Eat · Downtown and Tahrir
Abou Shakra (kebab and kofta grill)أبو شقرة
A Cairo grill institution near Garden City, open since the late 1940s: go for kebab and kofta with mezze, lunch or dinner, and expect a full sit-down bill rather than a street-food price.
last order: unknownchairsNot field-verified
Key facts
- Price
- unknown
- Hours
- unknown
- Walk in
- lunch (13:00–15:30)
- easiest window
- Seating
- chairs
- booking: true
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Downtown and Tahrir
- Getting there
- Qasr El Nil / Garden City edge, a short car ride from downtown or Zamalek
- 10 min walk
- Cairo grill institution since the late 1940s
- Mixed grill with mezze
- Sit-down, not street-food pricing
- Order: Kofta and kebab grill
- Table seating
- Walk-in window: lunch (13:00–15:30)
- Halal
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 12Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Cairo traffic is heavy from about 07
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- North Africa ↗Plan links between North African countries by air or by ferry via Europe; the only regularly usable land borders for visitors are Tunisia–Algeria and Morocco–Mauritania via Western Sahara.
- North Africa ↗Book Saharan nights (dunes, desert camps, oasis tours) between October and April; from May to September desert day temperatures regularly exceed 40 °C and many tours stop.
- Egypt ↗Check visa rules for your passport on the official Egypt e-visa portal before flying; visa on arrival availability depends on nationality and can change.
- Egypt ↗Drones need prior permission and are routinely confiscated on arrival; leave them at home.
- Egypt ↗Do not photograph military sites, police, bridges or government buildings; some museums and tombs charge for or ban photography.
- Egypt ↗During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight; hotels and tourist restaurants still serve.
- Cairo and Giza ↗Cross-city rides can take 90 minutes at rush hour; plan one district per half-day.
- Cairo ↗Cairo traffic is heavy from about 07:30 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 20:00: plan one district per half-day and add 45+ minutes to any cross-city ride.
- Cairo ↗Agree the price of every taxi, camel, horse, carriage or guide before you start; use ride-hailing where you can, since the fare is fixed on the screen.
- Cairo ↗From about June to August, be on site at opening, and off the open plateau by 10:00.
Map & directions
Directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
When you can walk in, what to order, how to pay
Walk-in windows
lunch (13:00–15:30): highevening (19:00–22:00): medium
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
On the ground
Facts
- Reservations
- true — Recommended for groups or a Thursday/Friday evening; walk-in usually works for one or two people at lunch.
- Capabilities
- food · seated_rest · toilet
- Diet
- vegetarian: ask · gluten free: unknown · halal: yes
- Getting there
- Qasr El Nil / Garden City edge, a short car ride from downtown or Zamalek · ~10 min walk
Cons
- Priced above street food: a full grill meal with mezze runs well past a koshari or ful lunch.
- Portions and mezze extras add up fast if you do not ask the price first.
Ordering helpDish glossary · Price check · Dietary phrases · Hygiene
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Kebab | Grilled cubes or strips of lamb or beef on a skewer. | Sold by weight in some grill houses; ask the price per portion before ordering. |
| Kofta | Minced, spiced meat grilled on a skewer. | Usually ordered alongside kebab as a mixed grill. |
| Mezze | Small cold and hot starters — baba ghanoug, tahini, salads, pickles. | Often brought automatically; check whether it is complimentary or charged before you eat it. |
Price check
- locals pay
- check locally — mid-to-upper range for Cairo, well above a street koshari or ful meal.
- tourist price
- Menu prices are posted; the risk is in unpriced extras (bread, mezze, service charge) rather than the main dishes.
- rule
- Ask whether service and VAT are included in the menu price before you order.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Extra mezze plates | Charged per plate unless stated as complimentary | Ask before the table fills with dishes you did not order. |
Dietary: what to say
| Need | Say or show | Reality here |
|---|---|---|
| No pork | Egypt is a majority-Muslim country; pork is essentially absent from the menu here. | The kitchen is built around lamb and beef grills. |
| Vegetarian | Ask for mezze and salads only. | A workable vegetarian meal is possible from the mezze, but the menu is grill-first. |
Hygiene notes
- A long-running, well-known restaurant with consistent turnover; standard travel caution on salads and raw garnishes applies.
Deep dive
Questions, nearby food and sources
Questions and answers
Is it good for a first Cairo dinner?
Yes if you want a proper sit-down grill meal rather than street food; book ahead for weekend evenings.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.
All places to eat in Cairo, with filters →
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
Used as a seated rest node in Cairo in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Cairo (eat)