Shopping Malls - Alcohol - Pork - Haircuts - Computers - FRUITS AND VEGGIES - BAKERY/PASTRY
Please send your shopping recommendations to: Shop @ expatsinalex .com
Thanks to Michelle for lots of updates*.
There are three main shopping malls in Alex:
In addition there are several smaller malls and supermarkets. The main expat supermarket is Metro and several are dotted around the city. Other supermarkets are mainly used by locals, such as Fathalla and Zahran.
Alcohol: You will find a Drinkies shop round the corner from Sofitel Cecil. It sells mostly local produce, but some of it is almost palatable. Avoid the local wines, unless you believe Liebfraumilch as a good wine; not that it's available, but the quality and taste will suit you if it's the case. I personally like the local Stella, especially the Premium version.
Pork: Monaco is the only butcher in town to sell pork. However, the hygiene and taste leave a lot to be desired. It's in the original Downtown area, not the downtown taxis drivers think off as downtown; taxis will take you opposite Carre Forre, where there is a place called downtown, for some bizarre reason. There are no easy directions (if someone knows and would like to provide us with detailed directions, including useful landmarks, please do so). If you know St. Marks you are at least in the correct vicinity. Best bet is to find a pal who has been before.
-In addition to Monaco in downtown, the Olio Delicatessen in Kafr Abdou (down the block from Al Forno bakery) carries pork products (albeit frozen, from Monaco). It can save you a trip to downtown. Stuff is by the kilo, and "pork chops" are about the size of lambchops and of dubious cut and quality. Pork loin is tiny, but probably the best "cut" of meat they carry. Sausages and slab bacon are edible. Not much, but at least it's an option. Open everyday, but shortened hours on Friday and Sunday (8 am-3:00pm). *
Haircuts: Guys, you have to go to Mohamed in Roushdy. Yes, you can pay 15 to 25 LE for a basic cut elsewhere, but this guy gives you the full experience of a traditional barber, and all for just 30LE. If you like he will even shave you. To find him, find the fruit store close to the Portuguese Club, and walk west for about 50 metres. passing a BMW sign and a building with CASIO above the door. You will find a large Hairdressers for Men place, done out with lots of wood on the walls. A place for the ladies is next door. In Europe this guy would be charging €20-40.
Computers: Deeb Mall and Computer mall in Roushdy are the only decent places; there are shops dotted around but you will find everything you need with these two. Don't bother with the mall in Smouha. Expect to pay a little less than in Europe, unless you know what you're doing. If you are a computer nerd you can get bargains. However, some of the workers there know nothing about computers, so be careful on taking their advice. The first shop to your left in Computer mall is a very good starting place - if Ahmed is there - as he does know about how to make a good computer. For a good all round machine expect to 4500LE. If you want something for the kids to blast aliens, get better graphics and sound for around 6000LE. A more basic machine which you can use for emails and web browsing will set you back 2500 - 3000LE. And no, that is probably not a genuine XP licence (avoid Microsoft's latest operating system, Vista, unless you know what you're doing, as there are lots of compatibility issues and the retailers here don't know enough about it yet. They'll tell you things are Vista compatible when they're not).
FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Local souks best place for buying produce. Cheaper and better quality than Metro or Carrefour, if you're willing to hang out with the natives. There's Mansheya, of course, but I find that the Cleopatra souk is a bit less crowded (emphasis on "bit"), much closer and convenient for people living in Kafr Abdou. Can walk easily if you take the overpass on Horreya, or take the tram to Cleopatra (the one closer to Sidi Gaber el Mahatat). Some of the butchers don't look half-bad there either. Go before noon to avoid the crowds of pushy housewives! *
BAKERY/PASTRY:
Having a bit of a sweet tooth, I've checked out a lot of our local shops:
-La Marquise (El Wezara tram stop/ also Smouha): decent selection of French
pastry; good Oriental pastries (about 50LE/kg); tasty biscuits and cookies (avg
10-20LE/kg). Smouha shop a bit smaller
-Patisserie Classique, Smouha, and several other branches: I don't know what
street it's on, but if you walk from Kafr Abdou, past the McD's and roundabout,
into the computer area, you will find it on the second story corner with a green
and yellow logo. They have about the same level of French pastry as Marquise,
but they also have a very good quality selection of "gateaux soirees", which is
what they call petit fours here. Small, beautifully designed one-bite cakes.
Also, there is something that looks like a knobby rum-ball (w/out the rum of
course) that is super chocolate-y and my favorite guilty pleasure. Also you can
indulge your Jordan Almond fix here as they carry those "celebration chocolates"
that you see everywhere, but of a better quality than Swiza (but no Callebaut,
that's for sure!). The dragees (jordan almonds) are really good and cheaper
than France, that's for sure!
-El Saidy Patisserie, Sidi Gaber. This is the best bakery/patisserie I have
found here. They have a high-quality selection of Oriental, French, savory
pastries, and cookies. The butter cookies here are the only ones I've had that
actually taste like butter and melt in your mouth. They have beautiful gateaux
and gateaux-soirees. It is always crowded and open very late (we were there at
10 pm)
-Pumpkin Cafe, Roushdy: cute cafe with lots of tarts and cakes, but of varying
quality. I got a meringue-topped nut torte, which was tasty, but about 2 days
old. It satisfied my sweet tooth, so I wasn't too critical.
