Egyptian street food is one of the great democratic cuisines — cheap, filling, and fiercely delicious in a way that has nothing to do with presentation and everything to do with technique. In Dubai, the Egyptian community has transplanted a remarkable slice of Cairo's street-food culture into the alleys of Bur Dubai and Al Karama: koshari shops where the layers arrive in a matter of seconds; ful stalls that have been simmering their pots since 4am; ta'meya stands where the falafel is still hot from the oil. If you know where to look, it is some of the best-value food in the city.
This guide covers every major Egyptian street food dish you'll find in Dubai, where to eat each one, and how to navigate the neighbourhood canteens where the real eating happens. Budget: AED 30–60 per person for a full Egyptian street food crawl.
9 Egyptian Street Food Dishes to Try in Dubai
These are the essential dishes — from Egypt's national street food to the lesser-known gems worth seeking out.
Koshari
Rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, crispy onions, tomato sauce. Egypt's national dish and greatest street food.
Ful Medames
Slow-cooked fava beans with garlic, lemon, and cumin. Best eaten at dawn; best in Dubai at Aswan Restaurant.
Ta'meya
Egyptian falafel made from fava beans — emerald-green inside, crunchy outside. Eat with tahini while hot.
Feteer Meshaltet
Layered flaky pastry — sweet (honey/cream cheese) or savoury (minced meat). A full meal in itself.
Hawawshi
Crispy bread stuffed with spiced minced meat, baked until golden and shatteringly crunchy. Egypt's greatest sandwich.
Kofta & Kebab
Charcoal-grilled minced meat kofta and cubed lamb kebab — simple, perfectly seasoned, served with baladi bread.
Om Ali
Egypt's greatest dessert — layers of pastry baked in cream and milk with nuts and coconut. Not optional.
Molokhia
Jute leaf soup with garlic and coriander, served over rice with chicken. One of Egypt's most beloved comfort dishes.
Baladi Bread & Tea
Fresh-baked flatbread and intensely sweet Egyptian tea. The backbone of every Egyptian meal — never skip either.
Koshari — Egypt's national street food dish, available in Dubai for as little as AED 15 a portion
The Best Egyptian Street Food Canteens in Dubai
These three spots represent the essential Egyptian street food experience in Dubai — each with a distinct speciality and a loyal local following.
Al Koshary El Sharif
The most celebrated koshari spot in Dubai — a small, no-frills counter-service shop that has been assembling perfect bowls of koshari since it opened. The system is simple: small, medium, or large; add vinegar sauce, add chilli, add more crispy onions. Each bowl is assembled in under 30 seconds and costs between AED 15 and 22. The koshari here is everything it should be — deeply savoury, texturally complex, served with a proprietary tomato-vinegar sauce that puts every other version to shame. Eat in on a plastic stool or take away. Cash only.
Aswan Egyptian Restaurant
The essential destination for ful medames and ta'meya in Dubai. Aswan cooks its ful overnight in earthenware pots — the result is deeply earthy, properly seasoned beans that taste nothing like the canned versions served elsewhere. The ta'meya is made fresh throughout the day: emerald-green inside from fresh herbs, crisp outside, eaten with house-made tahini and pickles. The feteer meshaltet, made to order in a stone oven at the back, is among the best in the city. Friendly, cash-preferred, always busy on weekend mornings. The Egyptian community of Dubai has been coming here for twenty years.
Meena Bazaar Egyptian Canteen Row
Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai has the most concentrated strip of Egyptian food in Dubai — a cluster of small canteens along the side streets that serve hawawshi, kofta, ful, and various grilled meats to the neighbourhood's Egyptian and South Asian residents. There is no single address: follow your nose towards the charcoal smell, look for the handwritten Arabic menus, and order whatever arrives at the table while still hot. The hawawshi — spiced minced meat packed into dough and baked on an iron — is the standout dish of this strip. Budget AED 30–50 for a full exploration.
The Bur Dubai Egyptian Street Food Walk
Dubai's most rewarding Egyptian street food crawl takes about 90 minutes and covers the most concentrated Egyptian dining district in the city. Best on a weekend morning starting at 8am.
