Middle East - Anthony Ham [109]
Top End
Talisman Hotel (Map; 2393 9431; www.talisman-hotel.com; 5th fl, 39 Sharia Talaat Harb, Downtown; s/d €60/80; ) This exquisite boutique hotel is straight out of the pages of The Thousand and One Nights. Rooms are individually decorated in coloured themes and sumptuously equipped; common areas are equally impressive, featuring antique furniture, objets d’art and rugs. The suites (€120) are quite simply works of art. Reservations are essential. To find it, turn off Sharia Talaat Harb into the alley opposite A l’Americaine Coffee Shop and enter the first building entrance on the right, where you’ll see a sign for the Minerva Hotel.
Cairo Marriott (Map; 2728 3000; www.marriott.com/CAIEG; Sharia Saray al-Gezira, Zamalek; r from US$220; ) Despite the addition of two very modern towers that house all the rooms, the former palace that serves as the lobby adds some historic cachet to this institution. Rooms flaunt plasma TVs and comfy beds, and the popular garden café downstairs and lovely pool are favourite places to hang out. Breakfast costs an extra US$22.
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EATING
Restaurants
In central Cairo, most budget eateries are concentrated around Midan Talaat Harb, while the city’s more interesting eats are over the river in Zamalek. In this section and other Eating sections throughout this chapter, restaurants reviewed are booze-free, except where noted.
At-Tabie ad-Dumyati (Map; 2575 4211; 31 Sharia Orabi, Downtown; mains E£2-8; 6am-1am) About 200m north of Midan Orabi, this highly recommended enterprise whips up lip-smacking, dirt cheap meals. Grab a choice of four salads from their large array (E£3.25), add a small plate of shwarma (E£5.50) and an eggplant sandwich (75pt) and you’re sorted. There’s also a branch in the food court of the Talaat Harb Complex (Map).
Felfela Restaurant (Map; 2392 2833; 15 Sharia Hoda Shaarawi, Downtown; mezze E£2-5, mains E£20-35; 8am-midnight; ) Perpetually packed with tourists, coach parties and locals, Felfela deserves its popularity. A bizarre jungle theme rules the decor, but the food is straight-down-the-line Egyptian and consistently good, especially the mezze. A Stella costs E£12.
Didos Al Dente (Map; 2735 9117; 26 Sharia Bahgat Ali, Zamalek; pasta E£7.50-25; ) This cute eatery gets packed with students from the nearby AUC, all clambering for a taste of the best pasta in town. It’s tiny, so be prepared to wait on the street for a table.
Estoril (Map; 2574 3102; 12 Sharia Talaat Harb, Downtown; mezze E£7, mains E£29-56; ) Often packed to the rafters with locals and in-the-know expats, this Egyptian-French restaurant has been serving up the goods since 1959. Chain-smoking and heated debate are de rigueur here, and you should come early if you want a table, or otherwise prop yourself up at the bar to sample their tasty mezze and ice-cold beer.
Greek Club (Map; 2577 4999; 3 Sharia Qasr el-Nil, Downtown; mains E£8-30; 7am-2am Tue-Sun) With its great neoclassical interior, soaring ceilings and outdoor terrace, this Cairene institution drips faded charm. The menu is fairly typical, with a few token Greek touches like moussaka (E£12) and Greek salads (E£8), and the food is nothing to write home about. Still, a meal on the lovely summer balcony is hard to beat. A Stella costs E£7, wine E£50 by the bottle, and there’s an entry fee of E£5 for those of us not of Hellenic origin. You’ll find it above the Groppi Patisserie (entrance on the side).
Pottery Cafe (Map; 2796 0260; 35 Mohammed Mahmoud, Downtown; mains E£10-50; 8am-10pm; ) For a menu that strays a little off the familiar ‘chicken and kebab’ path, try this popular student haunt. Here you’ll find soups, salads and light vegetable dishes (billed as being ‘for dieters!’) as well as standard-issue pizzas and pastas.
Centro Recreativo Italiano (Map; 2575 9590; 40 Sharia 26th of July, Downtown; pizza E£15-30; 7-11pm) Cairo’s Italian social club has recently flung open its doors to non-Italian visitors – hoorah! Yummy pasta, thin crust pizza and sensibly priced red wine