The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Among the plethora of restaurants in Cairo, Abo Ramez El Soury has always enjoyed a reputation for its Levantine dishes, grills and, of course, shawerma.

Recently, the restaurant has taken to reworking its menu; a change that has seen alterations to old items, several new options and the addition of full meals. Maintaining the simplicity that made it so popular, the menu includes sandwiches, fatta, manakeesh, soup, the Abo Ramez platters (one of the new additions), entrees, salads and soft drinks. Abo Ramez does not have a seating area, relying solely on delivery and people eating in proximity to the venue either on foot or in their cars.

Meat and chicken shawermas (small 15LE, large 17LE) are cooked perfectly, made with a creamy garlic sauce and French fries. Other classic favourites found at Abo Ramez include Syrian falafel (4LE), kebbeh (7LE) and potatoes (8LE).

New additions include the Abo Ramez Mix (33LE); large enough to satisfy two people, the mammoth platter includes loose chicken or beef shawerma along with rice, one large crunchy kebbeh, garlic sauce, French fries and sajj bread. Combo meals for shawerma (23LE), shawerma mix (24LE), liver (17LE) and Syrian falafel (8LE) sandwiches are also available.

We ordered one Abo Ramez Mix and a beef fatta, both of which tasted great. The former’s preparation in particular was spectacular – loaded with the juicy shawerma pieces, the rice was neither hard nor soggy and had been cooked to perfection. The flavourful garlic sauce, meanwhile, made for a perfect accompaniment, especially with the crunchy kebbeh and fries. The only downside came courtesy of the selection of pickles served to us, which were clearly lacking freshness.

Served in a moderate portion with a tub of garlic sauce on the side, the fatta was primarily overwhelmed by the rice. Unlike the conventional preparation of fatta, the bread and rice had not been mixed; instead, a thin layer of bread at the bottom of the container was topped by a mountainous serving of rice.  

When all is said and done, Abo Ramez provides the full Middle Eastern shawerma experience. The food is reasonably-priced and the service is hasty, though be warned; when waiting for orders, the scent of the grill and shawerma skewer is enough to make a grown man squeal.