El Fishawy

The story

Hidden inside Khan el-Khalili, El Fishawy has served coffee, mint tea and shisha since the eighteenth century. Mirrors, brass trays, lanterns and closely packed wooden chairs turn the narrow passage into one of Cairo’s most enduring social rooms.

Why El Fishawy is iconic

It is not a preserved exhibit but a living piece of Cairene street life, literary memory and café culture.

Selected by Ernst Aben · Information reviewed July 2026