# Best Cafes in Cairo

Historic ahwas and the city's specialty coffee wave. · community starter list

A list of the 8 best cafes in Cairo, including El Fishawy (Islamic Cairo, Cairo). The order here is where we started — no votes have been cast yet, so voting decides it from here.

**Where:** [Third Platz](/.md) / [Egypt](/egypt.md) / Cairo
**Updated:** 2026-08-25 20:46:29

1. **[El Fishawy](/e/el-fishawy---1445.md)** (cafe) — A centuries-old ahwa hidden in a Khan el-Khalili alley, its walls lined with tall mirrors, long favored by Naguib Mahfouz and Cairo's writers. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://akhbarelyom.com/news/newdetails/4336084/1/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El-Fishawy_Caf%C3%A9
2. **[Cafe Riche](/e/cafe-riche---1446.md)** (cafe) — A Talaat Harb Street institution since 1908, revolutionary meeting spot and Naguib Mahfouz haunt, still pouring coffee amid its faded belle-epoque decor. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://en.majalla.com/node/248286/culturecairo%E2%80%99s-social-landmark-where-time-has-stood-still, https://egyptianstreets.com/2021/12/21/cafe-riche-egypts-revolutionary-location/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_Riche
3. **[El Horreya Cafe](/e/el-horreya-cafe---1447.md)** (cafe) — A cavernous 1930s baladi bar off Bab el-Louq where Stella beer and old hand-painted advertisements outlast every passing regime. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://mashallahnews.com/el-horreya-the-freedom-cafe/, https://raseef22.net/article/1096297-%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%82%D9%87%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9
4. **[Nomadic Specialty Coffee](/e/nomadic-specialty-coffee---1448.md)** (cafe) — A Korba roastery-cafe built on scientific-precision roasting and single-origin transparency, pouring beans it roasts on site. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://sceneeats.com/Guides/Caffeinated-in-Cairo-A-SceneEats-Guide-to-the-Best-Coffee-in-the-City, https://theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com/locales/nomadic-specialty-coffee/
5. **[FOAM Brunch & Brews](/e/foam-brunch-brews---1449.md)** (cafe) — A low-key, laptop-free outdoor cafe tucked in the trees of the Italian Cultural Institute's courtyard, known for its roast beef sandwich and calm pace. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://tayaramuse.com/cairo-food-guide-zamalek-edition/, https://enterpriseam.com/egypt/2026/05/07/zamaleks-foam-brings-coffee-with-conditions/
6. **[Beit Zeinab Khatoun Ahwa](/e/beit-zeinab-khatoun-ahwa---1450.md)** (cafe) — A restored 15th-century Mamluk courtyard house turned ahwa, with rosewater-scented air, backgammon and the occasional oud performance. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://www.historyhit.com/guides/historic-cafes-in-cairo/, https://www.cairo360.com/article/cafes/beit-zeinab-khatoun-ahwa-stepping-back-in-cairo-time/
7. **[Villa Sumatra Coffee](/e/villa-sumatra-coffee---1451.md)** (cafe) — A garden cafe in a Degla villa built around direct-trade Indonesian beans and the father-and-son family story behind every cup. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://sceneeats.com/Fresh/Indonesian-Coffee-Just-Touched-Down-in-Cairo-With-Villa-Sumatra, https://enterpriseam.com/egypt/2023/10/18/villa-sumatra-coffee-with-a-conscious-in-maadi/
8. **[Zahret El Bustan](/e/zahret-el-bustan---1452.md)** (cafe) — Downtown ahwa of more than eighty years, its sign declaring it a meeting place for writers and artists; Naguib Mahfouz held a Tuesday salon here. — score 0 — endorsements 0 — sources: https://darelhilal.com/News/1262568.aspx, https://raseef22.net/article/1076738-%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9%D9%85%D9%82%D9%87%D9%89-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%89

## Related lists

### More in Cairo
- [Top 10 Restaurants in Cairo](/egypt-cairo/top-10-restaurants---225.md) — Cairo
- [Things to Do in Cairo](/egypt-cairo/things-to-do---218.md) — Cairo
- [Best Parks in Cairo](/egypt-cairo/best-parks---219.md) — Cairo

### Same topic, elsewhere
- [Best Cafes in Amsterdam](/netherlands-amsterdam/best-cafes---163.md) — Amsterdam
- [Best Cafes in Melbourne](/australia-melbourne/best-cafes---195.md) — Melbourne
- [Best Cafes in Budapest](/hungary-budapest/best-cafes---270.md) — Budapest

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Cite as: Third Platz — https://thirdplatz.com/egypt-cairo/best-cafes---224 · what we ask: https://thirdplatz.com/llms.txt