This Tiny Downtown Cairo Restaurant Feeds You Like Family

A flimsy, above-sink drying rack, mismatched plates and a daily menu scribbled on a blackboard menu - everything about Tabkha, the downtown restaurant specialising in Egyptian cuisine, makes it feel like a homey mum’s kitchen. But perhaps what makes it more so than anything else is the spirit of the restaurant owner and chef, Hakeem Shamy.

To Hakeem, Tabkha is more of an open kitchen, as in open to customers coming in, picking up a ladle, and cooking alongside him, than a mere restaurant. The man loves to cook, and he wanted to make the culture of communal home cooking public, open to all. “Any of my friends can come, stand with me in the kitchen, and help me cook,” Hakeem tells Scene Eats.

For expats, and people looking for a home away from home, Tabkha is a sanctuary – a place where you can walk in after a long day, ask, “What’s for lunch today?”, and enjoy a warm meal made with love.