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.