• The Nile at dusk, the Cairo Tower and a lit-up boat

    The cafés of the Giza corniche

    Plastic chairs facing the river, a tea, and the best view-for-money in Greater Cairo.

    GizaNile corniche, Giza

    BudgetNile view
  • Unfired clay pots drying on a workshop bench.

    The cafés of Tunis village

    Terraces above Lake Qarun, in the potters' village.

    FayoumTunis village, Lake Qarun

    BudgetBest in the morning
  • Roasted coffee beans spilling out of a burlap sack.

    Sofianopoulo Coffee Store

    A Greek roaster in Alexandria where you drink your coffee standing, in front of the sacks of beans.

    AlexandriaAttarine, Alexandria

    BudgetHistoric venue
  • A shot of espresso runs from the machine into a small white cup at the counter.

    Brazilian Coffee Store

    A 1929 counter where coffee is drunk standing, in three minutes, as in Naples.

    AlexandriaCity centre, Alexandria

    BudgetHistoric venue
  • Tables and chairs on a deck, right at the water

    The Corniche cafés

    Tea facing the Mediterranean, on chairs set between pavement and sea wall.

    AlexandriaCorniche, Alexandria

    BudgetSea view
  • An alley lit by lanterns, tables set out for the evening

    The cafés of Luxor souk

    Ahwas between the stalls, where the traders themselves go for tea.

    LuxorEast bank, Luxor

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • The cafés of the Aswan corniche

    Tea beside the calmest stretch of the Nile in Egypt, with feluccas gliding past.

    AswanCorniche, Aswan

    BudgetNile view
  • Cushions and low benches under hanging fabrics

    The cafés of Assalah

    Our favourite

    Cushions set at the water's edge, where a whole day passes without you noticing.

    SinaiAssalah, Dahab

    BudgetSea view
  • The cafés of the Old Market

    Sharm's old quarter: bazaars, ahwas and grills, far from the Naama Bay hotels.

    Sharm el-SheikhSharm el-Sheikh

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • The cafés of Siwa square

    Morning tea under the palms, at the foot of the Shali fortress.

    Marsa Matrouh and SiwaSiwa

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • The cafés of Bawiti

    The compulsory stop before the White Desert: tea, fuel and last supplies.

    The oases and the Western DesertBawiti, Bahariya Oasis

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • A steaming glass of hot tea standing on a wooden table.

    The cafés of Mut

    Evening in Dakhla: a few tables on the square, tea, and a silence the city never has.

    The oases and the Western DesertMut, Dakhla Oasis

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • A glass of mango and peach juice with mint, on a wooden terrace table.

    The corniche cafés of Marsa Matruh

    A mango juice facing the most turquoise lagoon on the north coast.

    Marsa Matrouh and SiwaMarsa Matruh

    BudgetSea view
  • A sheltered table, alone in the desert

    The rest stops of Wadi Natrun

    The roadside cafés between Cairo and Alexandria, an institution of Egyptian travel.

    The Delta and the north coastWadi Natrun

    BudgetBudget
  • A palm-lined corniche along the Suez Canal, a tug in the distance.

    The corniche cafés of Ismailia

    Tea beside the Suez Canal, watching 400-metre container ships go by.

    The Delta and the north coastIsmailia, Suez Canal

    BudgetBudget
  • Felfela

    Foul, taameya and salads in a grotto-like room, steps from Tahrir square.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetVegan options
  • Chunks of meat sizzling in a large frying pan, steam rising.

    Kebdet El Prince

    Our favourite

    The king of Alexandrian-style liver, served on pavement tables until the middle of the night.

    CairoImbaba

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Golden pieces of poultry on the grill, above the flames.

    Farahat

    Stuffed pigeons grilled in the street, over braziers, for decades.

    GizaDokki

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Two peppers stuffed with minced meat in tomato sauce on a white plate.

    Fasahet Somaya

    Off the beaten track

    Home cooking, served in a tiny room, with the day's menu and nothing else.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Mohamed Ahmed

    Alexandria's breakfast: foul, taameya and eggs, in a room that never empties.

    AlexandriaCity centre, Alexandria

    BudgetVegan options
  • Brown dates in a wooden bowl and on a wooden spoon, set on a pale plank table.

    Abdu

    Siwa's canteen since the 1980s: tagines, dates and Siwan pizzas.

    Marsa Matrouh and SiwaSiwa

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Wekalet el-Balah

    The market of fabric by the metre, second-hand clothes and curtains: Cairo dresses here.

    CairoBoulaq

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Attaba market

    The centre's biggest street market: everything is sold here, and everything is shouted.

    CairoAttaba, Downtown

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • A fruit stall loaded to the edge: pineapples, papayas, pomegranates, oranges and bananas, prices handwritten on scraps of paper.

    Bab el-Louk market

    Downtown's food market: fruit, cheese, spices and fishmongers under a hall.

    CairoBab el-Louk, Downtown

    BudgetWhere locals go