F&B Awards Egypt for further ceremony details.