It is frequented by writers and politicians, and was a favourite hangout for Nobel Prize winning author Naguib Mahfouz.It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Cairo’s oldest cafe has been managed by the same family since 1773.El Fishawy Cafe is a microcosm of Cairo itself-a city whose traffic, pollution, and sea of humanity overwhelms but also seduces the receptive traveler. ![]() I hope, as travel memories mellow over time, he will look back with some fondness, or at least amusement, at the enchanting chaos, noise, and sensory overload. You’d figure he’d think it was cool to be in a sheesha cafe (well, perhaps not with his old parents). My teenage son, accustomed to his peaceful, orderly Canadian existence was not impressed. With some help from the neighbouring table, we decided on the mango flavoured sheesha.īeware, El Fishawy is not for the faint of heart. All around us, men and women-young and old-were puffing on sheesha, the term used in Egypt for the hookah (an ornate instrument for smoking flavoured tobacco). The corridor bustles with patrons, wait staff, and touts flogging pharaonic souvenirs and shoe shining services.ĭespite the seeming confusion, another waiter quickly arrived to take our order. Moorish tiles grace the floor and “Arabian Nights” lighting dangles from the ceiling. With a few strategic rearrangements, the waiter secured a bench for us in the bustling alley that serves as an extension of the cafe.īeautiful old mirrors with intricately carved wooden frames adorn the alley walls. No problem, in a city of over nine million, locals are adept at squeezing in. We were there midweek and it was crowded. You’ll likely need to ask a few of them for directions before you finally find El Fishawy. ![]() ![]() It’s all part of the experience and you’ll find that Cairenes are friendly, helpful folks. If you’re without a guide, be prepared to get lost in the confusion of “The Khan”-a labyrinth of narrow passageways with small shops selling everything from tacky souvenirs to home hardware. I had read about El Fishawy, one of the longest running coffee and smoke shops in the world, and was determined to lead my family to Cairo’s most famous cafe. We had been mosque viewing, trinket bargaining, and death-by-Cairo-traffic evading for most of the day. In the heart of Islamic Cairo, deep in the maze of narrow passages of Khan el-Khalili bazaar, El Fishawy Cafe has been serving tea, coffee, and sheesha to locals and travelers for over two centuries. Smoking sheesha at Cairo’s El Fishawy Cafe-Caroline Helbig
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