A SceneEats Guide to the Best 33 Spots for an Aklet Samak Around Egypt

After years of torturing our parents at every Aklet Samak family gathering in which they merely tried to keep us well-fed and culinarily engaged, the nugget-obsessed picky eater inside us has grown into a fully-fledged experimentalist who will occasionally even indulge in some herring. However, the price to pay for our wrongdoings is so high it’s not even considerable; there is NO way we’re admitting we were wrong to our parents and, subsequently, we don’t really know where to get good seafood in Egypt when we need to.

Here to your rescue, we’ve swallowed our pride and travelled to the edge of the universe (called the creepy uncle) to compile this comprehensive list of 33 of the country’s best seafood spots, spanning Cairo, Port Said, Alexandria, Matrouh, Ismailia, Hurghada, Gouna, Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab.

CAIRO

ASMAK ABOU ALLAM

Maadi, Cairo

Get your fried crab platters large enough to feed three small families or an especially ravenous seafood fiend at Maadi’s Abou Allam.

GOLDEN FISH

Maadi, Cairo

Famously fresh and clean, Maadi’s Golden Fish has been supplementing the neighbourhood’s fishiest seafood deals for years.

ABOU GHALY

Branches all over Cairo

Scattered around the capital, Abou Ghaly makes the classic, fluorescently lit Aklet Samak as easy as a trip to the supermarket.

HALKET ELSAMAK

Branches all over Cairo

Because all seafood is better when eaten near a large body of water, Halket ElSamak’s Zamalek branch is the Cairene go-to when it comes to seafood tajines and shrimp casseroles.

AL HORANY

Giza, Cairo

Dedicated in-car diners rejoice because Al-Horany is the takeaway king of seafood dominating Giza streets. Wimps can also get their grilled tilapia delivered around Cairo.

ABU EL-ARABY

Branches all over Cairo

The big, the bad, and the seafood-obsessed all head to Abu El-Araby for crab, shrimp, mussel and squid buckets you can barely get through.

CHEF SABER RESTAURANT

Dokki, Cairo

What makes or breaks a good fish is often seasoning, a feat mastered by Dokki-bound expert spicer Chef Saber.

FISH MARKET

Branches all over Egypt

As convenient as a Samir & Aly and just as dependable, Fish Market is the type of seafood spot you’d find in a ‘Seafood for Dummies’ book.

ASMAK

Branches all over Cairo

Simplifying & bimbofying seafood for all (including clueless tagamoa kids) to digest, Asmak’s menu allows for both oddly specific dad-led experimentation and easy from-menu ordering.

PORT SAID

ASMAK CITY

El Manakh, Port Said

Essentially a seafood metropolis, Asmak City will take you back to your neverending sibling fights over mountains of fried squid (that always end in takeaway bags).

PORTO FISH

23rd of July St., Port Said

If we could be fish, we’d choose to swim in Porto Fish’s seafood soup, consequences accounted for. Yes, we’d die for it.

SEA HORSE

23rd of July St., Port Said

Port Said’s Sea Horse makes everything from fino-encrusted shrimp sandwiches (with fries, of course) to bachamel squid tajines.

HOOK

Manshiya Square, Port Said

Journeying into the experimental, Hook crafts crazy concoctions that somehow fit just right. Mozzarella-topped butterfly shrimps, anyone?

KASTAN

Tarh El Bahr, Port Said

Adorable nautical interiors and scrumptious fried calamari will have you on a nautical high at Port Said’s Kastan.

IBN HAMIDO

23rd of July St., Port Said

We may know everything there is to know about Ice Spice’s biography, but we are clueless when it comes to seafood. You can consult the staff for recommendations at Ibn Hamido, with a 98% success rate.

AALAM EL-BEHAR

El Bazaar, Port Said

Serving you delectable seafood with a side of history, Aalam El-Behar has been supplying Port Said frequenters with top-notch shrimp tajines for 125 years and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

ALEXANDRIA

SEASIDE

Qaitbay Citadel, Alexandria

Artisanal seafood dishes with a view AND a side of history? Sign us up ASAP.

GREEK NAUTICAL CLUB

Gomrok, Alexandria

A Santorini-esque dinner on the other side of the Mediterranean brings you an exciting fusion of Egyptian and Greek recipes.

ABDO FARAG

Bahary, Alexandria

A classic go-to for family gatherings and business dinners alike, Abdo Farag is an Egyptian dad’s wonderland. Follow up with Sheikh Wafik’s couscous or Om Ali for bonus points.

OMAR AFANDY

Maamoura, Alexandria

The theme-park-succeeding spot is well-known for its irresistible twists on shrimp-based delicacies that somehow always end up reminiscing those we’ve only managed to fantasise about.

EL MARSAH

Khaled Ibn El-Waleed, Alexandria

Known for its ability to convert any seafood-hater into a fish lover more devoted than Darla from Nemo, El Marsa’s gourmet dishes are widely sought after by the nation’s self-proclaimed picky eaters.

ZAFEER

El-Hamam, Alexandria

A historical hotspot, Zaphere extends its decades of fishy experience providing Alexandrian families with premium seafood they could count on.

MARSA MATROUH

MAGDY SEAFOOD

Omar El-Mokhtar, Marsa Matrouh

A cornerstone of family Matrouh visits, Magdy creates simmering sea bass exciting butterfly shrimp for your seafood needs.

ISMAILIA  AL-FANAR

El-Gomhoreya St., Ismailia

Putting a Greek twist onto its bass and mullets, Al-Fanar gives you a seafood experience both scrumptious and elegant in the heart of Ismailia.

AL-OSTOOL

El-Gomhoreya St., Ismailia

This eatery prepares fleets on fleets of shrimp and squid that will battle you to the death (AKA to the food coma).

HURGHADA

STAR FISH

Sheraton Rd., Hurghada

As dependable as that one pair of Nikes, the red sea’s finest fruits have been cooked to perfection for years at Hurghada’s historic Star Fish.

AL HALAKA

Al-Minaa Mosque, Hurghada

Supreme service and exceptional singari make this spot a must-visit post Red Sea tanning.

GOUNA

EL SAYADIN

Marina, Gouna

Bringing Movenpick hospitality to their rustic air, El Gouna’s Sayadin makes for an excellent night out, worth breaking out one of the cuter sundresses for.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH

FARES SEAFOOD

Branches all over Sharm El-Sheikh

Self-crowned fish king of the city of peace, Fares has long taken over the seafood scene in Sharm El-Sheikh with beautifully cooked lobsters and expertly seasoned squid tajines.

MAHONY

Neama Bay Mall 6, Sharm El-Sheikh

Unpretentious and welcoming despite their echoing reputation, Mahony’s shrimp, grilled, in soup or salad-embedded, is a feast for sore hearts.

DAHAB

SHARK

Al-Mamsha, Dahab

Artisanal seafood by the Dahabian shore in a laid-back, dimly lit ambience - who could ask for more?

ALI BABA 

Al-Mamsha, Dahab

A classic go-to when in the seaside town, Ali Baba makes excellent mullets, often stacked on little white and blue boats for the full experience.

NEMO

Al-Mamsha, Dahab

On the quieter side of Al-Mamsha, Nemo serves you a relaxed environment so you can allocate all five of your senses to their unparalleled calamari tajine.