Safsafa Restaurant

Safsafa Restaurant is a casual Egyptian eatery in the Old Market (Sharm El Maya) district of Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt's South Sinai Governorate. The Old Market is the part of the city where residents shop and eat, and Safsafa fits that character: straightforward, affordable and focused on dishes Egyptians eat every day rather than on resort-style presentation.

Koshary is the listed specialty and the dish most associated with Egyptian street food. It layers rice, macaroni, lentils and chickpeas under spiced tomato sauce, garlic vinegar and crisp fried onions, and it is among the cheapest filling meals in the city. Grilled kebab, cooked over charcoal and served with salad, tahini and bread, is the main meat option, and fuul and ta'amiya, the fava bean stew and Egyptian falafel made from fava beans, cover breakfast and light-meal orders. Mezze, soups and local tea complete the offer. Prices sit in the budget ($) bracket, with a full meal for one typically costing well under what a Naama Bay restaurant charges.

The dining room is simple and lively, with plain tables, quick service and a steady flow of locals and independent travellers. There is no dress code, and noise from the street and the kitchen is part of the experience. The restaurant is open daily from about 11:00 until 02:00, which makes it useful for late dinners after the Old Market bazaars wind down. Alcohol is generally not the focus at Egyptian eateries of this type, so visitors can expect tea, soft drinks and juices.

No reservations are taken, and walk-in service is the norm; larger groups may wait briefly at peak dinner hours. The Old Market area is a short taxi ride from Naama Bay, and combining a meal here with a stroll through the Sharm El Maya bazaar and corniche gives a more local view of the city than the resort strip.