# A good meal



## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

Hi All,

Would be nice to get some suggestions (and there is the need to start a thread that can bring one's spirits up!... Lots of negatives of Egypt coming out in the forum now)

Since I am Muslim and in the UK I usually cannot go out to have a nice steak. One good thing about Egypt, is that I can enjoy major food chains, such as Chilis and have a good steak... in fact, Egypt was the first place EVER where I had a steak for the first time and boy, are they good  and I am not that much of a meat eater, either! I know that there is a Chilis in Montazah, but is there anywhere else in Alexandria, that I may have missed? In City Stars, Cairo they have lots of wonderful places where one can have a steak.... there is one place there that have a mixture of steaks and Mexican food, I forgot the name, but I wished there was one in Alex! I know that there is a place inside the Montazah Palace place itself, for which you have to pay an entrance fee for - I think its called Sprectra, or Spectrum. Is there one anywhere else? Any suggestions for Mexican would be awesome! I do miss the Taco Bells of my days in America


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## PaulAshton (Nov 18, 2011)

Sometimes Facebook has groups for Expats local to an area where you can get recommendations on plumbers, restaurants etc and you might have the opportunity to also meet some other females to enjoy your dinner and help you settle in and provide some sanity to where you are until your husband comes

As I am not fussy I never have recommendations on restaurants but people in Alex might know


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## SHendra (Oct 18, 2010)

Roastry down around El Raml.. around the corner from the 'Metro Cinema'. In that place your find very delish steaks! They have another branch in Roushdy but always preferred the one near the cinema.

As for Mexican theres a international food resturant called the Jungle Tea Gardens. It in the area behind the 'new downtown' near the carrefour end of city. That resturant was my favourite because it had a relaxing feel to it and your surrounded by trees and waterfalls (yes I said waterfalls!). You little bridges to cross to get to dif parts of the resturant. The food is cooked to order.. thier kievs are lush lol. They have a menu that caters for all, a dif page for each kind like chinese, mexican, italian etc. Also it's pretty much smoke free. I cant recall name of road and you will need a taxi there. Its on the road that runs parall behind 24/7 cafe etc. Avoid Thurs nights the min charge goes up and very busy. Normal days min charge around 30LE.


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## SHendra (Oct 18, 2010)

SHendra said:


> Roastry down around El Raml.. around the corner from the 'Metro Cinema'. In that place your find very delish steaks! They have another branch in Roushdy but always preferred the one near the cinema.
> 
> As for Mexican theres a international food resturant called the Jungle Tea Gardens. It in the area behind the 'new downtown' near the carrefour end of city. That resturant was my favourite because it had a relaxing feel to it and your surrounded by trees and waterfalls (yes I said waterfalls!). You little bridges to cross to get to dif parts of the resturant. The food is cooked to order.. thier kievs are lush lol. They have a menu that caters for all, a dif page for each kind like chinese, mexican, italian etc. Also it's pretty much smoke free. I cant recall name of road and you will need a taxi there. Its on the road that runs parall behind 24/7 cafe etc. Avoid Thurs nights the min charge goes up and very busy. Normal days min charge around 30LE.


According to my little surf just now the jungle tea gardens is on Acacia Street. Which as I said runs behind 24/7 cafe or behind the lagoon!. It's about halfway along with a sign outside with a ladybird on it!


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## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

If I have a hankering for beef, it's Balbaa all the way!

Delicious BBQ'd "beef steak" with bread, humus, babaganoosh, salad, etc., comes with for 35 LE. That's a bit on the pricey side for a student, however the portions are generous and plenty enough for two meals. There's also a chicken BBQ meal on offer.

Of course they deliver, however there's a lovely sit down restaurant, too.

There's one in Sidi Bishr and another in, I believe, Rushdie.


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## hhaddad (Apr 14, 2010)

ArabianNights said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Would be nice to get some suggestions (and there is the need to start a thread that can bring one's spirits up!... Lots of negatives of Egypt coming out in the forum now)
> 
> Since I am Muslim and in the UK I usually cannot go out to have a nice steak. One good thing about Egypt, is that I can enjoy major food chains, such as Chilis and have a good steak... in fact, Egypt was the first place EVER where I had a steak for the first time and boy, are they good  and I am not that much of a meat eater, either! I know that there is a Chilis in Montazah, but is there anywhere else in Alexandria, that I may have missed? In City Stars, Cairo they have lots of wonderful places where one can have a steak.... there is one place there that have a mixture of steaks and Mexican food, I forgot the name, but I wished there was one in Alex! I know that there is a place inside the Montazah Palace place itself, for which you have to pay an entrance fee for - I think its called Sprectra, or Spectrum. Is there one anywhere else? Any suggestions for Mexican would be awesome! I do miss the Taco Bells of my days in America


