Not every dining experience is a win, and it gives me no pleasure to talk about bad food at restaurants. However, I believe in being truthful about the ups and downs of my trip to Egypt. Unfortunately, the restaurant meals I had in Luxor were, for the most part, disappointing.
El-Kababgy Restaurant Experience
My first stop in Luxor was El Kababgy, a restaurant with a tongue-twisting name but an enviable location right on the Nile. The view was the best part of the experience—sipping a beer while watching the sunset and the feluccas (sailboats) docking was magical. Unfortunately, the food did not match the scenery.
I ordered vegetables stuffed with rice, which cost 40 LE (around $8) and ended up being the most expensive meal of my trip—and the worst. The dish was bland and tasteless, forcing me to reach for the hot sauce on the table. To my dismay, it was a bottle of Heinz hot sauce. It was clear that El Kababgy caters to tourists, offering a beautiful view but subpar food. A classic tourist trap.
Other Dining Experiences in Luxor
Sofra Restaurant
Another restaurant I visited was Sofra, recommended by Lonely Planet. My appetizer, khiyar bil zabadi, was a standard mix of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and mint. The standout addition was sesame salt, which came with a basket of bread. The sesame salt elevated the dish, making it the most enjoyable part of the meal.
Vegetarian Tagen
Tagen, a traditional Egyptian stew cooked in a clay pot, is a ubiquitous dish in Egypt. I opted for the vegetarian version at Sofra, but it was underwhelming. The dish was filled with frozen vegetables and bland tomato sauce, requiring a heavy dose of salt to make it edible. Despite being hot and bubbly, it lacked flavor. I didn’t finish either dish I ordered, though the total cost of the meal was just 28 LE (under $6), so it wasn’t a huge loss.