🗺 Bur Dubai Egyptian Food Walk — 5 Stops
Aswan Egyptian Restaurant (Al Karama) — Ful & Ta'meya
Start with a clay pot of ful medames, a plate of ta'meya, and Egyptian tea. Budget AED 30–40. This sets the foundation. Allow 30 minutes.
Walk to Bur Dubai (15-minute walk or 5-minute taxi)
Head towards Meena Bazaar. The streets around Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood are lively and photographable en route.
Meena Bazaar Canteen Row — Hawawshi & Kofta
Pick a canteen from the row along the side streets of Meena Bazaar. Order hawawshi (if available) and one kofta skewer. Budget AED 25–35.
Al Koshary El Sharif — Koshari
A medium koshari at Al Koshary El Sharif. Add extra crispy onions and both sauces. Eat standing up at the counter. Budget AED 18–22.
Cairo House (Al Barsha, taxi needed) — Feteer & Om Ali
Finish with a sweet feteer meshaltet and an individual Om Ali at Cairo House. The proper end to a proper Egyptian morning. Budget AED 50–65.
Egyptian Street Food Price Cheat Sheet
Everything you need to eat the Egyptian street food circuit in Dubai, with honest prices across the city's main Egyptian canteens.
| Dish | Cheap (canteen) | Mid-range | Upscale | Best Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koshari (medium) | AED 15–18 | AED 22–28 | AED 35–45 | Al Koshary El Sharif, Bur Dubai |
| Ful Medames | AED 18–22 | AED 25–32 | AED 35–50 | Aswan Restaurant, Al Karama |
| Ta'meya (6 pieces) | AED 10–15 | AED 18–25 | AED 28–35 | Aswan Restaurant, Al Karama |
| Feteer Meshaltet | AED 25–32 | AED 35–45 | AED 50–70 | Cairo House, Al Barsha |
| Hawawshi | AED 20–25 | AED 28–38 | AED 45–60 | Meena Bazaar canteens, Bur Dubai |
| Kofta (per skewer) | AED 12–18 | AED 20–30 | AED 35–55 | Meena Bazaar canteens, Bur Dubai |
| Om Ali (individual) | AED 20–25 | AED 28–35 | AED 38–55 | Zahr El-Laymoun, JBR/Mirdif |
| Egyptian tea | AED 5 | AED 8–12 | AED 15–20 | Any canteen |
Where to Order Egyptian Street Food for Delivery
Most of Dubai's Egyptian canteens now deliver via Talabat or Deliveroo. For the best Egyptian street food delivery experience: Zahr El-Laymoun (the most complete menu, delivers across most of Dubai), Cairo House (excellent feteer and Om Ali), and the Bur Dubai canteen cluster (search "Egyptian restaurant Bur Dubai" on Talabat for the current active listings). Koshari travels surprisingly well in delivery — order it with the sauces separate so it doesn't go soggy.
Egyptian Street Food Dubai: FAQs
Where can I find Egyptian street food in Dubai?
Al Karama and Bur Dubai are the heartlands of Egyptian street food in Dubai. Al Koshary El Sharif in Bur Dubai is the best address for koshari. Aswan Egyptian Restaurant in Al Karama has the best ful and ta'meya. Al Satwa also has a strong Egyptian canteen scene along Al Satwa Road.
What is koshari and where can I find it in Dubai?
Koshari is Egypt's national street food — a layered dish of rice, brown lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, crispy fried onions, and tomato-vinegar sauce. It costs AED 15–25 in Dubai. Best at: Al Koshary El Sharif (Bur Dubai), Zahr El-Laymoun (JBR/Mirdif), Cairo House (Al Barsha).
How cheap is Egyptian street food in Dubai?
Egyptian street food is some of the best-value food in Dubai. Koshari costs AED 15–22, ful AED 18–25, ta'meya AED 10–18. A full Egyptian street food meal at a canteen typically costs AED 30–60 per person.
What time do Egyptian street food canteens open in Dubai?
The best Egyptian breakfast spots (ful, ta'meya) open at 7am. Koshari shops typically open from 10am or 11am. Most Egyptian canteens stay open until 11pm or midnight. Weekend mornings (8–11am) are the best time to experience the full Egyptian street food culture in Dubai.