Alexandria Seafood Tradition

Alexandria eats differently from the rest of Egypt, and the difference is the sea. The city's fish culture centres on Anfoushi, the old quarter on the harbour spit, where the morning market sells what the boats brought in and the restaurants around it work on a simple system: you go to the ice display at the door, choose the fish by eye, it is weighed, you say how you want it, and it comes back grilled over charcoal or fried, with bread, salads, tahina and rice. Bouri, the grey mullet, is the local favourite, along with sea bass, red mullet, shrimp, squid and sardines. The style is deliberately plain, and the Greek and Italian influence on the city shows in some of the older establishments.

What you actually see

• The Anfoushi fish market - the morning catch sold on ice.
• Choosing from the display - picking your fish by eye and weight.
• Charcoal grilling - the plain cooking the city prefers.
• Bouri, the grey mullet - the fish Alexandrians ask for first.

When to go

April to November for the coast generally, though fish is eaten year round. Lunch is the traditional meal for it. Two hours. The market is a morning affair and winds down by midday.

Honest expectations

Pricing is by weight and the first quote can be inflated; agree the price before it goes on the grill. Quality varies enormously between the tourist-facing corniche places and the local ones. The market is wet, crowded and pungent. Some restaurants add unrequested side dishes to the bill.

Nearby

The Qaitbay fort is at the end of the Anfoushi spit; the corniche runs east.