El-Fishawi Cafe

El-Fishawi Cafe is quite an experience. It is located right next to the Khan el-Khalili on Al-Badistand street, which is one of the main streets running through the Khan. Ask any person you meet when you are in the Khan and they will tell you how to get there.

They offer all sorts of drinks and small snacks. If you are looking for tea, they have two types. There is the Egyptian tea, which is a dark flavor filled tea and for those who like coffee there is "ahwa", which is a type of Turkish coffee popular in Cairo. Drinks are usually between 50 piasters and 1 Pound, or 12 to 50 US cents. If you are not sure what to get all of the cafes offer Lipton tea and it is called "shai ala bosta"...tea for the postman.
As well as tea there are traditional Egyptian sweets and side dishes. You can get salads for 3 Pounds, little meals for around 6 Pounds and main dishes are between 10 and 20 Pounds.
To add to food and drink many locals get a shisha (a water pipe). These usually run between 3-5 Pounds. They come in a verity of flavors such as peach, mint, strawberry, and apple. My personal favorite is the apple. Smoking a shisha is very smooth; the first time you do it you will probably think that you inhaled little to no smoke. However, when you breathe out to complain about how little you got, you will usually see quite a bit of smoke come out. Don’t forget that currency rates are changing all the time, so prices may be very different when you go.
This is a cafe where you can relax and watch the rest of Cairo walk by. I have spent many evenings here talking to Egyptians about politics, life, and the country that many of them love.