Food & Cuisine in Sharm El Sheikh
Food info sections | Eating locally
Sharm el-Sheikh is a food lover's paradise. With every major cuisine of the world and local Egyptian dishes easily available, it is impossible to taste everything before leaving. The atmosphere in most Sharm El Sheikh restaurants is open and friendly and the staff will go out of their way to make you comfortable. After sampling Tandoori, Chinese, English, American and Italian cooking, no one can go hungry in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sharm el-Sheikh and its two satellite tourist districts of Na'ama Bay and Old Sharm can boast of many excellent Sharm El Sheikh restaurants.
Our Sharm El Sheikh Restaurant Guide below tells you all about the wonderful food and cuisine to be found in Sharm El Sheikh, as well as the best places to find it. Many of the Sharm El Sheikh restaurants, cafes and bars are situated amongst the best known Sharm El Sheikh shopping spots, perfect for grabbing a quick bite between buying that perfect Sharm El Sheikh souvenir. For more information on Egyptian food and cuisine take a look at our Egypt Restaurant Guide.
Food & Cuisine in Sharm El Sheikh
Dining at any of the Sharm El Sheikh restaurants is a special experience. While walking around Sharm el-Sheikh, you will come across restaurants that advertise French, Indian, Italian, Japanese and even Mongolian barbeques. While you are here, you can chose to eat at an upmarket international restaurant chain such as the stylish Buddha Bar or at fast food outlets such as MacDonald's and KFC.
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Na'ama Bay
Na'ma Bay is not far behind in terms of dining options. The trendy local favourites have a pleasing décor, prompt and courteous service, carefully chosen music and elaborate menus.
Old Sharm
As in any old part of a town, Old Sharm too has many interesting places tucked away in alleys and lanes. Most of the restaurants serve local food. The restaurants are usually simple and homely although you will occasionally find one that is loud and showy. The food is old-fashioned but sustaining, and the restaurants give good value for money. Rarely will you find a restaurant in Sharm El Sheikh that serves alcohol.
The Sharm El Sheikh hotels provide reasonably good food. Residents are served breakfast and dinner in the main restaurant, and sometimes lunch as well. Apart from this there may be a couple more restaurants in the hotels where the food is a-la-carte.
Local Food
A lot of fish from the day's catch goes into the delicious local food served here. Most often it is cooked with couscous or fragrant rice. Unless otherwise specified, meats are lamb and chicken. Be careful to drink only bottled water which is available everywhere and is cheap. Check the seal to ensure it is intact.
With a long coastline near at hand there is no shortage of fish. Apart from air-conditioned seating, restaurants in Sharm El Sheikh that serve fish have grills at the water's edge where you can inspect your fare before ordering. You can choose the way it is cooked too. The tastiest Egyptian dishes are kofta, bamya, shawarma, basbusa and kishk. There are some delightful drinks to go with these too. A good option is to eat at one of the many restaurants that line Na'ma Bay. Every evening, tables are lined up along the edge of the water.
Among the classic Egyptian dishes, the traditional Ful Medames occupies pride of place. Fava beans or ful are cooked in a copper pot until they are partly or completely mashed. It is the copper pot that gives it its characteristic flavour. Other ingredients include garlic and olive oil. Ful Medames is served with lashings of olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley and is eaten with either baladi (Egyptian bread) or shami (Levantine bread). Seasonings could include turmeric and chilli paste.
Do not miss the ubiquitous falafel, which is called Ta'miya in Egypt. Made of fava that is ground before being shaped into balls and then deep-fried, ta'miya is made of ground chickpeas elsewhere in the Mid-East. The credit for its invention goes to the Bedouins though now everyone eats it as a snack.
Koshary, another well-known dish, is made of macaroni, rice, lentils, and tomato sauce. The locals swear by it. There is an au gratin version called Taagin. Try out both. Equally popular in the region are shawarma sandwiches.
