Three essential popular dishes
Egyptians eat simple, popular food every day. Three central dishes you cannot miss: koshari (rice, macaroni, lentils, fried onions, chickpeas and tomato sauce with vinegar and garlic — called Egypt's "national dish"), ful medames (breakfast dish of fava beans slow-cooked for 12 hours with olive oil, cumin and lemon — every Egyptian eats it daily), ta'ameya (falafel made from fava beans instead of chickpeas — the Egyptian version).
Famous koshari restaurants
The best and most famous: Koshari Abou Tarek (central Cairo, since 1950, 30 EGP for the large plate — queues at noon), Koshari Al-Tahrir (multiple locations, cleaner but slightly more expensive), Koshari Al-Hussein (next to Al-Hussein Mosque, very authentic). The dish: a cup of rice + macaroni + lentils + a piece of tomato sauce cloth + fried onions + chickpeas. The rings (spicy part): extra.
Sweets: qatayef, kunafa, basbousa
Nablus-style kunafa (wheat vermicelli, cheese, sugar) — the best in Egypt is beside Sayeda Zeinab at "Kunafa Al-Hajj Maher". Qatayef (pancakes stuffed with cream and nuts, fried) — Ramadan staple food. Basbousa (semolina cake in sugar syrup) — every village has its own recipe.
Balila, sahlab and Arabic coffee
Balila: sweet coconut cake — light breakfast. Sahlab: a hot drink from the sahlab plant with milk and almonds, for warming in winter. Arabic coffee: Turkish coffee boiled three times with cardamom — 5 EGP at the café, medium (with medium sugar) or plain (no sugar) or sweet (a lot of sugar).
Luxury restaurants serving Egyptian
For an Egyptian experience at high quality: Khan el-Khalili next to the market, Al-Amir Al-Jadid (central Cairo, Levantine-Egyptian), Abou El Sid (Zamalek, local atmosphere), Sequoia (Zamalek, luxury) — 300–800 EGP per person.
Cultural notes
Eat with the right hand only (the left hand is traditionally unclean). Say thank you in Arabic "shukran" (شكرا), "sahtak" when eating (بالهنا والشفا). Do not expect vegetarian food — everything contains oil, butter or meat. Egyptians are Romans of food festivals: Ramadan (a month of fasting from dawn to sunset, then iftar), Eid al-Adha (slaughter of sheep), Eid al-Fitr.