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

Our Egyptian cuisine is nothing short of exquisite. After all, we came up with the idea of putting carbs on carbs and making a lip-smacking dish out of it. Abou El Sid is one of the most famous restaurants serving all sorts of delectable Egyptian dishes with a rather extravagant touch.

Located in the always busy Citystars, Abou El Sid is like a time portal that takes you back to 1960s Egypt with its luxuriously antique décor and furniture. The dim lighting and old music playing in the background all add to the mysterious, vintage air the place carried. Our waiter graciously greeted us and led us to our table, placing our menus before us.

The menu is anything but limited; think of every Egyptian dish you’ve ever distantly heard of and you’ll probably find it on there. For appetizers, Abou El Sid offers some traditional salads and dips, alongside delicious sounding mezzas, including Stuffed Vine Leaves (28 LE), Fried Aubergine (16 LE) and Kobeiba (36 LE) amongst others. The main courses, however, are where it’s all at! From Molokhia with Meatballs (58 LE), Stuffed Pigeons (40 LE per pigeon), to a full-on Seafood platter or “Tajin” (82 LE), they’ve got all the delicacies covered. The dessert menu is equally as appetising boasting some Om Ali (25 LE), Fetir with your choice of toppings (32 LE) and Rice with Milk (25 LE) amongst others.

Our order took considerable time to arrive, but seeing as how we were ordering some intricately cooked options, we didn’t mind that much. Our Circasian Chicken (62 LE), which is basically white rice topped with chicken drenched in a pink, walnut-based sauce, was absolutely delicious, with the sauce being quite generously drizzled all over the plate. We would’ve, however, preferred to taste more walnuts and less cream in the sauce. Our Molokhia (58 LE) was also quite delectable, with its consistency being just right; not too runny yet not too dense. The Koshari (28 LE) tasted quite average, despite the fact that it cost about 3 times its normal price elsewhere.

All in all, Abou El Sid does offer more than just oriental food; it offers its customers a whole experience. The waiters were quite friendly, the general ambiance was on point and the food, despite it being a little pricey was of notable quality.