Try Trianon their food is excellant. They are at 7 Kafafis St. (sharm El Sheikh St. Previously) Off El Sultan Hussein St.
Raml Station, Alexandria
Also in Mohandesin near Macdonalds


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

Oh wow.... some great suggestions here! Plenty of new places to try out! Thanks


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

hhaddad said:


> Try Trianon their food is excellant. They are at 7 Kafafis St. (sharm El Sheikh St. Previously) Off El Sultan Hussein St.
> Raml Station, Alexandria
> Also in Mohandesin near Macdonalds



Thought i'd give some feedback. There is a Trianon about a 5 minute ride away from where I live - its along the Cornish, near Miami. I went thre the night before last and they gave me a menu, but it didnt have any Steaks in it.... I asked for it and they gave me one. I ordered the Steak with the Blue Cheese sauce and side of rice with potatoe wedges. The wedges consisted of 4 pieces lol. It had some Dil garnish on it. IT WAS AMAZING! AND THE SAUCE! Oh God, the sauce! Was so creamy, cheesy and so delicately flavoured lush! Was A Amazing! 

Last night I went and had another meal at the Zallion cafe right next door to the Costa Cafe in Stanley Bridge, but this time I had fried chicken fillet topped with melted Mozzarella, sauteed vegetable and french fries. The portions were HUGE! It also was a very nice meal and very satisfying indeed  A nice meal makes a huge difference, when you are feeling under the weather and cannot be bothered to stand in the kitchen, which I have been doing a lot since I moved here!


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

SHendra said:


> According to my little surf just now the jungle tea gardens is on Acacia Street. Which as I said runs behind 24/7 cafe or behind the lagoon!. It's about halfway along with a sign outside with a ladybird on it!


That place you mention sounds like my dream come true!  Although it does sound to be a bit far away... I might venture out there tonight, lets see. Although there are some other places around San Stefano that I found too! I think my complaints about food in Alexandria are diminishing, Alhamdulilah!  I am only just realizing that many cafes are actually also restaurants combined and that they in fact, do very very very good food, which I usually would not be able to eat in the UK, so im gonna eat as much as I can here! lol


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## SHendra (Oct 18, 2010)

ArabianNights said:


> That place you mention sounds like my dream come true!  Although it does sound to be a bit far away... I might venture out there tonight, lets see. Although there are some other places around San Stefano that I found too! I think my complaints about food in Alexandria are diminishing, Alhamdulilah!  I am only just realizing that many cafes are actually also restaurants combined and that they in fact, do very very very good food, which I usually would not be able to eat in the UK, so im gonna eat as much as I can here! lol


There is a lot of places.. even Harris, the Plaza branch do okay food. Also the Plaza one has the resturant side smoke free. 

If you do venture to the Jungle and at night.. dress warm! It's outside even though it is covered. They do have heat lamps however. In the middle 'pond' of the resturant your find a few storks living there and it took me many trips to realise they were real! lol. You may spot those giant goldfishes too! Maybe worth calling first if a number can be found.. I know they close a little earlier in winter.


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## Helen Ellis (Aug 9, 2008)

Have you tried the Taverna not far from the University. The best Alexandria liver EVER. I ate there regularly in the 80's and 90's when I lived in Alex and went back there last year. It was just as good as I remembered. They do other food too.


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

Helen Ellis said:


> Have you tried the Taverna not far from the University. The best Alexandria liver EVER. I ate there regularly in the 80's and 90's when I lived in Alex and went back there last year. It was just as good as I remembered. They do other food too.


I'm not one for liver, but i think the one you are talking about is at Ramla? They also do pizza's and shawarmas etc.... they always seem to be packed! Been there twice and they never had space so have never eaten there yet!


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## cutiepie (Mar 14, 2009)

there's no Balba in Roushdy the 2nd one is downtown def recommend it food is great!!!!!

Also Abou Ashraf for fish in Bahri if you can find it is def worth it.......... best fish in Alex... Hosny is also good (downtown and Bahri-across the road from Abou Ashraf)

Roastry is also nice, agree the one near cinema is better than Kafr Abdou...

mmm loads of nice restaurants in Alex... Latino is nice one on Corniche has fab view during the day but service is absolutely shocking...the one downtown is better!


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## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

cutiepie said:


> there's no Balba in Roushdy the 2nd one is downtown def recommend it food is great!!!!!


Thank you for the correction. I knew there was a second location, just not sure where.


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## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

Have you tried pizza?

I don't mean Pizza Hut or the western outlet pizza, I mean Egyptian pizza.

If given a choice, I would take the Egyptian version over whatever the others have on offer, every time.

It always comes with a packet of ketchup ... which isn't too bad who woulda thunk.


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

expatagogo said:


> Have you tried pizza?
> 
> I don't mean Pizza Hut or the western outlet pizza, I mean Egyptian pizza.
> 
> ...


You mean fateer? Oh yeah - was a regular with me in the 'good 'ol days' - i.e when I first came, a few months back


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