CAIRO: Shisha, despite all the anti-smoking campaigns launched by the Egyptian government in recent times, remains one of the staples of a solid diet for any Egyptian and foreigner. Searching for that elusive shisha stop has become arduously difficult as price hikes continue and quality flounders. We have searched through Cairo to help you choose your favorite stop, based on price and quality. A little puff for everyone. The Budget Stop – Borsa This is where cars don't travel. Cordoned off by the government, the Borsa area (Stock Exchange) is one of the rare places in Cairo where the constant honking and struggle to cross a road are gone. This pedestrian area has become home to some of the cheaper (in the past it was cheap, but no longer) shisha smoking establishments in Cairo. Cafes line the main al-Alwy street in downtown Cairo, with chairs plastered to the cement outside dozens of coal producing tobacco joints. Many of the cafes offer a number of flavors, but the right choice is the traditional apple, as it seems to be the most fresh, considering the hundreds of patrons these cafes receive on a daily basis. The Elite Sure, there are a number of locations that boast top quality shisha, but very few can offer the atmosphere and range of flavors that Sequoia cafe in the upscale Zamalek neighborhood can. Here, simply ask for the tray of options and you will be bombarded with scores of unique choices, including mixes. Many love to dabble in the banana-vanilla mix. It hasn't let down any avid smoker yet. Price wise, you could go worse. Although Sequoia, located at the end of Mohamed Mazhar street, has annually raised their minimum charge – now LE 100 per customer – the price of shisha has not quite risen as much as one expects. This is worth your time, and if there are any guests in town who want a nice shisha with a splendid atmosphere, Sequoia is the best option. For your money Also in Zamalek, located in the Um Kalthoum Hotel on Abu el-Feda street is what appears to be the usual Starbucks-styled cafe, but Pottery Cafe brings to the table, quite literally, some of the most aromatic shisha full of the thick billowing smoke that any shisha fan will certainly enjoy. This is probably not the place to “hang-out” as the mob of teenagers at night make the place noisy and basically unbearable, but during the morning and early afternoon, if a little free Wi-fi and work is in store, Pottery Cafe is a great destination. The Hotel Experience You need a massage. You want to swim. But you don't want to leave Cairo and you still need that shisha fix. Look no further than Cairo's Four Seasons First Residence in Giza – across from the Giza Zoo. Here, you get to spend money for that puff. Some LE 25, the shisha is workable and not too bad. Needing to get away from the city without leaving the city, the hotel offers a number of options, including massages and a day use of their pool. You can get some sun while pulling back from that water-pipe so many continue to desire. The Orientalist There are probably hundreds of places that could boast a claim to the most orientalist cafe in town, but the Marriot Hotel's garden beats them all. The former summer residence for King Farouk, the Marriot Hotel gives all the orientalist flavor that the pesky foreigner undoubtedly is searching for – and doesn't want to trouble themselves with Khan el-Khalili's al-Fishawy cafe. Here, in the friendly confines of the hotel garden, one can sip on a beer – or Port – and pull drag upon drag from decent puff. Don't worry, the waiters are dressed in the historic Turkish outfits and the rush of the Gulf Arabs in the summer months gives any visitor a truly orientalist perspective. ** Do you have a spot that we should include? Email us with your suggestions at [email protected] BM
