Nightlife |
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Cairo
Opera Company
Opera House, Shar'a Tahrir, Gezira
Cairo
02-3420601
Although not quite of international standard,
the Cairo Opera Company has an excellent
soprano in Italian-trained Iman Mustafa.
(To honor the 100th anniversary of Giuseppe
Verdi's death, the company performed Aida,
which debuted in Cairo in 1871, at the
Cairo Opera House the last two weeks of
February 2001.).
Ramses Hilton
Ramses Hilton Annex, 1115 Corniche al-Nil,
Downtown
Cairo
02-5747436
On the top floor of the shopping center
next to the hotel, this has long been
the best bet for (relatively) recent English-language
films.
Absolute
8 Maydan Amman, Mohandiseen
Cairo
02-3497326
Around the corner from Le Tabasco and
under the same management, Absolute attracts
wealthy Egyptians in their twenties and
thirties. If you're coming with a group,
reserve a table.
Jazz Club
197 Shar'a 26 Yulyu, next to 15th of May
Bridge, Mohandiseen
Cairo
02-3459939
The dark, scruffy decor isn't much to
look at, but this is far and away the
best place to see live music in the city
-- not that there is much competition.
Mica leads the most impressive of the
regular bands, playing a Western and Arab
fusion that always has the twenty-something
crowd on its feet.
Renaissance
World Trade Center Extension, Corniche
al-Nil, Boulaq
Cairo
02-5804039
This cinema is the newest and best equipped
in Cairo.
Al-Ghuri Cultural Palace
Qasr al-Ghuri, Shar'a al-Mu'iz, Islamic
Cairo South
Cairo
02-5100823
Regular whirling dervishes and Arabic-music
performances in a medieval mansion setting
are free, so arrive early.
Al-Hanager
Shar'a Tahrir, Gezira
Cairo
02-3406861
Part of the Opera House complex, but intended
as a space for experimental performing
arts, the hall hosts some of Cairo's most
interesting music and dance. With little
cultural criticism in the local press
to guide your decision, just take your
chances; odds are the show will be worth
seeing. There is also a cafe and gallery
on-site.
Gomhouriya Theater
12 Shar'a Gomhouriya, Abdin
Cairo
02-3907707
Many good visiting artists perform at
this surprisingly elegant theater near
Abdin Palace.
Opera House
Shar'a Tahrir, Gezira
Cairo
02-3420601
This is one of the few places left on
earth where you can see ensembles such
as the Bolshoi Ballet in stunning surroundings
for as little as $8. The Opera House,
which opened in 1988 after its predecessor
burned down in 1971, has a Main Hall and
a Small Hall. It presents a constant stream
of visiting artists, in addition to performances
by resident companies including the Cairo
Opera Company, the Cairo Opera Ballet
Company, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra,
and the National Arabic Music Ensemble.
Pick an event from the newspaper and go.
Note that jacket and tie is compulsory
in the Main Hall, but not elsewhere.
Le Tabasco
8 Amman Sq., Mohandiseen
Cairo
02-3365583
With no sign or windows, the place is
hard to find -- look for the bouncer standing
outside -- but this seductively lit subterranean
nightclub is easily Cairo's coolest bar
scene. Look hip and go early if you want
to eat dinner, because by 10 it starts
to fill up with funky twenty-something
Egyptians, and it doesn't empty until
late.
Piano Piano
World Trade Center, Corniche al-Nil, Boulaq
Cairo
02-5804575
With subdued lighting and live music,
this is the favorite piano bar of the
Egyptian moneyed set. The food is fairly
good, although almost everything is fried,
but the bar scene in the back is the better
option.
Windows on the World
Ramses Hilton, 1115 Corniche al-Nil, Downtown
Cairo
02-5758000
The top floor of the Ramses Hilton draws
a forties-plus crowd for the late-night
view and musicians playing softly in the
background.
Alhambra
Cairo Sheraton Hotel
Giza
02-3369700
Expect to stay up very late and spend
a fortune watching an act of limited bawdiness
(it's cheaper to crash a wedding and watch
the belly dancing for free). The famous
Dina is the resident dancer. Closed Mon.
Cafe al-Horea
Maydan Falaki, Bab al-Luq, Downtown
Cairo
02-3920397
This haven for chess players has a pleasantly
worn, wood-and-mirrors feel that evokes
the 1930s. The cafe serves beer.
Coffee Roastery
46 Shar'a Nadi al-Sid, Mohandiseen
Cairo
02-3498882
If you get a craving for real American
coffee, this new chain, opened by a man
who got his cafe start in northern California,
is as close as Cairo gets. It's very comfortable
and often packed with students engaged
in a low-key pickup scene.
El Fishawy
5 Sikkit Khan al-Khalili, Khan al-Khalili,
Islamic Cairo
Cairo
-
In the heart of the medieval marketplace,
this is the great cafe in Cairo, open
around the clock and beloved by tourists
and locals alike. The chairs spill out
into the alley, and the walls are hung
with thick, old-style mirrors decorated
with elaborate woodwork. Tea with fresh
mint is the house specialty.
The Promenade
Cairo Marriott, Shar'a Saray al-Gezira,
Zamalek
Cairo
02-3408888
The best way to spend a summer night is
in the gardens flanked by the restored
palace that serves as the lobby of the
Cairo Marriott. The place is immensely
popular with Gulf Arabs; it serves food
and alcohol. Nov.-Apr., closed daily at
6 PM.
Omar Khayyam
Cairo Marriott, Shar'a Saray al-Gezira,
Zamalek
Cairo
02-3408888
The best of the hotel casinos, this is
open 24 hours and plies gamblers with
free drinks as long as they're playing.
Jackie's Joint
Nile Hilton, Maydan Tahrir, Downtown
Cairo
02-5780444
Loose entry criteria and occasionally
decent dance music are the primary advantages
of this hotel disco-nightclub that draws
all ages. COST: EGP1.35.
Upstairs
World Trade Center, Corniche al-Nil, Boulaq
Cairo
02-5783334
When it comes to dancing in Cairo, this
is the best of a bad lot. Modeled on New
York's famous Au Bar, it draws rich, overdressed
Egyptians in their 20s and 30s. Although
the club is fairly choosy about who's
let in, groups of foreigners -- especially
if there are women in the party -- aren't
as likely to be turned away. Men stand
little chance on their own. COST: Admission
varies.
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