Downtown Cairo, Egypt

Learn about where to shop, eat and drink in Downtown Cairo. This Cairo travel guide will show you how to do it all the Egyptian way.

Midan Tahrir and Cairo Downtown

In the commercial heartbeat of the modernized city of Cairo, the downtown section is found to the east and northeast of Midan Tahrir (also known as Tahrir Square). While not many glaring tourist interests are found here, the convenience of the downtown location attracts many tourists. It is here that an array of less spacious hotels is found. Commercial outlets, eateries, and travel agencies are also situated in this section of the city.

Coupled with Midan Tahrir, downtown Cairo offers just the right centralized location to allow tourists to dive into the many other attractions of the city.

The Brief History of Downtown Cairo

In downtown Cairo, the late 19th century saw the construction of widened boulevards and streets that came at the request of Ismail the Magnificent. It was the Paris of Baron Hausmann that served as a recognizable inspiration. The ruler was especially interested in bringing his capital and country to mirror many of the views of Europe. It is also clear to see the Parisian influence that shines through in the architecture of the buildings. Since the 1870s, the sights do appear a bit run down.

Shopping in Downtown Cairo, Midan Talaat Harb

Cairo downtown offers an assortment of local department stores. At one time, they served as great places to shop – highlight the best products that the world had to give - but in July 1961, the nationalization of the department stores changed history. Nowadays, high-quality shopping is found in upmarket malls situated in Heliopolis, Nasr City, Maadi and other neighborhoods displaying elegance. In present day, downtown additionally offers a wide-range of inexpensive fakes, local produce, and many selections of Arabic pop music (and movies).

Talaat Harb Mall
Most famous for it's downstairs fast food restaurants. Many cheap clothing stores are also in the vicinity of the mall which is placed just above Midan Talaat Harb.

Omar Effendi
The product of the Egyptian state, this establishment is somewhat comparable to the Walmart in North America.

Sednaoui's
This site was once a reputable family-owned business.

Sharia Shawarby
Paying a visit to this street places tourists closer to inexpensive threads, music, and DVDs.

Madbouli Bookstore
The majority of books in this store are Arabic, where a nice selection of political literature is found. The store also carries learning products for those looking to catch onto the Arabic language. The prices are decent, as travelers can pick up dictionaries that are written in both Arabic and English.

Eating and Drinking in Downtown Cairo

Downtown Cairo is not the place to seek out tasty dishes, but high-quality restaurants are still found in the vicinity. Cairo downtown is however the best place to purchase delicious snacks, sweets, and fast food of Egypt. Some eateries will also serve alcohol.

Budget Selections

Kushari al-Tahrir Abdel Khaleq Sarwat, GAD, 13, 26th of July St.
This fast food eatery offers Egyptian fare that is often crowded with local patrons. The food is quite tasty and is offered at a price that tourists can take pleasure in. Popular dishes include foul and taamiyya. This spacious eatery is found on 26th July St, which is just off of Talaat Harb, thriving in downtown Cairo.

Al Tazaj Fakieh, 30 Talaat Harb St, 19018
The kebab with chicken comes highly recommended, as this chain in Cairo focuses on chicken in its Oriental cuisine.

Mid-Range Selections

The Greek Club, Talaat Harb Square, (entrance off of Mahmoud Bassiouni)
The entrance fee of this sight is 5 EP, which is mostly visited by liberal and leftist Egyptians – more than Greek residents. As one of the best eateries in downtown Cairo, the food is often random, but what they do offer is satisfying and priced right. The restaurant serves alcohol (including imported spirits). In Cairo, this is also the place to seek out for Kofte. Keep in mind that the establishment is not open at all during Ramadan.

Felfela's, 15 Sharia Hoda Sharaawi
Tourists often visit this eatery between 7:30am and 12:30am, which represents a chain of restaurants popping up throughout Cairo. Some of the features of this site include lengthy tables of wood; aquariums; clocks; and miniature waterfalls. Overall, it makes sense. The specialties include the classics of Egyptian cookery. Usually, patrons favor the vegetarian dishes over meaty meals. It is suggested to sample the lemonade, which is the ideal beverage when trudging through a day filled with heat. Beer is also available on the premises.

Groppi's, Midan Talaat Harb
In Egypt, this site shares the history of the most well known of cafes, tearooms, and pastry shops in the country. Cairene society made it a habit to frequent Groppi's between the 1920s and early 1950s. The dust has since eliminated this allure, yet the establishment remains a fixture in the community. About the doorway, interesting mosaic embellishments are found.

La Chesa, 21 Adly St. Down Town Cairo
Here, fondues are king and additional traditional edibles, such as salads, pizza, and Swiss meals are served. In downtown Cairo, this establishment is considered one of the most alluring continental restaurants.

Expensive Selections

Cafe Riche, 17 Shar'a Talaat Harb
As another location that doesn’t live up to a past reputation, this café is rather popular with visitors despite the prices are known as costly and the service quite slow.

Bird Cage, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, Corniche El Nil
It is said that the best Thai meals in Cairo are found here.

Peking, 14 Saray el Azbakia St. (off Emad El Din St.)
This is where you will encounter a branch of the Cairo Peking restaurant chain. Every one of the branches are quite easy to pinpoint, yet the Chinese cuisine is quite decent.

Coffee Houses

Coffee houses are quite popular, as they line the side streets. In some sections of town, a small collection of coffee houses creates a rather cozy setting.

In Bursa, a collection of coffee shops decorates the carless streets, which are accessible from Qasr-el-ein/Sherif. Youthful democratic activists and participants of oppositional movements are known to frequent this location. Until the late hours of the night, this place is live with activity.

Tawfiqiyya Souq North of 26th July in Downtown is another street area that offers plenty of coffee shops with a decent environment.

Bars

Houria, bab-al-louq
This combination coffee shop and bar is a unique location to seek out in Cairo. The inexpensive beer is also quite popular, which doesn’t seem to attract such a riff-raff of a crowd.

Odeon Palace Hotel, 6 Shar'a Abdel Hamid Said (off Shar'a Tala'at Harb)
Open all around the clock, this open-air bar found in a hotel doubles as a restaurant. However, the majority of visitors would rather just drink or have shisha. The beer (Stella or Saqqara) is priced at LE 10. Keep in mind that this location in downtown Cairo is quite favorable by backpackers and foreign students. It is also open during Ramadan.

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