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

Whether
you’re looking to eat sohour early or late, whether you want a festive
atmosphere or a relaxed one, or whether you just can’t decide if you want to
watch your favourite Ramadan show or listen to a live oud performance, somewhere
in Cairo, a nightspot is serving just what you need. Take a look through our
sohour guide to figure out where you’ll be going tonight.

Maspiro

Bab
El Nil at the Fairmont Nile City

Serving up
delicious Syrian cuisine this Ramadan, Bab El Nil is a funky sohour tent at the
Fairmont Nile city. Minimum charge is 130LE all week long, shisha is served and
board games are provided. Reserve here.

The Cashmere Tent at the World Trade
Centre Terrace

The WTC tent
this year is inspired by Arabian fairytales and offers an à-la-carte sohour
menu full of delicious treats. You can sit around eating and watching Ramadan
shows until 2AM. The minimum charge during weekdays is 75LE per person, while
on weekends it is increased to 100LE. Cashmere also serves a fetar set menu in
a nearby restaurant for 135LE/ 155LE/ 175LE. Make a reservation here.

Downtown

Arabesque

Arabesque
offers a delicious set menu for sohour at 100LE per person. It can get crowded
here at unexpected times; so make a reservation at 0225747898 just to be on the
safe side.

Zamalek

Tofaha
Ramadan Tent

Located
right next to the Coffee Shop Company and the cool breeze of the Nile, this
fruit-inspired tent is the perfect spot to enjoy a festive early or late
sohour. Complete with exotic shisha flown in from Beirut and pastries and lattés
from next door’s Home in Vienna and the Coffee Shop Company, Tofaha is open
until 3AM or later. Minimum charge for sohour is 75LE on weekdays and 150LE on
weekends. Reserve here.

3anil
Ramadan Tent 

The popular
Ramadan tent has returned for its 8th year on the Imperial Boat with Lebanese
inspired cuisine, shisha served up by Wel3a Café, and an endless supply
of games and entertainment, from LCD TVs and playstations to a resident DJ.
3anil is open until the last person leaves and offers two set menus for sohour
at 100LE and 130LE as well as a number of à-la-carte options. Book here.

Café Mex

This
street-side café is packed from 8PM onwards with locals eager for their shisha,
smoothies and mahalabeya fix from Al Malky. Arrive early or expect to wait for
up to half an hour for a table outside, and always expect it to be a noisy
night; especially since you’re smack-dab on the bustling street of 26th of July.
However, their watermelon-bubble shisha flavours and other funky mixes make it
a worthy destination. For reservations, call 0185362780.

WIF by EE

Aside from
its fetar menu, WIF offers sohour options including tomeya (14LE), tehina
(14LE) and sambousak (25LE) as well as foul with tehina for 18LE, falafel for
17LE and an omelette station for 30LE. Om ali (25LE) and rice pudding (17LE)
are also offered. For reservations, call 27365160.

Garden City

Shishawy
at the Kempinski Nile Hotel

For a
private atmosphere with top service and even better food, try Shishawy, home of
the medusa shisha. A projector on the wall as well as a resident oud player
promise you whatever entertainment you want – soap operas or a night of
traditional oriental music. The set sohour menu is priced at 130LE. For
reservations call 0227945834, the kitchen closes at 2AM.

Si Omar at the Grand Nile Tower

Enjoy Si Omar’s new Lebanese chef with an
indulging food menu while listening to the tunes of the daily oriental Takht and resident DJ. An à-la-carte menu is offered for sohour at a minimum of 135LE. Feel free to ask for a deck of cards or a backgammon board as you enjoy a spectacular Nile view. For reservations, call 0223651234 or 0117707060.

Dokki/Mohandiseen

P75

A new face
in Cairo’s restaurant crowd, P75 turns from Italian restaurant and Porsche
showroom into a classy sohour spot at 10:30PM every night, when shishas are
brought inside and the set menu becomes available. Enjoy soap operas all night
in this Porsche-designed restaurant. To reserve, call 0120700075.

Giza

Tagine
Ramadan Tent at the First Mall 

This
Ramadan, La Gourmandise has transformed itself into a fashionable sohour tent in
the centre of First Mall’s ground floor. Well known for their exotic and
glamorous settings, Tagine will serve a sumptuous sohour menu until 3AM. The minimum
charge is 75LE. Reserve here.

Aura
at the Four Seasons 

Serving up
delicious Lebanese cuisine, Aura offers both indoor and outdoor seating
overlooking the Nile. Listen to live entertainment as you enjoy their set menu
for 180LE++ per person. Make reservations by calling 0235671600.

Manial

Sky Lounge 

For an
unforgettable view of the Nile and more than comfortable seating, relax at Sky
Lounge as you sample the dishes on their set sohour menu for 100LE. On the
weekends, you’ll find an oriental band playing as well. To reserve, call the
Nile Lily restaurants hotline 19412.

Maadi

Cuba Cabana 

Hidden on a quiet, tree-lined part of Maadi, Cuba Cabana offers fetar and sohour this Ramadan, with a fetar buffet for 175LE and an à-la-carte
menu for sohour. For reservations, call 0223783300.

El
Shader

In addition
to staying open during the day (from noon onwards to be exact), El Shader will
offer both fetar and sohour. You can expect a relaxing time with plenty of the
usual fiteer, milkshakes, and shisha, with some board games and backgammon.
Expect a full house and call 0101210302 for reservations.

Heliopolis

Fairmont
Heliopolis and Towers

This year
the hotel is operating the Meshmeshya
Ramadan tent and offers three set sohour menus at 140LE /180LE /210LE. The most
expensive option offers both a mixed grill and shawerma while the cheapest is an
assortment of hot and cold mezzas. Of the hotel’s several dining venues, only
Pizza Bar and Egyptian Night will stay open late for sohour; expect them to
close around 2:30AM. Aqua e Luce and Al Dabké will close at midnight. For
reservations at any of the Fairmont’s dining venues, call 16989.