El Fishawy Cafe — Restaurant in Cairo

Probably one of the worst experiences I had in Cairo, first of all I arrived here after all the recommendations from various online blogs and reviews.

Upon arrival the place looked full so we said we were ok to wait or come back later, instead the guy persisted and got another customer to get up and give us the table.

The placing of the table was at the corner of two streets, open to all the hawkers trying to finesse you and relentless sales pitches ruin your experience of enjoying the ambience, no chance of having a chat with your friends or even focusing on the band playing some music.

The environment where we sat felt disconnected to the establishment and was chaotic.

The tea itself was good, but the plate of nuts and seeds that we didn't order and was left with which we assumed was complimentary ended up being charged, we ordered an extra plate cause my friend thought it was complimentary.

When we finished our tea the guy kept pushing us to get another round. Felt too restless and service too pushy and greedy.

When the time came to settle the bill it came to 930egp , and the guy asked for a tip 😑. Based on Feb 2024 exchange rate that's 930 Egyptian Pound = 23.88 Pound sterling 😩. We got finessed for 4 cuppa chais ☕, two hot milk drinks, a bottle of water and some nuts and seeds.

Probably the most expensive cuppa tea I ever had on the streets.

Ideally I'd say avoid unless you really want to light that...

I recently visited Fishawy Cafe in Khan El Khalili, and unfortunately, my experience was very disappointing. Right when I arrived, I noticed that some people sat down at my table and started singing. At first, I thought they were part of the cafe staff, but it turned out they were just customers like me.

When I asked for the menu, they told me there was no printed menu available. This made it hard for me to know what food or drinks I could order.

At the end of my visit, I was surprised to find out that I had to pay a large amount of money because one of the singers decided how much I should pay. To make things worse, these singers then asked for money for their performance. They didn’t mention this when they first started singing, which felt quite unfair.

Additionally, the noise from street vendors outside made it really hard to enjoy my drink. They were so loud that I couldn’t relax or focus on my time at the cafe.

I do not recommend visiting Fishawy Cafe. You might end up feeling scammed, and it’s unlikely you will have a...

El Fishawy isn’t about food as much as it is about history and atmosphere. This iconic café has been open for over 200 years and is tucked away in the heart of Khan El Khalili. Writers, politicians, and poets have all sat here sipping tea and smoking shisha — even Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz was a regular.

The café is always buzzing: lanterns hang from the ceilings, mirrors line the walls, and the chatter of tourists and locals blends with the sound of oud music drifting through the alleys. Service is quick and old-school — you order tea, mint, or a Turkish coffee, maybe some Egyptian desserts like basbousa or konafa, and just soak in the energy.

It’s less about gourmet food and more about an experience you can’t miss. Sitting here feels like stepping into a living museum, and it’s the perfect break after wandering the chaotic bazaar.

Best for: history lovers, evening hangouts, shisha fans. Must-try: Mint tea or...