Abou El Sid

Zamalek is the leafy district on Gezira Island in the Nile, an easy taxi ride from Downtown and the Egyptian Museum. The brand has other branches in Cairo and other Egyptian cities, but the Zamalek room has the most character.

The entrance is an unmarked iron door. Inside, low tables, tiled walls, vintage art, carved wood and dim lamps recall Cairo's mid-twentieth century.

The menu runs through the dishes of an Egyptian home kitchen. There are hot and cold mezze, molokheya (a green leaf stew) with chicken, Circassian chicken in walnut sauce, okra and veal shank stew, moussaka, stuffed pigeon, grilled meats and mahshi. Om ali, a warm pudding of bread and milk, is the usual dessert. Abou El Sid is a good place to try pigeon for the first time, and a spread of shared mezze covers the most ground.

Prices are mid to upper range for Cairo, and there has been a minimum spend at busy times. The Zamalek branch opens daily from 13:00. Egypt Independent and Cairo360 give closing as 02:00, while some newer listings show 01:00. Hours change during Ramadan and on holidays. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekend evenings; call +20 2 2735 9640.

Egypt Independent's branch guide lists other Abou El Sid rooms in Maadi (45 Road 7), Dokki (8 Amman Square) and the City Stars mall in Heliopolis. The same guide notes that shisha and alcohol are served, which is less common in traditional Egyptian restaurants, and that a minimum charge applies.

Sources: Egypt Independent, Abou El Sid. Facts checked November 2026.