Food · Luxor · Egypt
What to eat in Luxor
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Luxor, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Ful medames, Ta'ameya and Koshari. Village restaurants and guesthouses on the West Bank serve home-style meals of tagens, rice, salads and sun bread under shady trees after a morning at the tombs. Drink bottled water and be cautious with raw salads at very cheap stalls if you have a sensitive stomach.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Ful medames
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life: small notes for tomb guardians who show you…
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Breakfast · Vegetarian
1.Ful medames
Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with oil, cumin, lemon and garlic, eaten with flatbread. It is the everyday breakfast across Egypt.
Where: Street carts and small cafés around the souq and station in the morning.
Street food · Vegetarian
2.Ta'ameya
Egyptian falafel, made with fava beans rather than chickpeas, which gives a green interior; served hot in bread with salad and tahini.
Where: Sandwich shops around the souq and Television Street.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Koshari
A filling vegetarian bowl of rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas topped with spicy tomato sauce, crispy onions and garlic vinegar.
Where: Specialist koshari shops in the town centre; cheap, quick and served in different sizes.
Bakery · Vegetarian
4.Aish shamsi
Upper Egypt's 'sun bread', a thick, round sourdough left to rise in the sun before baking. It is the traditional bread of Luxor and the villages around it.
Where: West Bank villages and local bakeries; some guesthouses serve it at breakfast.
Dish
5.Molokhia
A green, garlicky soup of finely chopped jute leaves, usually served with rice or bread and chicken or rabbit.
Where: Local restaurants serving Egyptian home cooking.
Dish
6.Hamam mahshi
Pigeon stuffed with spiced rice or freekeh and roasted or grilled; a traditional Egyptian dish for a special meal.
Where: Egyptian restaurants on both banks; sometimes needs ordering in advance.
Dish
7.Tagen
Meat or vegetables slow-cooked with tomato and spices in a clay pot; in Luxor, West Bank restaurants often serve lamb or okra tagens.
Where: Family restaurants and guesthouses on the West Bank.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Karkadeh
Deep-red hibiscus tea, sweet and slightly sour, served hot in winter and iced in summer; hibiscus is grown widely in Upper Egypt.
Where: Cafés and hotels; dried hibiscus flowers sell by weight in the souq.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Sugarcane juice (Asab)
Freshly pressed sugarcane juice from the fields around Luxor, sweet, green and very refreshing in the heat.
Where: Juice stalls in the town centre with a cane press on the counter.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Om Ali
A warm Egyptian bread pudding of pastry baked in sweet milk with nuts, raisins and coconut.
Where: Hotel and Egyptian restaurants' dessert menus.
Food experiences
West Bank family lunch
Village restaurants and guesthouses on the West Bank serve home-style meals of tagens, rice, salads and sun bread under shady trees after a morning at the tombs.
Street breakfast
Join locals at a ful cart near the souq for beans, ta'ameya and pickles with fresh bread, a filling meal for a few pounds.
Rooftop dinner facing the Nile
Rooftop restaurants on both banks look across the river to Luxor Temple or the West Bank hills, best at sunset.
Quick bites and street food
- Ful medames — Street carts and small cafés around the souq and station in the morning.
- Ta'ameya — Sandwich shops around the souq and Television Street.
- Aish shamsi — West Bank villages and local bakeries; some guesthouses serve it at breakfast.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Ful medames, Ta'ameya, Koshari, Aish shamsi, Karkadeh, Sugarcane juice and Om Ali. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Drink bottled water and be cautious with raw salads at very cheap stalls if you have a sensitive stomach.
- Alcohol is served in hotels and some tourist restaurants but not in most local eateries.
- During Ramadan many local restaurants close during the day and open for iftar at sunset.
- Check whether service is included on the bill; many restaurants add a service charge and tax.
- Agree prices for drinks and meals in places with no printed menu.
Tipping
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life: small notes for tomb guardians who show you something special, hotel porters and drivers. Add about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, and tip guides and cruise crews at the end of the trip.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salam alaikum | Hello (peace be upon you) |
| Shukran | Thank you |
| La, shukran | No, thank you |
| Bikam? | How much? |
| Min fadlak | Please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Luxor famous for?
Ful medames, Ta'ameya, Koshari and Aish shamsi. Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with oil, cumin, lemon and garlic, eaten with flatbread.
+Is Luxor good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Ful medames, Ta'ameya and Koshari.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Luxor?
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life: small notes for tomb guardians who show you something special, hotel porters and drivers. Add about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, and tip guides and cruise crews at the end of the trip.