Cairo’s Famous Coffeehouses Café Riche, a Memory of a nation A Theatre, a restaurant, and a coffee shop On Talaat Harb Street in Cairo, you can't miss Café Riche one of Cairo's most historic and popular coffeeshops. Café Riche had a role in the evolution of political, cultural and artistic life in Egypt. Many cultural and political seminars were held in the presence of famous Egyptian intellectuals among them were Taha Hussein, El-Akkad, and Naguib Mahfouz.  
Café Riche was founded by the Austrian businessman Bernard senberkh in 1914. Then it was sold to the French man Henry Risney who gave it the name "Riche". After a while, Mr. Henry sold it to Gorge Evanos, a Greek man, who renovated the place. The café ended to become the property of an Egyptian man from Upper Egypt called Abdel El-Malak Mikhail. After his death, his heirs redesigned the whole place to preserve its history and heritage. The café overlooked Suleiman Pasha Square and used to have an illuminated garden which hosted a classical orchestra band to play every night. Café Riche, a cellar and a theatre After the 1992 Cairo's earthquake, a cellar was discovered at the café, said the current owner Magdy Abdel Malek. Inside the cellar, they found a printer which was used in printing secret publications of the Egyptian revolution of 1919. Café Riche wasn't just ordinary café. It was the home to intellectuals, writers and artists such as Taha Hussein and Abbas El-Akkad. In the 40s Louis Awad and Ramses Younan used to visit the café followed them in the 90s Naguib Mahfouz, Salah Jahin, Abbas El-Aswani, Umm Kulthum, and Riyadh Al Sunbati along with politicians who gathered to discuss the country's affairs.  
The café was also a theatre that hosted several concerts. In the café lobby, Aziz Eid 's ensemble performed many of his plays. Café Riche, an inspiration for authors Riche café with its unique characteristics motivated the imagination of its visitors especially artists and authors on top of them were Ramses Younan and the scriptwriter Osama Anwar OKasha who inspired his popular show Laily El-Helmia from the café visitors. Some of the café visitors said that the two Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel El-Nasser and Anwar El-Sadat often visited the café. Other renowned figures like Egyptian poet Ahmed Fouad Negm and Egyptian novelist Gamal Al-Ghitany were also regulars. Umm Kulthum on Café Riche stage On 23 May 1923, Café Riche announced in "El-Mokattam Newspaper" that the café is going to host Egypt's Star of the East Umm Kulthum and encouraged people to book their places. El-Fishawy Café, authenticity and fragrance of the past A Café that hosted kings, princes and artists Turning from a small local Café (Ahwa) to the most popular Coffee shop in El- Hussein area in Cairo, El- Fishawy coffee shop was the oldest café in the heart of Khan El-Khalili. It hosted kings, princes, famous artists and intellectuals who narrated various stories and events that passed from one generation to another about the place since it was built in 1771 AD.  
Historians argued whether to consider it a local Café or intellectuals Café as it was a witness to major events throughout history to be recently a very famous destination that you can't miss. El-Fishawy Café is one of the major coffee shops in the heart of El-Hussein Area which was the destination of both Egyptian and Arab figures such as leaders, politicians and intellectuals. The famous coffee shop started as a small buffet called "bosfor" then turned to a café built by Abdullah El-Fishawy in 1771 in Khan El- Khalili to be the resting place for El-Hussein and Khan El-Khalili visitors of both Egyptians and tourists. It consisted of small shops that were gradually expanded. El-Fishawy Café got its first license in 1863 during the Khedive Ismail period. It was expanded gradually over the years and reached its top during Fahmy El-Fishawy ownership as he tried his best to turn the café into a unique place. El-Fishawy Café The café consists of a long pathway divided into several corners (Iwans) on both sides named after a renowned author or artists like Nagib Mahfouz corner, Ahmed Rami corner and Hafez Ibrahim Corner. El-Fishawy Café, an oriental pattern Diaa El-Fishawy the grandson of Fahmy El-Fishawy worked to give the café a unique character and preserved its oriental pattern in furniture and decorations. He believed that decorating the place with mirrors will give it a functional element, in addition to the beauty element as he will be able to watch all the café sides while sitting in his favorite place next to the café entrance. Currently, the coffee shop consists of three parts. 
El-Bosfor for kings and the masterpiece for artists only The first part of El-Fishawy Café is known as "el-Bosfor" covered with wood lined with ebony and full of antiques of silver and crystal. The Bosfor was dedicated to King Farouk, the last member of Mohammed Ali dynasty and hosted very prominent Arab and foreign guests of Egypt. The second Part of the Café is called "the Masterpiece", and it is decorated with shells, ornamented wood, ivory and arabesque. This part mostly hosted artists. As for the third room of the café, it is known as "Rhyme” and, it hosted rhyme contests among all Cairo neighbourhoods every Thursday of Ramadan. El-Fishawy Café, Mirrors Café El-Fishawy Café has unique antiques displayed all around the café like the African Crocodile hanging on the café's wall that was a gift from Sudanese Prime Minister and the glass curtains made of gemstones. What is really famous about the coffee shop is its large mirrors hanging all over the place as the oldest mirror is a Belgium mirror that dates back to Mohammed Ali era for that the café is known in most of the French references as " mirrors café".  
Visitors of El-Fishawy Café El-Fishawy café hosted many renowned figures like the French Military leader Napoléon Bonaparte, the famous German leader Romel, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir in addition to Arab princes and Empress Eugenie who visited Egypt during Suez Canal inauguration in 1869. The Café also hosted president Gamal Abdel Nasir, Ahmed Shawky, Hafez Ibrahim, Abbas El-Akkad, Nagib Mahfouz and others. Nagib Mahfouz at El-Fishawy café Nagib Mahfouz, Nobel Laureate, was a regular at El-Fishawy café and he wrote most of his novels there. He also loved being there in Ramadan listening to folk singers such as Mohammad Abdel Motleb and Mohammad El-Khalwy. 
Last Update: 2024
|
/icons/closeHint.png){kind=icon}
/icons/govIcon.png){kind=icon}
/icons/robotIcon.svg){kind=icon}
/icons/send.svg){kind=icon}