Alexandrians are soo sophisticated when it comes to food. They like eating out and can choose from the full range of fancy cafés, old-fashioned coffee-shops, clean modern fish restaurants and retro Hotel Bars with high ceilings and fans. Everybody told us that food in Alexandria is an important topic for our guidebook. Even without all the museums, mosques and Roman ruins, checking out the restaurants is a veritable sightseeing task.
So where is El-Fellah, we ask Khaled and Azza, our local contacts. Both stare in disbelief: „You really want to eat there? It’s rather … down to earth!“ A hearty smell comes from the restaurant. El-Fellah serves very traditional Alexandrian food: liver dishes. And we are vegetarians…
Foul Iskanderia: the most typical food in Alexandria
Never mind, we can always opt for Egyptian staple foods like Kushari or Foul instead. The latter denotes the ubiquitous cooked beans which in Alexandria are served with salads, eggs, and condiments. Elsewhere in the country, this type of Alexandrian food is known as Foul Iskanderia. Foul from Alexandria.
Alexandria sweets
On the Corniche, we wonder where the Fresca sellers have gone, who should be offering honey wafers. But in these temperatures, everyone is eating ice cream, also one of Alexandria’s specialities. And then there’s lots of cakes and other sweets, along with traditional greek-style coffee.
After a long day on the Corniche and in Downtown, we end in the modern quarter of San Stefano. And there, all these sophisticated Alexandrians are back in force, gathering in the food court of Alexandria’s newest mall for pizza, pasta and Chinese noodles!
