Zigzag

Cairo


This bar-club, set in the old Arabesque restaurant, hosts local bands on weekday nights while Thursday and Friday nights are DJ sets with electronica, R&B, hip-hop and grime. There's a strict couples and mixed groups only entry policy. In July and August, when most of Cairo's party-set have upped sticks for the beach, it is only open for occasional events.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cairo attractions

1. Mashrabia Gallery

0.06 MILES

One of the first indepen­dent galleries, Mashrabia is bit cramped but represents the bigger names in painting, video and sculpture.

2. Groppi’s

0.12 MILES

Groppi’s high point was more than 50 years ago when it was one of the most celebrated patisseries this side of the Mediterranean. It has unfortunately…

3. Cairo Atelier

0.12 MILES

Off Sharia Mahmoud Bassiouni, as much a clubhouse as an exhibition space, frequented by Cairo’s art-world new and old guard.

4. Midan Talaat Harb

0.14 MILES

Downtown’s two main streets, Sharia Talaat Harb and Sharia Qasr El Nil, intersect at the roundabout of Midan Talaat Harb, where cars whizz around a statue…

5. Townhouse Gallery

0.17 MILES

Set amid car-repair shops, Townhouse is Cairo’s most cutting-edge space, with a regular program of temporary exhibitions, often with an emphasis on video…

6. Midan Tahrir

0.17 MILES

Midan Tahrir (Liberation Sq) gained world renown in early 2011, when millions of Egyptians converged here to oust then-president Hosni Mubarak. On a…

7. Egyptian Museum

0.18 MILES

One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…

8. Arab League Building

0.27 MILES

This building (a good landmark in the vast Midan Tahrir area) hosts occasional gatherings of leaders from around the Middle East.