Middle East - Anthony Ham [129]
Jamboree Restaurant (Map; 235 5827, 012 781 3149; Sharia al-Montazah; 10.30am-2.30pm for snacks & oriental mains, 6-10.30pm for full menu; ) If you’re hankering for a jacket potato (E£15 to E£23), spaghetti carbonara (E£31) or something else decidedly non-Egyptian, this British-run restaurant could be your cup of tea. Relax on the pleasant rooftop terrace or dine inside in the plain but speckless air-conditioned dining room. A selection from the salad bar costs E£15. As one traveller summed it up: ‘good prices, great service, wonderful view – what more could one ask for?’
Oasis Café (Map; 237 2914; mains E£20-45; 10am-10pm; ) Set in several rooms of a beautifully restored 1920s building, this elegant, modern café leaves little to be desired. There’s art on the brightly coloured walls, soft jazz wafting through the air, smoking and nonsmoking rooms and free copies of New Yorker magazine. Lovely. Come for their enticing pastas (E£35 to E£42), succulent grilled meats (E£35 to E£50) or hearty sandwiches (E£22 to E£35), then linger a while over their selection of pastries and excellent coffee.
Snobs (Map; 227 6156; Sharia El Rwda; mains E£30-60; ) In the heart of Luxor’s self-styled British expat district, this smart-looking spot has etched itself a reputation for especially well-prepared fare. The menu runs the whole gamut from the oriental to the occidental, with a long list of chicken and meat dishes, pastas, pizzas, salads, soups and sandwiches on offer for both lunch and dinner.
Sofra (Map; 235 9752; www.sofra.com.eg; 90 Sharia Mohammed Farid; mains E£14-50) For opulent, pasha-style dining that won’t cost an arm and a leg, do not miss this place. Housed in several adorned private rooms and over a second-floor terrace, this beautiful restaurant is decked out with fanciful Arabesque flair: think wrought-iron lamps, hand-carved wooden furniture and enormous painted trays for tables, all illuminated by sensual lighting. The menu comprises interesting Egyptian dishes and is very sensibly priced, and service is very attentive. Best of all, you can relax and take in the surrounds over several varieties of herbal tea (E£6) or a sheesha (E£3) after your meal.
Snack Time (Map; 237 5405; Sharia al-Karnak; mains E£8-24; ) This refreshingly modern and bright eatery is popular with students checking emails on the free wi-fi and gossiping about the day. The top-floor terrace looks right onto Luxor temple, and the food is an original mix of salads, wraps, baguettes, panini and pizzas. Try their frozen blended shakes – we dig the Oreo milkshake (E£9).
Also try the following:
Salt & Bread Café (Map; mains E£15-30) serves up the usual suspects of Egyptian cuisine. Go for the vegie moussaka (E£15), it’s yummy. Opposite the train station.
Abou El-Hassan El-Shazly (Map; 238 0017; Sharia Mohammed Farid; mains E£15-25) The most genuinely friendly welcome in Luxor, with flavourful, no-frills Egyptian victuals.
Abu Ashraf (Map; Sharia al-Mahatta; mains E£4-15) Popular restaurant and takeaway serving decent kushari, pizza and kebabs.
Sharia al-Mahatta has a number of fine sandwich stands, juice stands and other cheap-eat possibilities. One of the most popular fast-food joints in town is Restaurant Elzaeem (Map; 24hr), where you can grab a table and enjoy tasty kushari (small/medium/large E£4/7/10) or spaghetti (E£7 to E£12). Situated halfway down Sharia Yousef Hassan.
West Bank
Nour el-Gourna (Map; 231 1430; Gurna; meals E£15-50) The restaurant of this little boutique hotel (see opposite) serves up delicious and hearty Egyptian food in either a pleasant courtyard or a cool dining room. The food is made using fresh home-grown ingredients and is definitely commendable.
Restaurant Mohammed (Map; 231 1014; Gurna; set meals E£25; 24hr) This laid-back family restaurant is set in and around the peaceful courtyard of Mohammed Abdel Lahi’s mud-brick house, fronted by a 600-year-old tree. Mohammed’s mum cooks up a yummy