Samakmak

Samakmak is a long-running seafood restaurant on Kasr Ras El Teen Street in the Anfushi harbour district of Alexandria, Egypt, a few minutes' walk from the fishing boats moored along the Western Harbour. There is no celebrity chef pedigree here; the kitchen's reputation instead rests on decades of buying directly from the morning catch and cooking it simply, in the Egyptian seafood tradition shared by the older houses of Anfushi and Bahari. Diners typically select their fish from an iced display near the entrance before it is weighed and sent to the grill or fryer. Signature dishes include grilled red mullet, fried shrimp, a tomato-based fish soup, and sayadeya, the Alexandrian classic of rice cooked in a deeply reduced fish and caramelised-onion stock and topped with fried or grilled fillets. The dining room is unpretentious and functional, with close-set tables, bright lighting, and a steady churn of local families and visitors on food-focused itineraries rather than a quiet, romantic atmosphere; dress is casual and there is no dress code. Alcohol is limited, as at most Anfushi seafood houses, with the beverage list built around soft drinks, karkade (hibiscus tea), and fresh juices rather than a wine programme. Reservations are not essential on weekdays but are worth making, or arriving early for, on Thursday and Friday evenings when the harbour district gets busy with Alexandrian families dining out.