Eating in Alexandria: fish, liver sandwiches and rice pudding

Alexandria eats differently from Cairo. The city sits on the sea, its history is Greek, Italian and Levantine as well as Egyptian, and its people take long meals seriously. You will find the best of it in small places that do one thing well.

Breakfast the Alexandrian way

Ful medames, slow-cooked fava beans with oil and lemon, is the national breakfast. In Alexandria it comes with falafel, which locals call ta'amiya, and a plate of pickles and salad. It is cheap, filling and eaten standing up at a counter. Expect bread to be warm and the tea to be sweet.

The liver sandwich

Alexandrian liver, cooked fast with garlic, chilli and cumin, is stuffed into a small loaf and eaten on the street. It tastes strong and rich. Sausage sandwiches in the same style are popular too. If liver is not for you, nobody will mind; plenty of other stalls offer chicken and beef.

Fish by the harbour

The sea is the main draw. Restaurants near the harbour show the day's catch on ice, and you choose by eye. Grilled sea bass, fried calamari, prawns and seafood rice are common, often with a spiced tomato sauce on the side. A fish dinner can take two hours, so plan for a slow evening.

Sweets and coffee

Rice pudding, often served chilled in small bowls, is the classic finish. Old cafés in the centre serve it with strong coffee and a glass of water, and they are good places to sit and watch the street. Pastry shops also sell baklava and basbousa.

• Morning: ful, falafel, pickles and flatbread.
• Midday: liver or sausage sandwiches from a stall.
• Evening: grilled fish or seafood rice near the water.
• Late: rice pudding and coffee in an old café.

Eating with a guide

Where to find a good meal without a guide

Look for places with a crowd of locals, a short menu and food that is made in front of you. Avoid places with long laminated menus and staff who pull you in from the pavement. A fish restaurant should show its catch on ice, and a sandwich stall should have a queue. If you are unsure, ask your hotel to suggest a place and to call ahead.

Eating with your right hand is the traditional manner at a street counter, though cutlery is available at restaurants. Tea is often served very sweet, so ask for less sugar when ordering. Bread is the spoon, so use it to scoop up dips and beans. Tipping is customary in restaurants, and small change is welcome at street counters. Saying thank you in Arabic, shukran, always wins a smile.

Egyptian food offers many choices for vegetarians, but meat stock and butter fat are common in cooked dishes. People with shellfish or nut allergies should be very careful and tell the guide or waiter in advance. Gluten is present in bread, pastries and many sauces. We pass allergy notes to the food walk guide before the tour, and the stops can be adjusted.

If you feel unsure about menus, street hygiene or where to start, the food walking tour solves it. You move on foot with a local guide through five or more stops, from counters to the Manshiya market streets to a harbour fish place. Open the trip page to check the meeting point, group size and booking.