This Egyptian Grill is perfect for a casual lunch
El Kebabgy, a part of the Sofitel El Gezirah, is a Middle Eastern Cairo restaurant famous for its grilled meat. This Egyptian Grill has been a mainstay of Cairo for a long time. Kebabgy offers a casual and comforting atmosphere to enjoy its delicious grilled meats while watching the feluccas go by.

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Set right on the Nile, Kebabgy is a huge restaurant. There are four dining areas, three outside and one inside. Every dining area in this Cairo restaurant offers a spectacular view of the Nile. The outdoor dining areas located along the water’s edge can easily accommodate around 100 diners. The indoor dining space has a modern décor and air conditioning. Even though this restaurant is called Egyptian Grill, the cuisine here is very similar to Lebanese cuisine.

When we walked in, the first thing that caught our attention was an old Egyptian lady sitting on the ground rolling dough to be baked in a traditional stone oven – very authentic! We were here for lunch. Even though the large dining area was closed, we managed to grab a couple of seats out on their small terrace. This terrace is a popular meeting place of Cairo’s political and business elite.

The menu at this Cairo restaurant is quite extensive (for Egyptian grill type foods) and offers grilled meats, hot and cold mezzas and traditional Middle Eastern desserts. The mixed grill, a fusion of lamb and chicken is one of Kebabgy’s signature dishes. This Cairo restaurant charges 10% as tax and 12% as service charge.

Fresh homemade bread was served the moment we were seated. The bread had a subtle flavour to it and was BOMBASTIC! In fact, if you are not careful, you could easily fill up on this lovely bread alone! We sipped on a local beer called Stella while going through the menu. The Stella was refreshing and affordable, considering Egypt puts tons of taxes on imported liquor, wine and beer.

We finally opted for Hummus, Babaganough, Tagen Moussaka and an order of mixed grills. The Hummus is a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The Babaganough is an Arab dish made of aubergine (eggplant) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. This dish had a smoky taste to it. The Tagen Moussaka is more like a lasagana, with sliced eggplants and minced meat. The mixed grill consisted of a huge platter of lamb chops, chicken, kebab and kofta. This platter had way more than what two people could eat in one sitting. All the items on the mixed grill were tasty, tender and full of flavour.

Everything at Kebabgy was very good and perfect for a casual lunch. Service was welcoming and decent. While the food was tasty and the atmosphere casual and comfy, it just did not rise to the level of bombastic. If you are nearby, it’s a very safe bet for lunch, but it is definitely not a place I would drive across Cairo for.

Overall, our rating for Kebabgy is Between Bombastic and Not.

What I liked: The freshly baked bread

What I didn’t like: Nothing much

Rating: Between Bombastic and Not

Address and Telephone Number:
El Kebabgy
Sofitel El Gezirah Cairo Hotel,
3 Magles Qiadet El Thawra St.,
Zamalek,
Cairo, Egypt
Telephone: 27373737
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