-Scores Art of Tart, Zizinya: haven't been inside, but I applaud them for trying
anyway...
-Sprinkles Cafe, Kafr Abdou: it's kinda hard to find this place, but if you're
going to Cafe Ole, go up the street right before, until it ends with that
T-shirt shop. Sprinkles is to the left. They have the cutest decor, are very
small, but comfy. Just make sure they don't try to microwave your cupcake! I
don't know why they do that, but it melts all the icing! Service is a bit
overly-leisurely, so don't go if you're in a hurry.
-Genoise patisserie: On the Salah Salem ? street to downtown. Haven't been
there, but heard from locals that it's great. It certainly looks clean and big
on outside.
There is no shortage of good places to buy a gateau for parties, etc. Good
croissants however, are impossible to find, sadly... *
-Health Shop, Smouha: Found this place whilst wandering around the Computer
area of Smouha. No idea what street it's on, but it's next door to Alexandria
Hospital. A little gem that stocks organic honey, foil-sealed herbs and teas,
buckwheat flour, brown rice, and good quality soy milk.
-Zahran Store, Roushdy, close to the Mohamed Mahfouz tram station, second floor
Swiza building: Carries an eclectic assortment of high-quality kitchen
utensils/appliances and random junk. All sorts of plastic food containers, pots
and pans, cake pans, heat-resistant kitchen tools, as well as dime-store
gadgets. A much smaller selection of goods is also available at the Zahran
grocery store near the Zizinya tram stop (mainly dinnerware and pots).
-Egyptian American Bookstore, Kafr Abdou/Sherouk Bookstore, San Stefano Mall,
Seaside Shops: two local bookstores that carry a good-selection of English
language books (EA Bookstore also carries German and French language children
books). Not the cheapest for new releases, but the classics are inexpensive.
Also: Alex Book Center on Horreya Street seems to carry a lot of children's and
textbooks, but not much in fiction. Also: Art Book Center on Horreya Road, at
end of Khalil el-Khayat street. New bookstore that has a good selection of
books, mainly children's, in French, German and English.
-Yarn stores, Mansheya, Salah Salem Street: Alex is full of yarn shops,
surprisingly. They tend to carry mostly acrylic blends, but the shopkeepers
would be more than willing to show you their more expensive wool and mohair
blends if you ask. I haven't seen any needles or accessories at any of them,
but the prices are quite reasonable. The Leylekian yarn shop is a few blocks
away from the main "women's alley" but can be easily found by wandering around.
There are lots of fabric stores and a few more good quality yarn shops on the
same street. If you don't want to go all the way to Mansheya, there is a little
shop on Horreya Road in Roushdy, on the same block as the "Believe" clothing
store, where Horreya splits off into Moustafa Kamel street. They display their
yarn in the window, so it's not hard to find. Small but good selection of basic
and novelty yarns.
-"Women's Alley"/Zinqat as-Sittat, Mansheya: as mentioned above, this is an area
full of shops carrying beads, buttons, patches, ribbons, local cosmetics, fabric
dyes. Very narrow and claustrophobic, so don't bring any big bags or small
children in strollers. It's a lot of fun for crafty types.
-Also filed under "Bakery/Pastry":
Ahmed Hassaneen (sp?) oriental sweets, 2 branches in Miami, 1 in Sidi Bashir,
and I think I saw one more location along the tram line to downtown: Alex's
legendary (amongst the locals, unheard of by most expats) take-out shop that
carries only 4 things: 3 types of basbusa (syrup-drenched semolina cake, 7
LE/kg) and besima (a coconutty-macaroon type slice, 12 LE/kg). All sold only by
the kilo and rather randomly cut into slabs. No English on any shops except for
awning on the Sidi Bashir location. Just look for the stacks and stacks of
yellow and red boxes. Not overly sweet and well-made. Friends from Cairo
consider this the ultimate gift to bring back from Alex. Just tell your taxi
driver you're looking for Ahmed Nahsaseen Miami or Sidi Bashir and they will
know where to go. One Miami location is very easily seen on the Corniche, the
other is just around the corner.
-Al Forno Bakery, Kafr Abdou: go down Saint Genis, make a right on the
first block after the church. Feeno, croissants, pizza bread. Stuff sells out
quickly so if you don't get there in the morning, the pickins will be slim later
on. Croissants still not flaky or salty enough, but better than most places.
Cheese, olive, chocolate and plain croissants. Croissants not cheap, about 2LE
each.
Random Electronics Info:
-Hamada, Nabi Daniel St./ Raml station, downtown: if you have any problems
with transformers blowing out, need conversions to 220v, etc. Hassan and his
colleagues can help you. They have drawers and drawers full of whatever they
need to fix your electric equipment. I took my speaker transformer there and
they converted it from 110v input to 220v for 70 LE. Service was fast and
quality of the work was excellent.
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