18 Best Restaurants in Sharm el-Sheikh and Red Sea Coast, Egypt

Background Illustration for Restaurants

The Sinai and the Red Sea Coast resorts cater primarily to European tastes, so resort food tends to be Continental and Italian fare and buffet breakfasts. Fresh seafood can be very good. Typical Egyptian food is most readily available in the cities of Bur Sa‘id and Ismailiya along the Suez Canal. A few words of caution: Water is not always potable, so stick to bottled water to be safe. Likewise, vegetables are not always washed properly, so stay away from uncooked greens, especially lettuce and cucumbers. Oil, ghee, and butter, along with anything fatty, iare very popular. A dish that you would expect to be light, like sautéed vegetables, may come dripping with oil.

Abu Ali

$$ Fodor's choice

Although this is a great place to sample ful (a hearty, flavorful stew of mashed fava beans) and ta'amiya (Egyptian-style felafel), save room for baba ghanoush (stewed eggplant with tomatoes and tahini) and the mashi (stuffed grape leaves, zucchini, and baby eggplant). This location, which has a large dining room, is only a few blocks from all the action of the Old Market, so there's always a taxi (or Blue Bus) nearby to get you back to your hotel. The Hay Lel Nour location is a bit farther out, but it's in a non-touristy neighborhood, giving you the opportunity to experience everyday Egyptian life as well as traditional Egyptian food.

Zafraan

$$$$ Fodor's choice

Candlelight and live traditional music make the dining room here romantic, and the menu highlights the varied cuisine of India. Choose from entrees such as the rich palak paneer (homemade cottage cheese in spinach) or the flavorful fish curry featuring sea bass; sides include several type of naan as well as fragrant biryani (saffron rice with chicken). Top off your meal with a refreshing kulfi (dense, Indian-style ice cream) for dessert.

Sahl Hasheesh Bay, Hurghada, 84512, Egypt
65-346–1111
Known For
  • An intimate, romantic setting
  • Best Indian food anywhere on the Red Sea
  • Live traditional music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch

Abou el Sid

$$ | Na'ama Bay

The best traditional Egyptian cuisine in the area is served here in an air-conditioned dining room or on an ample terrace. The number of Middle Eastern clients here tells you the food is authentic. Try a selection of mezze, which include excellent stuffed vine leaves and tabbouleh, or opt for an entrée of roast quail or slow-cooked lamb shank served with rice. Be prepared for massive portions; it's easy to order too much food and find yourself overwhelmed. The restaurant serves alcohol and has a good, if expensive, selection of Egyptian wines. Stay after your meal to enjoy a shisha and some mint tea.

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Al Capone Restaurant

$ | Masbat

Al Capone's is one of a dozen Bedouin-style cushion-and-carpet outdoor restaurants in the Masbat. If you're not in the mood for pizza or fish, order a vegetable salad, tomatoes with Bulgarian cheese, and shakshuka (a spicy Middle Eastern omelet) with pita bread and play a game of backgammon while you wait. There's regular live music served up by a resident DJ.

Dahab, Egypt
069-364–0181
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards

Castle Zaman

$$$$

Probably the most unusual restaurant in the northern Sinai, this is to the eye a ruined medieval castle on a bluff above the Sinai Coast; however, it was built from scratch starting in the late 1990s by architect Hany Roshdy. Eat in the stone-and-wood interior or on the terraces, which have magnificent views. The menu focuses on traditional slow-cooked dishes, including melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank or skirt steak. Since these dishes take a while to prepare, it's best to book at least a day in advance—to ensure the food is perfect. There's a pool on-site, and the set price includes time for lounging and swimming.

Don Panino

$ | Na'ama Bay

Mouth-watering wraps, pizza slices, and sandwiches are the backbone of this modern eatery with a terrace made for people-watching on one of Na'ama Bay's busiest pedestrian thoroughfares. The freshest, crispest salad ingredients combine with Cajun beef or barbecue chicken in the wraps; these and the sandwiches are made to order in a clean, open kitchen. Unlike many fast-food joints in town, you can get chilled beer here, plus a selection of sodas. Don Panino's makes a great pit stop any time of the day, but it's very popular for post-clubbing refreshments since it stays open until 4 am.

King of Bahrain St., Sharm el Sheikh, 46619, Egypt
069-360--0601
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

El Mare

$$$ | Taba Heights

The InterContinental's à la carte seafood restaurant has a quiet beachfront location. You can eat under a canopy of fairy lights or in the circular templelike dining room. The entrées span the expected (an enticing seafood platter) to the imaginative (flaky grouper baked in a sea-salt crust or served in Provençale sauce), while the appetizers and desserts, including a formidable tiramisu, borrow influences from world cuisine.

