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

Anyone who has ever been to the Pyramids, or Nazlet El Seman, would probably know of this renowned local restaurant right across from the Pyramids of Giza. Mostly known as Baragheeto (His Flea) –we promise it has nothing to do with hygienic issues – which belongs to a family who originally come from Suhag. The family’s nickname is Baragheeto, and that’s where the name comes from.

The restaurant has been around for almost 60 years, yet it tries to cope with modernity with LCDs and air conditioners. The setting boasts an oriental style interior, with wooden chairs, brass ornaments, as well as granite-covered walls. Even though it was roughly 9.00PM, the place was already brimming with tourists.

In places like these, usually the waiter comes up with a whole tray of various salad dishes to choose from, and so we did. We opted for the Baladi Salad, Baba Ghanoush (Eggplant & Tahini), Beetroot and Pickled Tomatoes (10LE each). The salads were all delicious, especially the Baba Ghanoush, which was perfectly creamy. When it comes to the beetroot salad, another twist of lemon juice and an extra dash of salt could have made it perfect.

Soon after, our orders started coming in;for our appetiser, we chose to get one grilled quail (45LE) to share, which was the best call of the whole night. The quail was juicy and plump, with a mouthwatering herb rub that added to its deliciousness. The waiter recommended eating the quail with a squeeze of lemon, which made it even more appealing. Then we got our main dishes; first,we ordered Rice-Stuffed Pigeon (100LE) for two. Words cannot describe how deliciously-spiced the rice was, while, rather grilled than oven-baked, the pigeons were excellently cooked.

For our second main course, we got half a kilo of Lamb Chops (190LE). It came on a small table-grill to keep it warm, along with some grilled tomatoes. Those chops were of perfect size, scrumptious, and juicy. We were pretty content by the time we finished our meal, but we had some room left for one oriental dessert to share. Unfortunately, the fruit salad and caramel flan were the only options available; it turns out that people don’t often order dessert, so the restaurant stopped making them in-house. However, if someone is in the mood for an oriental dessert from its menu, like Om Ali, Mahlbeya, or Ashoura, the place brings it over from a nearby location in minutes.

There is a valid reason why this restaurant has been successfully open for 60 years; from the terrifically quick service and fantastic quality to the prices we thought to have gone extinct. It is an excellent change of scenery and is definitely worth a visit from locals and foreigners alike.