Cairo/Dokki and Mohandiseen

Dokki and Mohandiseen are districts in Giza suburb on the west bank of the Nile River, part of Greater Cairo.

Understand

Mohandiseen is an upper-middle class to high-class area of west Cairo. It is mainly a good area for good restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and accommodation. Gamet el-Dewal al-Arabia Street is a main avenue for shops, restaurants, and modern coffee shops. Gamet el-Dewal runs from Sphinx Square (by 26 July, close to Zamalek) at the northeast end, to Al-Nasr Square and the area near the Shooting Club. There are a few embassies near Al-Nasr Square, including the embassies of Malaysia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

The main areas in Dokki include around Amman Square near the Shooting Club, and along Tahrir Street. Cairo University, the Giza Zoological Garden, and the Orman Botanical Garden are just to the south of Dokki. Embassies in Dokki include those of Russia, Syria, Jordan, and Pakistan.

Get in

By metro

Dokki is easily accessible via the Cairo Metro. The 1 Dokki metro station is on Line 2 (the Giza-Shubra line), two stops west from the Sadat station at Tahrir Square.

The metro does not serve the Mohandiseen area, though it is planned to extend Line 3 to there.

By taxi

• Mohandiseen is accessible via taxi (~LE10 from Midan Tahrir).
• A taxi to Dokki from Midan Tahrir should cost ~LE6-7.

See

• 1 Agricultural Museum, Al-Sawra Street, Mohandiseen (Next to the Ministry of Agriculture), ☏ +20 2 33372933. (updated May 2016)
• 2 Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, 1 Kafour Street, Dokki. Closed for renovations as of Nov 2018. The museum houses a fine collection of Impressionist paintings, mainly collected before 1928. It occupies the art nouveau palace that belonged to Khalil and his wife, who donated it to Egypt. Among the artists' works are those of Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and Vincent van Gogh. It reopened in July 2017 after renovations, but has closed again with no Reopened ng date available. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

• 1 Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July Street (From Zamalek, just before Sphinx Square), ☏ +20 2 33459939. Dancing and live music. (updated May 2016)
• 2 Tahrir Cinema, 112 El Tahrir Street, Dokki. Movie theater. 

Buy

Electronics

• Best Buy - Apple Center, 7 Thawra Square (Midan Thawra), Mohandiseen (pronounced 'Sawra'), ☏ +20 2 37628391. Not the same as Best Buy in the United States, but this is a good place to get Apple products, service and technical support. 

Gifts

• Bashayer, Mosaddak St, Dokki. Ceramics, jewelry, carpets, and a variety of other Egyptian-made items. 
• Om El Saad, Mosaddak St, Dokki. Small shop with quality hand-made jewelry. 

Eat

Budget

• Al Omda, 131 El Tahrir St, Dokki. Take-away place that serves sandwiches, kofta, foul, koshari, fateer, etc. 
• Gad, 97 El Tahrir St, Dokki. Serves foul, falafel, fateer, and other fast food. 

Mid-range

• Chocofolie, 33 Amman St, Dokki. Delicious hot cocoa, desserts, milkshakes, as well as some non-chocolate menu items such as omelets and salads 
• Cilantro's, El Mesaha Square, Dokki. Serves sandwiches, coffee, desserts. Orange WiFi. 
• McDonald's, El Mesaha Square, Dokki. Standard fast food 
• Radwan, El Tahrir St & Dokki St, Dokki. Kebabs, chicken, pasta, vegetables, etc. 
• Teriyaki, El Gazayer and Gamet el-Dewal al-Arabiya, Mohandiseen. Teriyaki meals, with chicken, shrimp, beef, or tofu, with vegetables, served with rice or noodles. 

Splurge

• Abou el-Sid, Amman Square, Dokki. Serves stuffed pigeon, veal, chicken, falafel, fateer, and other Egyptian cuisine. 
• 1 Ataturk, 20 El-Riyadh Street, Mohandiseen, ☏ +20 101 791 9728. noon-2AM. Turkish cuisine, though not vegetarian friendly. No alcohol served. (updated Sep 2018)
• Cafe Tabasco, 7 Mosaddak St, Dokki. Sandwiches, pasta, chicken, beef, American-style breakfast, coffee, tea, etc. 
• 2 Chili's, 2 El Fawakih Street, Mohandiseen, ☏ +20 2 37617004. Burgers, chicken, fajitas, other tex-mex options. (updated Sep 2018)
• 3 Kandahar, 3 Shara Gamet el-Dewal al-Arabiya, Mohandiseen, ☏ +20 100 340 0402. One of the best Indian restaurants in Cairo. The food is more expensive, but the portions are large enough that dishes can be shared. (updated Sep 2018)

Drink

• 1 707 Club, 19 Abdel Hamid Lotfy St (next to El Manar Hotel), ☏ +20 100 236 1111. (updated Sep 2018)

Sleep

Mid-range

• Havana Hotel, 26 Syria Street, Mohandiseen, ☏ +20 2 37490758, info@havanahotelcairo.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. 25-room hotel, provides free internet. US$80. 
• King Hotel, 20, Abdel Rehim Sabri Str, Dokki. A well run hotel, in a quiet neighboorhood. Good value. Wifi is free and connection is fast and stable. Breakfast is good. Inside restaurant and rooftop bar, serve good food food, but a little pricey. Single/double US$35/45 (Jan 2009). 
• Superlux apartment, Damascus Street, Mohandiseen, ☏ +20 123102440, salem1978usa@yahoo.com. Large furnished 3-bedroom apartment available to rent by the day on a quiet residential street in a wealthy and safe area. Opulently furnished, wifi internet, full kitchen, washing machine etc. A nice alternative to Cairo's hotels, near lots of restaurants and shops, but away from the tourists. US$50-100 per night. 
• Pharaohs Doki Hotel, 12 Lotfy Hassouna, Ad Doqi A, Ad Doqi. Basic but clean rooms close to the Nile and El Tahrir St. From LE670, breakfast included. (updated Nov 2018)

Splurge

• 1 Pyramisa Suites Hotel & Casino Cairo, 60 Giza Street, Dokki, ☏ +20 2 3336 7000. A 5-star hotel over looking the Nile, boasting big, elegant rooms and high quality restaurants. 
• 2 Safir Hotel Cairo, 22 El Messaha Square, Dokki, ☏ +20 2 748-2424. Well-decorated large rooms. (updated May 2016)
• 3 Sheraton Cairo, Galae Square, Dokki (along the Nile), ☏ +20 2 33369800. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. Well-run by friendly staff, the rooms are clean but a bit run down, with rust stains in the bathroom ceilings. Hosting a nice pool and bar, as well as a number of on site places to grab a bite. It's on the Giza side of the Nile,between downtown and the Great Pyramids. US$160-220. (updated May 2016)