EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Eating out in Aswan offers the pleasures of fresh fish and Nubian dishes such as okra in spicy tomato sauce, in riverside restaurants which are great on balmy nights but empty when it's cold. You won't find any Chinese food, and Italian or French cuisine is limited to a few big hotels. The bazaar is good for street food , with fuul and liver sandwiches sold near the station end of the street, and fruit and nuts on every corner. There are simple cafés for chicken and fish meals or kushari, and the usual array of juice bars and coffee houses. All the Corniche places are open till around midnight (or later if there is custom); the cafés in the bazaar may close earlier at around 10-11pm. The cheapest place for drinking is the bar in the Oscar Hotel (Stella £E6).

Aswan Moon , on the Corniche near the Horus. Distinguished by its castle gate and a floating extension. Cool by day, loud and lively at night; a place to meet felucca captains and hear Nubian music. Fish, chicken, vegetable dishes and meaty kab hala stew. Beer and wine. Fun, but service is sometimes poor. Main dishes £E5-15, plus tax.

Aswan Panorama , on the Corniche opposite Duty Free. Serves a wide range of entrées, so-called vegetarian dishes, iced drinks and herbal teas. Try the rice pudding with nuts and rosewater. Similar prices to the Aswan Moon.

El-Madina , Sharia al-Souk, near the Cleopatra. Clean, share-a-table diner with set meals (£E6-16) of liver, chicken or fish with salad, tahina, vegetable stew, rice, bread and Coke. No alcohol.

El-Masry , Sharia Abdel Magid Abu Zid. Nice, authentic place decorated in arabesque tiles, serving tasty meals based around fish or kebab. Moderate prices. No alcohol.

El-Shatti , on the riverside, opposite Thomas Cook. Has several pleasant terraces, okay for drinking beer (£E6), but the food is often poorly cooked. Inexpensive.

Emy , on a boat on the Corniche, just south of the Aswan Moon. Slightly shabbier and less popular than the Moon, but with better views and a good breeze. Tasty food at reasonable prices (mains £E9-10) in a tranquil setting.

Mona Lisa , on the Corniche, near the Aswan Moon. A sweatbox during the summer, with painfully slow service at lunchtime, but the food is okay and the fruit-juice cocktails delicious. Prices are lower than at the Aswan. Sells beer (£E6).

Nubian Restaurant , on a tiny island just south of Elephantine. Tasty Nubian set meals (£E55) and a show after dinner. Serves beer and wine. Free transport from the dock opposite EgyptAir. Expensive.

Old Cataract Buffet , on the hotel terrace from 4pm to sunset. Earl Grey tea, cakes and sandwiches (£E35); after sunset the terrace is free for non-residents.

Royal Restaurant, Pub and Coffee Shop , on the Corniche, above Duty Free. Clean, spacious place with good views, Internet access, TV, beers (£E6) and reasonable food, but not much in the way of character. Inexpensive.

Zoom , Sharia al-Souk, just north of the El-Madina. No-frills sit-down patisserie with ice cream and sticky cakes; cheap - mostly under £E1.50.