7 Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Cairo, Egypt

Cairo has literally thousands of restaurants, and while sometimes you’re in the mood for something casual (read: 7 Best Places to Try Egyptian Street Food in Cairo), sometimes there’s a special occasion or you’re just looking for something ambient and elevated.

Cairo didn’t used to be known for its fine dining scene, but that’s really changed over the past few years. There’s a good handful of ‘fancy’ restaurants, but not all of them give you bang for your buck, so we filtered through the overpriced and underwhelming to bring you the very best of Cairo’s fine dining scene, in terms of both food and overall experience.

Local tip: while some of the 5 star luxury hotels in Cairo have some great fine dining options, we decided to stick to the restaurants that manage to thrive outside of the usual hotel scene.

So get your appetite and wallet ready, and here we go:

Sachi Park St.

Located on a rooftop in Sheikh Zayed is Sachi Park St., sister restaurant of Sachi in Heliopolis (both frequently ranked in the annual MENA Top 50 Restaurants list). This expansive restaurant is divided into indoor and outdoor seating, each beautifully decorated with its own bar.

The menu is international fusion, so you’ll find everything from sushi to duck linguine to Chilean sea bass. The service is impeccable and they have a signature cocktail menu.

For more info and reservations: Sachi's IG

Pier 88

Pier 88 is a high-end Italian restaurant and bar that sits on the upper level of a docked boat in Zamalek overlooking the Nile, and is equally pleasant for both daytime and nighttime dining. During the day it’s one of those quietly sophisticated restaurants, complete with an open kitchen and drinks overlooking the water.

At night it gets more of a nightlife feel to it, with Tuesday nights being the ‘in nights’, when the music gets turned up and there’s occasionally dancing by the tables.

Local tip: there’s also another branch of Pier 88 in Pyramids Hills in 6th October, and its original branch in El Gouna on the Red Sea.

For more info and reservations: Pier 88's IG

Khufu's

If you're looking for incredible food with incredible Pyramid views (and who isn't?), then you're in luck -- both are to be had at Khufu's, serving contemporary elevated Egyptian cuisine. Khufu's is actually right in the Giza Pyramid Plateau, making its views truly unbeatable.

At Khufu's, you can either go for breakfast or lunch, and you have your choice from set menus (including a vegetarian menu), all featuring beloved Egyptian classics but with a contemporary twist.

For more info and reservations: Khufu's website

Izakaya

Cairo’s first Nikkei restaurant. What’s Nikkei, you ask? It’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion, born from the migrant Japanese community living in Peru and over decades adding their touch to traditional Peruvian dishes. It’s become so beloved and recognized that not only does this fusion have its own name -Nikkei- but it’s actually spread half a world away, all the way to Egypt, thanks to Izakaya, which is in Palm Hills in 6th October. There’s indoor and outdoor seating and it’s a beautiful place to chill, eat and have a cocktail.

For more info and reservations: Izakaya's IG

Moghul Room

We know we said we'd stay away from hotel restaurants, but this one is special! Found in the Marriott Mena House is one of Cairo’s best Indian restaurants, the Moghul Room. This restaurant has been a firm Cairo favorite for decades now, and it never falters when it comes to quality, taste and ambience. Oh and by the way – did we mention that it has Pyramid views through its windows?

Granted, eating Indian cuisine at the foot of Ancient Egyptian pyramids might seem incongruous, but if you’re in the mood for your favorite Indian classics, there’s no better place to enjoy it. They also have an extensive (albeit expensive) international wine list.

You may also like: 7 Best Pyramid View Restaurants

The Lemon Tree & Co

If you’re looking for really gorgeous aesthetics, then head to the Lemon Tree in One Ninety in New Cairo (local tip: this is different from the Lemon Tree Bistro in Katameya Heights, which is also a great restaurant and bar but not the same one we’re talking about now).

Lemon Tree serves upscale international fusion, and is by far one of the most beautiful restaurants and bars in Cairo, with indoor/outdoor vibes and overlooking the park at the One Ninety compound.

For more info and reservations: Lemon Tree's IG

Kazoku

Kazoku, a contemporary Japanese restaurant is a firm favorite when it comes to sushi in Cairo. Their menu doesn’t start and end with sushi though - their signature dishes are miso glazed black cod and Chilean sea bass, and they have an array of cold and hot starters, gyoza, Kushiyaki (skewers) and a handful of main dishes if sushi isn’t your thing.

With both indoor and outdoor seating, Kazoku works as a fine-dining lunch spot during the day (they open at 1 pm) and a dinner & drinks venue at night (they have a full bar).

For more info and reservations: Kazoku's IG

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