Cairo Bar Guide
30+ bars across Cairo's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Cairo's bar scene is quieter than its size suggests but deeper than visitors expect. The licensed bars cluster on the islands and in the foreign-influenced districts. The heritage hotel bars in Downtown go back to the 1930s. The Sakara stout has been brewed locally since 1898.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. Zamalek on the island runs the polished cocktail-and-wine layer. Maadi to the south is the expat-friendly leafy district. Garden City wraps the river with heritage hotel bars. Downtown holds the belle-époque cocktail rooms. New Cairo east of the centre is the new mall-and-club district.
Cocktails run EGP 250 to EGP 450 ($5 to $9). Sakara beer EGP 80 to 120. Tip 10 percent. Most bars run to 2am. Friday is the quietest night; Thursday and Saturday are the busiest. Reserve Bardo and Cairo Jazz Club on Thursday and Saturday.
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Cocktail Bars in Cairo
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Cairo
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Cairo
Romantic spots
After Work in Cairo
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Cairo
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Cairo
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Cairo
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Cairo
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Bardo
Cocktail bar inside a Zamalek villa. Long marble counter, leather banquettes, and the most precise cocktail technique in Cairo. Reserve a counter seat.
Cairo Jazz Club
Live-music bar with a different jazz, blues, or oriental band every night. The Cairo institution for live drinking nights. Reserve for the 10pm set.
Sky Bar
Rooftop terrace with a view over the Nile. Cocktails are competent. The view, the breeze, and the late-evening pace are the draw. Best in spring or autumn.
The Lemon Tree
Wine bar with one of Egypt's tightest natural-wine lists and a small kitchen. The most low-key serious drinking room in Cairo.
Cap d'Or
Belle-époque heritage bar from the 1930s. Long wooden bar, art-deco interior, and a Stella beer ritual. The Downtown drinking institution.
After Eight
Live-music bar with rotating local jazz and oriental bands. Cellar-style room, candle-lit, and an older intellectual crowd. Best after 9pm.
Neighbourhood Guide
Zamalek
The Nile island. Polished cocktail rooms, embassy parties, and the densest concentration of serious bars in Cairo. Walk between everything in twenty minutes.
Maadi
Leafy expat-friendly district south of the centre. Rooftop bars, garden cafes, and the slowest evening pace in Cairo.
Garden City
Riverside heritage district. Heritage hotel bars (the Sofitel, the Conrad), polished after-work crowds, and the most photogenic Nile views.
Downtown
The belle-époque centre. Heritage cocktail bars from the 1930s, Stella beer rituals, and the most authentic old-Cairo drinking.
New Cairo
The new mall-and-club district east of the centre. Big-format restaurants, hotel bars, and a younger dressed-up crowd.
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