Aswan Restaurants

Favorite Dish: If you have a sweet tooth try any of the sweets or "halawayat" found in any bakery on almost every street in Egypt. Baklava; layers of flaky filo pastry layered with nuts, like pistachios and soaked in light syrup.
Umm Ali; hot pudding made from filo pastry dough soaked and cooked in milk with raisins, nuts, coconut sugar, and cinnamon.
And my personal favorite, Fiteer is a kind of pizza made from layers of flaky pastry and topped or stuffed with sweet or savory fillings like honey or even cheese. I like my fiteer sweet it is usually topped with powdered sugar, and or cinnamon and sugar.

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This is an outdoor corner cafe it has an outdoor barbeque feel. There is an outdoor gazebo, tables and chairs, and a covered patio. Nice place to go in the evening for cool drinks in the evening after a day of Aswan heat. Good place to go if you would like to mingle with locals.

Favorite Dish: I like the Chicken sandwiches and grilled Shish Kabobs. They offer Turkish Coffee, Karkadie (Hibiscus Tea) hot or cold, Zabadee (Yogurt and Honey), sodas, and Shisha (Tobacco and Waterpipe).

One of the best places for local Egyptian food in Aswan, Clean small restaurant, friendly staff. Many tour guides take small groups here. Large portions of grilled chicken, beef and lamb kebobs, fatta, kofta, tahina, babaghanouj, and stuffed peppers.

Favorite Dish: My favorite dish here would be the Grilled Chicken and the Potatoes in Tomato Sauce. I could eat this stuff all day!

Located on its own tiny island, the Nubian Restaurant serves local Nubian food. The small island is just to the south of Elephantine Island and a free ferry transports guests to the island from opposite the Egypt Air office. The restaurant is a little tacky, but worth the visit for the boat ride and views.

Admittedly, on my visit to Aswan, the biggest annoyance was finding a good meal. Many of the restaurants that cater to tourists are either too touristic and not up to par, or are trying to be something they really aren't, such as the highly overpriced 1902 at the Old Cataract Hotel. In addition, due to the lack of a comprehensive restaurant guide, it was extremely difficult to know what's good and what's not. As a result, my travel companions and I decided it was best to eat with the locals. Be courageous and look for those restaurants serving locals - and there are plenty - for their food will be far better and cheaper than tourist places.

Favorite Dish: Most serve kebabs, koshari, and regular rice.

Very unpretentious and quite popular with local families, el-Masry restaurant serves solid local food. The koshari and kebabs are excellent and service is attentive. The large neon-lit restaurant is divided into two or three dining rooms and, although clean, there is nothing luxurious about it. The restaurant did make it into some of the tourist guides, such as the Lonely Planet, and therefore receives its share of tourists, but the presence of locals is a good indication of the authenticity of the food.

I am a big fan of pizza and this place serves the best local version - called fiteer - cooked the traditional way. They offer all the usual flavors (sans pork, of course), or if you can't make up your mind, try their all-topping pizza for less then USD 5. Portions are big, so their regular should be good for two.

Outside hotels, there aren't that many good options if you're planning a gastronomic adventure in Aswan. It is no wonder then that I nearly had all of my meals at Aswan Moon restaurant, which was conveniently located across my hotel. Aswan Moon is the best among the three restaurants on the Corniche - two being Emy and Saladin. They serve basic Egyptian food and some standard international fare. Aswan Moon's most coveted assets are its riverside location and its friendly staff.

Unfortunately, they don't serve alcohol (this is a Muslim country after all), so thoughts of having a cold Stella after a hard day of sightseeing were dashed. Oh well, one large Coke, please. With lots of ice.

Favorite Dish: Try the fish dishes here. Love the grilled fish with zaatar (local herb).