I feel very lucky that I have friends who took me around the city and showed me the different nice places to hang out and to eat in the city. Tomorrow I am expecting a special guest from Germany : my wonderful friend Judith, and I was making a list about the places I could take her so I thought it would be nice to share it as well on this new blog I am writing on my life in Alex.
1.Dahab: it’s an amazing restaurant infront of sporting club which makes Egyptian Fetir. My friend Bahz took me there the second day I came to Alex and he recommended having a Fetir with extra mushrooms and extra cheese. I really cannot describe the how delicious it was, or I may borrow the expression Bahz used to describe it: simply orgasmic! He also told me about his idea to open a Fetir fast-food all around the world and to franchise it. I totally agree!
2.Arouss El Bahr: it’s the Arabic word for mermaid. Alexandria is most of all famous for its fish and the best place to eat fresh fish especially calamari and shrimps is Arouss El Bahr. You have to take a small alley from the big mausoleum of El Abass and you will find all kinds of fish restaurants in this unexpected corner. The quality is great and the prices really affordable! If you want a fancy place try Fish Market.
3.Mohamed Ahmed: it’s the best place for Foul and Falafel in Alexandria. The Falafel are very crispy and the Foul very strong. If you eat it I guarantee that you’ll stay full the whole day, unless you are Alexandrian! For Foul and Falafel try Abou Awad as well.
4.Clay: A very cozy and nice café in the Christian neighborhood that is famous for its cultural activities and the quality of people who sit in it. Another particularity of Clay, is that it’s a Pottery café as you can paint a piece and bay it if you wish from the nice lady that owns the place.
5.Atoujariya: It’s the headquarter for Alexandrian intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals. The leaders of the Alexandrian civil society all meet there to complain about the field, brainstorm for new projects, or gossip about other activists in the middle of the smells of Chicha, tea and coffee. Of course Atoujariya is not the perfect place to have an ice-mocha or a malteazers cappuccino, but it’s the best place to meet friends and feel relax in front of the Cornich. (by the way haythem kamel is living there)!
6.Swissra: Of course it’s not the real Switzerland, it’s a small shop with two tables and 8 chairs where my friends go after a big night in Atoujariya. You can have cheddar and eggs and sausages in white bread. Just amazing!
7.Jaad: The place when I’ve had the best Shawarma in town. It’s an Egyptian chain of fast-foods, but the best one is the one next to the bank where my friend Ahmed Esmat took me for a quick gossip-meal. We also order food during lunch time from there it’s efficient. I recommend the Kebda Eskandarani there as well.
8.Sheik Ali: it’s a very problematic name for a Bar. Sheik in Arabic is the name we call spiritual Muslim leaders and religious men but the place is a nice small marine Greek style bar downtown where you can have cool Stella beer and nice food. One of my friends told me that the British owner had to leave after the revolution and left the place to a young employee who was closing the bar on Fridays and going to pray, so people started making fun of him calling him Sheikh Ali. Of course it’s difficult to find a lot of drinking places in Alex except from some small pubs and the Greek bar in Ibrahimiya whish looks like a place to get drunk, the fancy Portuguese club for which you need a membership card (if you have a membership card please invite me to go), and the gay bar Elite! For the rest better order from Dinkies’ they will deliver all you may need home!
9.Mana: My favorite place for patisserie! I feel lucky to have one close to my house because they make amazing oriental biscuits and tasty chocolate! Many people prefer Halawiyat Masr or Trianon but for me nothing can match Mana!
10.Ezaabalaoui: I never tried it or let’s say I didn’t try it yet, but after reading Bahz’s article on the famous Makarouna and Kouchari place in Alexandria I will for sure convince one of my friends to take me even if they think that it’s a very popular and dirty place for a girl!
Mmmm I feel hungry after this!
Dear Sarah,
I wish you a good stay in Alexandria!
Dear Sarah,
Very accurate description of best places for good and affordable food in Alexandria, I hope you enjoy your stay in the city that has hugged other Moroccans and north africans like El Morsi abul Abbas ,El Chatby and others.
Your blog is great, very few typo’s and a supermarket thats bigger than 3000 metres square is called a Hypermarket, just for terminology sake.
Morad
On aura tout vu et tout entendu sur les Pharaons!