Cairo · Islamic Cairo
Zeeyara
A roof above al-Moez street: you dine at minaret height.
Al-Moez li-Din Allah street is the monumental spine of Fatimid and Mamluk Cairo, and Zeeyara looks out over it from above. The view is the subject here: domes, flat roofs, and a line of minarets that light up once it is dark. The menu is not the point: the view decides the meal. The place is known to the quarter and to travellers, without being a stop on the coach circuit.
The extra bit
Go up an hour before sunset: you get the street in full light, then the call to prayer rising from every side at once. Ask for a table against the parapet — if they take bookings, ask when you call; if not, arrive early, or you will eat with your back to the view.
Know before you go
The central stretch of al-Moez is pedestrian: cars stop near Bab al-Futuh or over by Khan el-Khalili, and the rest is on foot along a crowded street — awkward with a pushchair or a suitcase. The terrace is at the mercy of the weather: in summer it holds the heat until the light goes, in January the wind bites. Have cash on you before you set off on foot, as we do not know whether cards are taken up on the roof. The restaurant's number is a mobile — try WhatsApp if the call does not connect.
