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

Early today, with the lazy mood that drapes over Tuesdays, our office unanimously groaned at the daily breakfast argument! We’ve already had two full-working days, so now the tedium has settled over us. And our perception of food is no different: We’re bored of yesterday’s breakfast. We’re also bored of the choosing and the arguing—we’re already getting hungry, and we just wish there was a guide to turn to, something that will have exactly what we want!

And that’s when it hit us like an electric shock: We’re the guiders! And office breakfast is the one problem all of us office workers face every workday (but especially Tuesday!). So, we came up with a brand new idea: To tell other workers like us where they can get breakfast!

We’re excited to announce we’ll be doing this every other week, starting with the Maadi district to appease our own appetites, before branching out into every office-holding district of Cairo you can imagine! Also, we’ll be ranking the restaurants from cheapest to most expensive, so you can easily pick your breakfast according to how much you want to pay for it on any given day!

Last Week of The Month

We get it! No matter who we are, where we work, or what we do, we’re reunited through this one thing. The last week of the month feels the same to all of us: We all count the minutes until payday, as we barely get by. And sometimes, it’s not anywhere near payday, but we sometimes just don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for some breakfast.

However, morning hunger waits for no one. And while we’re being financially careful, we still want a quality breakfast to fuul (get it?!) us through the day. So, where can we order from?

Gad comes to the rescue with a quality classic Egyptian breakfast that is also affordable. For variety (and you know how important that is when breakfast is a daily thing!), El Tabei El Domiaty offers equally good quality within the same price range. For the same cuisine, but slightly cheaper and with more twists on the dishes/sandwiches, as well as a taste of the fuul trucks we all love, El-Wahaty Al-Asly is the way to go.

The Middle Weeks

Imagine this: You’re not yet out of your entire salary, but the euphoria of the first week is over, and now you’re a bit more cautious in your spending. But still, your demand for quality and creativity in food remains a tiny bit higher than usual. To satisfy that need, Tabali offers some of the best fuul we ta’miya around (and its fuul with saffron lemon is to die for!), and Zooba offers a variety of quality dishes (with some good lunch food as well!).

French fry lovers who are willing to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be pleased with Batastiko, as it’s extra-great for those long and heavy workdays when you want to mash breakfast and lunch together. Since we can imagine you’re already fed up with Egypt’s classical—and sometimes heavy—breakfast, then Macdonald’s Maadi is a good place for a decent Americano and some juicy but light pancakes.

Payday

You just got paid, you’re in a good mood, and you want to start the day with something sweet and light to maintain your buoyancy for the rest of the day. Have one (or two!) of Delight’s delightful mini-tarts or Jared Bagel’s tasty and delicious bagels and coffee. Suppose your appetite is especially vigorous (and you want to prepare yourself well for an extra-productive day). In that case, Marny’s American-style compo breakfast of sausages, eggs, bacon, and pancakes with side coffee and orange juice, will be the perfect fit for you. If American is close to but not quite what you crave, you might want Ralph’s German Bakery’s full German breakfast or small Bavarian delights.