7 Best Restaurants in Hurghada & El Gouna
Updated: Aug 20, 2019
If you’re in Hurghada or the nearby resort town of El Gouna (they're about 30 minutes apart, with buses and cabs connecting them), there’s good news and bad news when it comes to eating -- the good news is, there are tons of restaurants to choose from. The bad news? There’s tons of restaurants to choose from. If you’re not a local or recurring visitor, it can be hard to discern which eating establishments are worthy of both your stomach and your wallet -- so as locals, let us help you.
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Now, let us proceed in no particular order:
1. Saigon
Location: Abu Tig Marina, El Gouna
Cuisine: Vietnamese
In our humble opinion, Saigon is the very best restaurant not only in El Gouna, but in the surrounding Hurghada area as well (maybe even, dare we say, all of Egypt!).
This restaurant on the marina in Gouna has been open and run for over 10 years by a Vietnamese lady who still heads the kitchen until now. The food is consistently awesome, and even if Vietnamese food isn’t necessarily your jam, their menu is full of of more classic pan-Asian items as well.
2. Om Yassin Kitchen
Location: El Kawthar, Hurghada
Cuisine: Egyptian
If you’re in the mood for some authentic Egyptian food cooked by a real Egyptian mom, then Om Yassin Kitchen is for you (Om Yassin literally translates to ‘Yassin’s Mother’).
It’s the best place in Hurghada and El Gouna for home-cooked Egyptian classics like fattah (rice, meat and crunchy bread in a tomato sauce), stuffed pigeon, vine leaves and assorted stuffed vegetables (mahshi), grilled chicken, macaroni bechamel and baked rice (roz me’amar).
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3. Zia Amelia
Location: Downtown, El Gouna
Cuisine: Italian
Another El Gouna favorite since it opened over five years ago, Zia Amelia’s owner hails from Napoli and their menu is bursting at the seams with Italian classics and freshly-made pastas. They have an in-house pizzeria as well where you can pick up a pizza to go.
The restaurant itself is warm and welcoming, with an inner air-conditioned section for hot days as well as candlelit tables outside for when you want to enjoy the weather. Their staff is always prompt and knowledgeable about the extensive menu as well.
PS: if you’re an animal lover like us, there’s also a cute resident cat that falls asleep randomly on different chairs in the outdoor area.
4. Thai Garden
Location: El Mamsha, Hurghada
Cuisine: Thai
A favorite of Hurghada locals, this restaurant has been thriving for over a decade now. Their menu is full of standard Thai favorites, plus their chefs are very accommodating if you have any special preferences.
The restaurant has a Thai-themed indoor section as well a tree-lined terrace if you want to eat in the fresh air. They also have a large bar of international alcohol as well as local (prices aren’t the friendliest but in general Hurghada/El Gouna restaurants aren’t the cheapest).
5. Sotto Sopra
Location: Abu Tig Marina, El Gouna
Cuisine: Italian
If you’re in Abu Tig Marina, keep your eye out for a cute little outdoor restaurant and bar on the water with pink and white bougainvillea spilling down the front of the restaurant.
Sotto Sopra is the newest restaurant on this list, and they’re known for their super thin crust pizza (which you can order in a standard size or by meter/half meter). They also have great gnocchi and risottos. A resident mixologist is there from 7 pm onwards for their signature cocktails (before 7 pm, you can order beer/wine).
6. Star Fish
Location: Sheraton Road, Hurghada
Cuisine: seafood
Considering Hurghada evolved out of a small fishing village, it’s just common sense that a seafood restaurant would make the list of best restaurants in the area.
Star Fish is a bigger, noisier affair than the other restaurants on this list -- it’s a big, brightly-lit 2 storey restaurant, with a display of the fresh catches of the day downstairs. You choose what kinds of fish you want, how much of it, and whether you want it steamed, grilled or fried. They also have fresh prawns, crab, calamari, clams and other local types of seafood that you can get prepared in a myriad of ways. There’s also a menu for soups, salads and side dishes you can have next to your seafood.