Alexandria Food: What to Eat in Egypt's Seafood City

Alexandria eats differently from the rest of Egypt. The city’s Mediterranean position, and its history as home to large Greek, Italian, and Jewish communities through the 19th and early 20th centuries, shaped a food culture built on fresh seafood, pastry traditions with a European inflection, and a strong pavement breakfast scene. If you are visiting Egypt primarily for the monuments, Alexandria is also worth visiting for the food.

Grilled Fish at the Harbour

The central Alexandria meal is a whole grilled fish, selected from the display at a harbour-side restaurant, weighed and priced, then marinated in cumin, coriander, garlic, and sometimes dried chilli before going over charcoal. Sea bream (Orada), sea bass (Bars), and red mullet (Sultan Ibrahim) are the standard species. Calamari and prawns appear on most menus too.

The fish comes with tahini, a salad plate, and aish bread. The Fish Market area near the eastern harbour is where the established cluster of seafood restaurants operates — mid-range in price by international standards, excellent in quality. We cover specific restaurant recommendations in our Alexandria seafood guide.

Ta’ameya and Ful at Breakfast

Alexandria has a reputation, held seriously by Egyptians, for producing better ful and ta’ameya than Cairo. Ta’ameya (Egyptian falafel, made from fava beans rather than chickpeas) and ful medames (stewed fava beans with oil and cumin) are the standard Egyptian breakfast and Alexandria’s versions are considered particularly good. The best come from pavement carts operating from early morning — look for the ones with a queue of locals. A full breakfast costs almost nothing.

The Alexandrian Liver Sandwich

Kebda alexandrania — spiced calf liver fried quickly with green peppers, garlic, and cumin — is stuffed into aish bread and sold from street stalls. It is a street food with a distinct local identity: the seasoning is more aggressive and the texture less processed than liver preparations elsewhere in Egypt. It is cheap, filling, and worth finding even if offal is not usually your preference.

Greek-Influenced Pastries

The large Greek community that peaked in Alexandria in the early 20th century left a pastry tradition that is still visible in the patisseries concentrated around Raml Station. Baklava, konafa (semolina and cream cheese pastry soaked in syrup), and custard-filled pastries are the specialities. These shops are atmospheric as much as they are good to eat in — some have been operating since the mid-20th century.

Feteer Meshaltet

Feteer is a flaky layered pastry with strong roots in Alexandria and the Delta region. It comes sweet (with honey, cream, or powdered sugar) or savoury (with cheese, meat, or eggs). The technique involves repeated folding and stretching — the process is similar to puff pastry but faster and cooked on a large flat griddle. Street stalls and dedicated feteer shops operate across the city.

Drinks: Karkade and Waterfront Cafes

Karkade — cold hibiscus tea, deep red and slightly tart — is widely available at the waterfront cafes along the Corniche. It is a good drink in warm weather and genuinely refreshing. The cafes facing the Mediterranean are also reasonable places for mint tea, coffee, and an hour watching the sea.

For a full guide to the harbour restaurants and where to eat fish in Alexandria, see our Alexandria seafood guide and the Alexandria city guide.