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

Just before an early morning pampering session at Mohammed Al Sagheer, our caffeine cravings took over and we headed into the shop next door, Mehawig; an establishment famous for their fresh, gourmet coffee and unusual honey flavours.

The inside of the shop is small and narrow, with a vast amount of wooden shelving reflecting the organic nature of their products. Immediately, we headed to the ‘coffee factory’ at the back of the shop where an array of different coffee beans are on display, including Brazilian, Asian and Columbian.

We requested a large latte (18LE) and assumed we could choose which bean we used. However, the shop assistant proceeded to grind up ‘Brazilian Light’ beans – apparently the obligatory bean used for coffees larger than espresso size. They also have a wide selection of flavoured syrups; hazlenut, caramel, chocolate and vanilla.

The largest size available turned out to be disappointingly tiny and, on the day we went, they didn’t offer any milk options; our request for skimmed or soya milk was apologetically rejected. Nevertheless, the final product was delicious, rich and aromatic, proving that good things really do come in small packages.

But Mehawig is more of a shop than a café. Glass jars filled with honey line the remaining walls, many of which are half-filled with intriguing ingredients, giving the honey a particular flavour. Many are combined with nuts such as macadamias, pistachios and almonds, whilst the more fruity ones incorporate pomegranates, strawberries and blueberries.

Depending on the size of the pot, all the honeys range from 25LE to 50LE. Although this may seem expensive, Mehawig don’t just stock your ordinary honey; along with their fruit and nut blends, they also sell specialised herbal solutions to boost one’s immunity, metabolism, energy levels and even libido – each for around an extravagant 400LE.

Before committing to buy, customers are able to sample some of the honeys, all of which are sourced in Egypt – apart from their Mountain Honey, which is imported from Yemen. The curious, pink-coloured strawberry honey, and slightly blue blueberry honey, were both as heavenly as each other, with the distinct taste of each fruit complimenting and enhancing the sugary honey spread. The Mountain Honey was rich, thick and sticky but a little too sweet for our taste.

The team at Mehawig are constantly inventing new, bizarre honey flavours. For example, when we popped in they were marinading Skittles and lucky charms which weren’t yet quite ready to be unleashed on the public.

This little shop also stocks an array of sweet treats including boxes of Turkish delights (25LE) and a selection of six cake pops (40LE). They also sell charming accessories such as wooden honey dippers for just 8LE and cute wooden teaspoons for 5LE. Honey-filled hampers are also available, ranging from 140LE-300LE, making them ideal gifts.

You can also find Francis! Francis! coffee machines (2500LE) along with big bags of premium Illy coffee (95LE) and tins of tea.

On the outside, and on the inside, Mehawig is original and sophisticated, offering fresh, luxurious coffee and unique, delicious honey – breakfast will never be the same again.