Middle East - Anthony Ham [111]
Cilantro (Downtown Map; 2792 4571; 31 Sharia Mohammed Mahmoud; Heliopolis 2415 0167; 4 Sharia Ibrahim Korba; Ma’adi ( 2521 1190; 17 Rd 219; Ma’adi City Centre 2520 4410; Carrefour; Zamalek Map; 2736 1115; 157 Sharia 26th of July) One of the most prolific of the coffee shop chains, the Cilantro outlets are small and clean, with open fridges displaying packaged sandwiches, cakes and salads (E£8 to E£16) to eat in or take away. We heart the brownies (E£4).
Beano’s (Downtown Map; 2792 2328; 39 Mohammed Mahmoud; Heliopolis 2690 3484; 15 Sharia Baghdad; Zamalek Map; 2736 2388; 8 Midan al-Marsafy) This chain offers more of the same Starbucks-style drinks.
Simonds (Map; 2735 9436; 112 Sharia 26th of July, Zamalek) A Zamalek institution, the barista here has been preparing cappuccino (E£7) for over half a century – and judging by his grumpiness he hasn’t taken a break in all that time. Be sure to grab a croissant (E£2.50) to go with your frothy coffee.
Arabica (Map; 2735 7982; 20 Sharia El Marashly; snacks E£10-35) This super-funky upstairs café is all ‘Starbucks goes art-house’, with painting-draped walls and a dedicated following of hip young things plopped upon the modern furniture. International tunes waft in the air, and you can munch on fiteer, soups, salads or wraps while watching the street scene below.
Ahwas
There are hundreds of traditional coffeehouses, or ahwas, in every nook and cranny of Cairo. Below are some of the most famous ones.
Fishawi’s (Map; Khan al-Khalili; tea E£4, sheesha E£6; 24hr) Nearly as old as Cairo itself, this shai-sipping, sheesha-smoking institution is not to be missed. Filled with tourists and local shopkeepers in equal measure, this is a time-capsule of the Cairo of bygone days. It’s a few steps off Midan Hussein.
Abu Aly (Map; sheesha E£11, tea E£14; 10am-4am) Located in a tented courtyard at the Nile Hilton, this shi-shi café is a magnet for well-heeled Cairenes.
Zahret al-Bustan (Map; tea E£3, sheesha E£5; 24hr) Sprawling across a laneway off Talaat Harb near Midan Talaat Harb, this ahwa is a Mecca for Cairo’s young intelligentsia. Come evening time, the entire street is abuzz with the heady air of important conversation.
Bars & Nightclubs
Absolute (Map; 2579 6512; Corniche el-Nil; minimum charge E£75; 1pm-3am) Near the Conrad Hotel, this chic bar is the current place to see and be seen. While competent DJs thump out house tunes like there’s no tomorrow, the cool crowd here groove on the spot while warming up for the popular dance floor. Reservations required.
Windsor Bar (Map; 2591 5277; 19 Sharia Alfy, Downtown; 6pm-1am) The whiff of colonial history here will hit you in tandem with a thick wall of smoke upon entering the bar of the Windsor Hotel (Click here). Its heyday may have been early last century, but the remaining shreds of atmosphere still make it a top spot for a nightcap.
La Bodega (Map; 2735 0543; 157 Sharia 26th of July, Zamalek; 7pm-1am) You can grab a drink either at the super-swanky lounge-bar (and restaurant) or by diving into their cubicle-sized bar, Barten, replete with psychedelic swirls and a thumping soundtrack. La Bodega has been known to attract the who’s who of the Cairo jet-set.
L’Aubergine (Map; 2738 0800; 5 Sharia Sayyed al-Bakry, Zamalek; noon-2am; ) Popular with the younger, black-is-back fashion brigade, this relaxed bar sits above L’Aubergine restaurant (Click here).
Club 35 (Map; 3573 8500; Four Season First Residence, 35 Sharia Giza, Giza; 7pm-3am) It’s only in the wee hours that this nightclub comes alive, particularly at weekends as crowds pour in to get their after-hours wiggle-on.
Sequoia (Map; 2576 8086; 3 Sharia Abu al-Feda, Zamalek; minimum charge Thu-Fri E£90, Sat-Wed E£65; 1pm-1am) This sprawling outdoor lounge-bar at the tip of Zamalek panders to Cairo’s art crowd. While the minimum charge is not hard to meet (Stellas are E£25, sheesha E£15 to E£25), the moodily lit ambience in the evenings and Nile location are hard to beat. Can get