Felfela — Restaurant in Cairo

Granted we were a party of ten and that it is Ramadan so they were short staffed from the looks of things. We were seated early, before the rush, and got our dinner order in before our large groups. However, from the moment we took our seats the “Captain” was irritated, impatient, not focused on us and highly agitated with “his” staff.

We prepared ourselves to be patient as we are a group of seasoned travelers.

We had also chosen this restaurant based on its reputation and good food.

Suffice it to say: some of us got what we ordered at all different intervals while others had a side dish and no main course or the main course went completely missing.

On behalf of the group as I was at the end of the table - I asked for the missing items 3 different times and we were told by the waiter the captain would come to the table. After we all had finished the meals we had (and shared with those that didn’t) he finally showed up only to tell us we never ordered the missing meals. Not true. We had even split the order into two sides of the table on two different checks to make it easier for them.

If he had ever showed the least bit of consideration or explained that they were apparently understaffed or treated us like customers that might actually return to his establishment and not tourists - the service would have still been I’m adequate but his attitude and demeanor turned an inconvenience into a totally unpleasant encounter.

Still we all made the best of it and remained patient. This was greatly achieved by the one waiter who came with our plates and actually got us napkins, salt, and tried to get the Captain.

While we waited for our food we had all figured out what our meals would costs, so we started to collect it for our bill. That’s when the Captain showed up not once but three times within minutes to try to take our money before we were ready a nod start counting it himself!

The man was completely insufferable. Not only had he been dismissive, loud, finger jabbing the menu to us but I saw him arguing with several other customers, and he was temperamental with his staff.

Be forewarned if you use US dollars the restaurant sets it’s own exchange at 28 to 1. And they do not accept credit cards.

Lastly, when we tried to offer a tip to the one waiter who tried to help us during the lengthy dinner, the Captain snatched the pounds away and said “he works for me!”

I visit Egypt every year and I have never had an experience that was anything like this. Never would...

First dinner in Cairo, it was highly recommend by many. What can I say, it is something different compare to the other restaurants in Egypt I can say. It is another atmosfeer but also the waiters are really professional and friendly. Yes were the only one but they could sit in a corner or like other places just play on their phone. No they were standing there every moment when I need anything it was a bit uncomfortable but felt like real royalty. Only pity at the entree we did not know if they were open or not due to there were construction and the doors are slide. We went in the evening and I could imaging in the day time when the light shinning in via the glass roof. The service went fast, recommend our some food and not like other places over recommend and not picking the most expensive dishes. We went checking the menu by our self and the funny thing is on the other side of the menu it was Arabic. I can say I am a very calculated man, I compared the prices and they did not over charge because it is an English menu!!! The food is average but what he recommend the stuffed pigeon and the lamb fatta was great but it was good enough because we had a some salads and starters also some juices. Was great. They did not served it all in once and step by step was great. They cleaned the table very efficient and no special tool, I admire the passion in their work and they treat the guest like their guest and even bigger. The menu prices are not included tax and service, some restaurants are like that in Egypt. The prices are not cheap but it is a tourist place. You pay more you get a bit more. 210 for lamb 125 for stuff pigeon

Overall: 8/10 Service: 8/10 As I said great but still miss a bit more professional, would like it more in a restaurant. If they can upgrade a bit more they can be fine dinning in a alley!!! Food: 6/10 it is not low but surprisingly the...

Felfela is considered an upscale restaurant, and even the basic dishes here are of excellent quality. We all agreed that their flatbread was the best we had ever eaten, and it was here that we truly fell in love with falafel, the classic Middle Eastern delight.

We ordered: • Foul Eskandaryany – In Egypt, foul refers to stewed fava beans, seasoned with cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil. • Mixed Grilled Platter – A perfect combination of beef, lamb, and chicken, grilled to perfection: tender, juicy, and full of flavor. • Grilled Pigeons – Almost every article about Egyptian cuisine recommends trying this dish, so of course we had to give it a shot. But at the end of the day, it’s still pigeon — little meat, lots of bones, somewhat tricky to eat, and the flavor was just average. I doubt even a Michelin-starred chef could make it taste amazing.

We wanted to order desserts — Om Ali and homemade yoghurt. The waiter suggested we order them after finishing the main courses. When we finally did, we waited a long time only to be told they were out. That definitely deserved a “frog face” from us.

As I mentioned earlier, both the basic dishes and the meat sauces we tried were above standard, and pairing them with the flatbread or white rice was pure enjoyment. In fact, even eating just Felfela’s flatbread or rice on their own would not disappoint.

Egyptian restaurants seem to have an unspoken rule: everything ordered at a table is served at the same time. Even if the first dish is ready, they won’t bring it out until everything is done, which means every meal involves a long wait. Another quirk is that each table must be served by a single waiter, probably because of how tips are handled. This can be quite inconvenient — if you ask another waiter for something, they will say “one moment” and then disappear, while your original waiter also mysteriously...