The back story
Cairo After Dark: Nile Bars, Rooftops and Live Music
Where Cairo drinks at night: hotel bars over the Nile, rooftop pools, a library and live music.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © The St. Regis CairoA night out in Cairo, from the cocktail bars and rooftops of the Corniche hotels to the island’s pub and cigar lounge, and live music at Cairo Jazz Club in Agouza.
Cairo is a late city. The heat goes out of the day, the bridges light up and the river turns gold, then black, and the evening begins. Most of the city’s bars are in its hotels, and the best of them look straight over the Nile.
On the Corniche
At The St. Regis Cairo, the St. Regis Bar pays homage to the King Cole Bar of the St. Regis in New York, its arched windows looking over the Nile; upstairs on the fifth floor, the Astor Library is a quiet lounge styled as a private library.
Along the river at The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Bar’Oro overlooks the Nile with signature cocktails, Italian-inspired aperitifs and a cigar humidor, open until 1am, while The Bar keeps pouring classic and original cocktails and Champagne until 3am.
At Fairmont Nile City, L’Uliveto serves Italian food by day and turns into a lively bar after sunset, with signature cocktails and premium wines.
Up on the roof
For height, go up. The Kempinski Nile Hotel’s Rooftop in Garden City looks over the Nile and the skyline, and its Jazz Bar frames Cairo Tower through the window. At Fairmont Nile City, the Sky Pool is on the 25th floor of the Nile City Towers, with the river below and the city spread around it.
Cairo comes alive after sunset, and the best seats look over the river.
On the island
On Gezira, the Cairo Marriott keeps two old-school rooms: Harry’s Pub, with a live band once a week and sport on the screens, open until 1am, and the Billiard Bar, a bar, cigar lounge and restaurant in one, open until 2am.
Live music
For music, cross to the west bank. Cairo Jazz Club in Agouza calls itself Cairo’s live-music venue and nightclub, with something on most nights across its rooms, including CJC 610 and The Dance House. Check the line-up and book on its own site.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Kempinski Nile HotelDid you know? The St. Regis Bar takes its cue from the King Cole Bar in New York, the original St. Regis bar.
Our advice
Our advice: start with a cocktail at sunset over the Nile on the Corniche, then go up to a rooftop, and finish at Cairo Jazz Club if there is a band you like. Dress smart casual, and check each venue’s own page for the night’s hours.
Why it's on our list
- On the Corniche
- Up on the roof
- On the island
- Live music
- Our advice
Location
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More in depth
The back storyThe hotels of Cairo, from Mena House to the CornicheA palace hotel at the foot of the Pyramids, two Four Seasons on either bank, the grand towers of the Corniche and a palace on Gezira: where to stay in Cairo.
The back storyCairo, the city of a thousand minaretsThe Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the mosques and gates of Historic Cairo, the churches of Coptic Cairo and the Nile between them.
The back storyCairo’s museums, music and craftsFrom the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square to the royal mummies at Fustat, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Cairo Opera House and the tentmakers of Al-Khayamiya.