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Cairo’s ancient past is sparking a living craft and design culture that’s far from antiquated
In the verdant Garden City neighbourhood, Nelly El Sharkawy, a photographer, architect and ballet dancer, and the creative director of Cairopolitan, a design concept store and art gallery, shows me around the brand’s studio and shop. Its shelves are filled with souvenirs designed by prop maker and former advertising executive Ahmed Hefnawy, which weave in motifs from Egypt’s more recent history. Magnets come in the form of old-school corned beef cans, candles masquerade as iron weights, hand-tufted rugs are shaped like old cassettes and key rings look like miniature butcher’s cleavers. Every item is made by traditional artisans, who have imbued Hefnawy’s pop art designs with their considerable skills. The products are inclusive and playful – a reminder of the brilliant sense of humour Cairenes have, and all the people who have made me laugh this week, from the shop owner in the Khan el-Khalili bazaar telling my friend to look down because she’d dropped his heart on the floor, to the Uber driver scanning the radio for 1980s power ballads for us to sing along to.
Back on the Mazeej Balad rooftop, smart waiters are setting the tables for dinner as I ponder which cocktail to order. The honking horns join the orchestra of humming air-conditioning units fixed to the crumbling balconies of neighbouring apartments. This city merges and coexists with chaos and calm, the mundane and sacred, the very serious and the incredibly funny. The more I visit this intoxicating place, the more I realise these are not polarities but intrinsic parts of what makes Cairo whole.
Where to stay in Cairo
The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo
Set on the banks of the Nile, just off Tahrir Square, this sleek modernist hotel dates back to 1959; but the rooms are contemporary and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river and Zamalek or Downtown. Restaurant Bab El-Sharq is a good spot for mezze, grills and shisha with museum views, and the palm-flanked pool offers much-needed respite when temperatures soar.
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
There are few better places from which to take the pulse of the Nile than the newly renovated rooms on the 25th, 26th and 27th floors of this statuesque hotel. On the banks of the river amid belle époque and art deco mansions in the Garden City district, this 20-plus-year-old stay remains one of Cairo’s best, its lobby café and nine restaurants buzzing day and night.
Mazeej Balad
The five stylish suites here may be inspired by imaginary people – Abanoub the small-town explorer, Madame Marika the elegant hostess – but the comfort and warm welcome are entirely real. The rooftop houses Downtown’s hottest new restaurant, frequented by Cairenes who dine on cherry kofta, molokheya and umm ali crème brûlée. Breakfast is a delight, with tameya, foul bean stew and baladi flatbread served as the city wakes to a crescendo of car horns.
The St Regis Cairo
This five-star hotel north of Tahrir Square alongside the Nile offers rooms so quiet it’s a wonder how the windows could be that thick. The soothing mood continues in the lobby, with water features and dark-wood screens, and the Iridium Spa offers treatments such as the Cleopatra Golden Package, which starts with a honey-and-milk bath.
Immobilia
Egypt Beyond’s four renovated apartments in Cairo’s landmark Immobilia building are filled with locally sourced art and antiques, and outdoor terraces make for relaxed perches high above the city. This isn’t a hotel, per se, but breakfast is served daily in each apartment, guests have complimentary access to a car and driver, dinners and massages can be ordered and butler Ali is on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Where to eat in Cairo
Abou Tarek
It’s hard to miss Abou Tarek, housed in a concrete block with its name emblazoned in lights. Cairenes flock here for koshary, a much-loved Egyptian carb load made with lentils, rice, chickpeas, pasta and vermicelli, topped with tangy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. It’s served with extra theatricality here, the ingredients flying through the air before being caught in bowls by the chefs.
Address: ١٦ Marouf, Qasr El Nil, Cairo Governorate 4272135, Egypt
Website: koshary-aboutarek.com
Zööba
The Zamalek branch of Zööba, with its signature blue wooden doors and pavement seating, is a must for Egyptian street food such as foul bean stew, pan-seared beef liver sandwiches and taameya, Egyptian falafel made with fava beans and topped with sesame. There’s also a curated Spotify playlist to recreate the vibe back home.
Address: 16 26 July St, Al Gabalayah, Zamalek, Giza Governorate 4270123, Egypt
Website: zoobaeats.com
Dara’s Ice Cream
On a corner of 26th of July Corridor in Zamalek – identifiable by the cone-shaped door handles – Dara’s serves honeycomb or coffee fudge handmade ice cream, with seasonal specials such as mango and cherry sherbet. Scoops are paired with coffee by Giza-based Brown Nose.
