El Fishawy Café

مقهى الفيشاوي (خان الخليلي)

Mint tea in a mirrored alley café, open since 1797

Budget

Check prices at the shop

Address

Khan el-Khalili lane behind Midan Hussein

Said to have been in this lane since 1797, it is Cairo's most famous coffee house. Gilt mirrors and carved wood line the walls, and tables run out into the alley so passers-by brush your elbow. Naguib Mahfouz was a regular. Most people order mint tea or karkade (hibiscus) and a shisha. The steady stream of hawkers is part of the scene.