All addresses
Koshari — the dish, not the house

Cairo · Downtown

Koshary Abou Tarek

The national dish, from a house that has done nothing else for decades.

4.3Rating(43,451)Google reviews BudgetUnmissable

Rice, macaroni, lentils, chickpeas, cumin tomato sauce, fried onions — and two bottles on the table: da'a (garlic vinegar) and shatta (chilli). Koshari is Egypt's most democratic dish, and Abou Tarek is its reference address in Downtown, spread over several floors, with a queue at lunchtime. It is also, by construction, entirely vegan.

The extra bit

Ask for "ziyada bassal" — extra fried onions. Costs next to nothing, changes everything.

Know before you go

Sizes run from soghayar (small) to kebir (large) — medium is plenty. Bring cash and small notes. The upper floors are calmer than the ground floor.

Directions

16 Marouf Street, Qasr El Nil, Downtown, Cairo

Directions

In the same spirit

  • An Egyptian breakfast spread

    Al Khal

    Off the beaten track

    Everyday Egyptian cooking, in a residential corner of Heliopolis.

    CairoHeliopolis

    4.8Rating(2,433)Google reviews€€ Mid-rangeFamily-friendly
  • Grilled meats on a board

    Salt of Earth

    A dependable table at Garden 8, in New Cairo, where dinner rarely disappoints.

    CairoNew Cairo

    4.8Rating(2,712)Google reviews€€ Mid-rangeOpen late
  • A table laid for dinner

    Alira

    South 90's smart end: a well-kept room and prices to match.

    CairoNew Cairo

    4.8Rating(224)Google reviews€€€ High endRomantic