Koshary Abou Tarek

كشري أبو طارق (شارع شمبليون، وسط البلد)

A whole building given over to koshary; the classic first meal in Cairo

Hours

Daily 07:00-23:00, Fridays from noon (check current hours)

Budget

About EGP 50-100 per person

Address

40 Champollion St, Maarouf, Downtown

The owner started out selling koshary from a cart, and the menu is still basically one dish. Rice, lentils and macaroni get tomato sauce and a heap of crisp fried onions; you finish it yourself with the garlic vinegar (da'ah) and hot sauce (shatta) on the table. Dining rooms climb several floors and the bowls arrive fast. It is one of the best-known names for koshary, and it is walkable from the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir.