Historic Cafés in Alexandria: A Short Guide

Alexandria's historic cafés grew from its Greek, Italian and French communities. Here is a short guide to the downtown cafés and what to look for in each.

Alexandria's historic cafés are concentrated downtown, around Raml Station, Saad Zaghloul Square and the streets toward the Corniche. Most were founded by Greek, Italian or other European families in the early twentieth century, when the city was among the most cosmopolitan in the Mediterranean. Several still open their doors every day.

Why Alexandria has so many

From the late nineteenth century until the 1950s, Alexandria was home to large foreign communities who brought café culture with them. Cafés were where business was done, newspapers read and poetry argued over. The Greek poet Constantine Cavafy lived and worked in the city, and writers such as E. M. Forster and Lawrence Durrell described its cafés.

Names to know

Downtown visitors often seek out Délices on Saad Zaghloul Street, established in 1922; Trianon, on Saad Zaghloul Square; Athineos, near Raml Station, known for its old Greek interior; and Brazilian Coffee Stores, a coffee roaster on Saad Zaghloul Street. Each has its own character, and opening hours and menus change, so check before you go.

What to look for

Original details are the pleasure of these places: marble counters, wood panelling, old signage in Latin and Arabic scripts, mirrors and photographs. At Délices, a small museum holds the shop's old cash registers, typewriters, its first telephone and early Arabic and French menus.

Order a coffee, sit an hour, and the century comes to you.

A simple café walk

Start at Raml Station in the morning, walk Saad Zaghloul Street, stop for coffee and pastry, and end on the Corniche at sunset. It covers the heart of historic Alexandria in a few hours.

Visit Délices

We're at 46 Saad Zaghloul Street, Raml Station, open daily 8 AM – 1 AM. To reserve for a group or order ahead, call +20 3 486 1432.