Taba, 46621, Egypt
069-358–0300
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

El Sayadin

$$

What better place than a rustic waterfront shack to enjoy a lazy lunch or dinner? The weathered wooden deck of El Sayadin, overlooking the resort's main inlet, is the ideal place to take in the fantastic beaches and seascapes of El Gouna. The menu combines excellent seafood with Egyptian specialties. Start with a mezze plate and then tuck into the grilled catch of the day, salmon served three ways, or fritto misto (crispy fried seafood). The restaurant's about 10 minutes by foot from downtown.

el-Gouna, 84513, Egypt
065-354–4501
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Fares

$$$

Though you'll find decent fish dishes in nearly every Sharm restaurant, Fares is one of the town's best seafood restaurants, with grouper and snapper that's fresh from the Red Sea. This branch is near the Old Market shopping district; there's also a branch in Na'ama Bay.

Old Market, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
69-366–3076
Known For
  • Fantastic shrimp, calamari, and clams
  • Set in a great walking district
  • You can bring your own alcohol

Felfela

$

A sister of the Cairo-based Felfela, this is the best place in town for a traditional Egyptian meal. The restaurant's four levels all have great harbor views. Sit down to a fresh lemonade and start choosing appetizers from the menu—tasty fuul (the classic fava-bean dish) and koshary (like a vegetarian chili). From the grill dig into kebabs or wheat-stuffed pigeon. The grilled catch of the day is another delicious choice. Specialties here are the mezze: tahini, humus, baba ghanouj (eggplant dip), cumin-spiced tomatoes, labne (a yogurt-and-mint dip), and stuffed grape leaves.

Hurghada, 84511, Egypt
065-344–2410
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, No credit cards

Fish Restaurant

$$$$ | Na'ama Bay

One of the most upscale restaurants in Sharm, Fish Restaurant serves a short menu of nouvelle-style seafood, and your food is like a picture on a plate. Popular choices include expertly prepared fillets, calamari, and lobster. The silver service and outdoor terrace out in the mature garden just off the beachfront boulevard let you know that this restaurant is all about image and special occasions, and accordingly, the dress code is casual-elegant. A splurge here is rewarded with a better wine list and more attentive service than you'll find at the more mainstream restaurants.

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
069-360--0136
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

Gad

$

For the city's best traditional Egyptian food, head out of your resort and to this unassuming branch of a national restaurant chain. For something special, order the stuffed pigeon, though this is also a good place to enjoy ta'amiya (Egyptian-style felafel) and stellar sides of baba ganoush or hummus.

George's Restaurant

$

This small, dark restaurant, with its English pub–like feel, seats no more than 30 people. Its full bar, an unusual facility in Ismailiya, is decorated with old signs for beer and liquor. The menu combines Egyptian and Greek staples. Dishes such as baba ghanouj and lightly sautéed calamari are hardly extravagant, but they are tasty. Beer and wine are available—or toss back a glass of ouzo.

11 Shar'a El Thawra, Ismailiya, Egypt
064-391–8327
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards

Heaven Bistro

$

Funky modern eatery full of bright colors, Heaven's a step beyond the standard Egyptian fast-food joint. You can make a pit stop here on the way back from the beach or before heading to a club for anything from a crisp salad to a burger, a bowl of chili, or beef Stroganoff. It's just a shame there isn't any outside space where you could enjoy your meal alfresco.

Hydra

$$$$ | Downtown

A good option in the heart of El Gouna, this restaurant serves a wide range of seafood as well as steaks in the evening. During the day, you'll find light snacks and sandwiches like their delicious shawarma (thin-cut meat and salad wrapped in unleavened bread—like a gyro). There's a terrace overlooking the square, so you can watch the world stroll by or grab your sandwich to go and head to the water.

1 Road, el-Gouna, 84513, Egypt
12-2795–6565-WhatsApp
Known For
  • Great view from the upstairs terrace
  • One of few restaurants that's open 24 hours
  • Slightly less expensive than other restaurants in El Gouna

Kiki's

$ | Downtown

Not only is this a great Italian restaurant, serving arguably the best food in El Gouna, but it's also a hip hangout. Kiki's opens at 8 pm to serve great plates of pasta plus grilled meats and seafood, but it really comes alive around 11—and keeps kickin' through the night until the last person leaves.

el-Gouna, 84513, Egypt
065-354–9701
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, No credit cards, Reservations essential

Saigon

$$$$ | Abu Tig Marina

While finding sushi and Japanese food isn't too terribly difficult around the Red Sea, finding Vietnamese food—and good Vietnamese food, at that—is a rarity. Saigon serves excellent roasted duck and noodle soups, and it has a good selection of vegetarian options.

el-Gouna, Egypt
12-2116–4418
Known For
  • The only place to find Vietnamese food anywhere along the coast
  • Excellent roast duck
  • Cash only

Zigolini

$$$$

Inside the Maritim Jolie Ville Hotel, this Italian restaurant has been serving some of the best food—the lamb chops and the spaghetti with fried garlic and shrimp are especially good—in town since 1998. Grab a table by the window for a nice view of the shopping promenade. Note that the restaurant is in what was formerly the Movenpick Hotel, which is what might still appear on maps.

Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
69-360–0100
Known For
  • One of few hotel restaurants where locals also dine
  • Can arrange a romantic dinner on the beach
  • Well-trained chef from Italy