Ali El Hendy Coffeehouse

Down a quiet back alley in Alexandria, Ali El Hendy is a coffeehouse that has been pouring since 1882, its faded Art Nouveau interior a survivor from the city's glittering Belle Époque. Old mirrors, worn wood and swirling ironwork give it the patina only well over a century of custom can create.

This is the ahwa in its purest, most timeless form — a place for thick Turkish coffee, mint tea and shisha, where regulars linger over backgammon and conversation flows unhurried. Finding it feels like a small discovery, tucked away from the busy streets.

Stopping in is a chance to slip into Alexandria's café culture at a spot that has quietly outlasted empires and eras alike.