Farahat
NileGuide Expert Says:
Farahat serves the best pigeon in Cairo!Address:
Phone:
+20 (0)2 2592 6595NileGuide Expert tip:
Don't be afraid to just rip the pigeons apart with your bare hands - that's how it's done at Farahat!Description:
Farahat is an unassuming, spit and sawdust Egyptian grill tucked away in an alley near Khan al-Khalili. Whilst their kofta and kebab are good, the real reason to visit Farahat is for the pigeon.Pigeons have been eaten in Egypt since Pharaonic times, and are still specially raised in coups across the country. The pigeons at Farahat are gorgeous: fat and juicy, flavoursome, and stuffed with cracked wheat. There's really no other way to eat them than to rip the bird apart and suck the flesh off the bones - but don't worry, everyone else is doing the same thing!
The food at Farahat comes served with rice, bread, and salads such as tahina, baba ghanoush, and mixed salad. You also get an oily soup served in a glass to begin with. Although there's a nominal charge for the salads, Farahat is pretty good value, with a pigeon costing 25 LE.
Unsurprisingly, the restaurant gets very busy, and since it's effectively just a few plastic chairs and table stuffed into an alley, you often have to wait to be seated. It's well worth it!
Farahat is a great place to take a break from exploring the markets and monuments of Islamic Cairo. Al-Azhar Mosque and the Wikalet al-Ghouri (home to the Sufi dancing show) are just across the street, and it's easy from here to head south towards Bab Zwayla, or north towards Bab al-Futuh.
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