Here’s What to Expect at Cairo Food Week 2026

A Cairo table can contain several centuries at once. Recipes carry the residue of migration, empire and family habit; ingredients reveal the economics of the present; restaurants offer their own argument about what Egyptian food is allowed to become. Flavor Republic Ventures' Cairo Food Week was created to examine that larger story.

under the auspices of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, Cairo Food Week will hold its fourth edition from September 24th to October 4rth. Across 10 days, it will consider Egypt’s culinary inheritance alongside the restaurants, ideas and pressures shaping how the country eats now - and how it might eat next.

International chefs will step into Cairo kitchens for a series of takeovers, working within unfamiliar rooms, teams and local contexts rather than simply reproducing their restaurants abroad. The programme also places a greater emphasis on mixology, treating what happens behind the bar as part of the culinary conversation rather than a decorative prelude to dinner.

These encounters sit alongside dinners, conversations and events bringing global tastemakers into conversation with Egyptian cooks, producers and cultural storytellers. The plate and the glass may supply the immediate attraction, but the real subject is Cairo - a city whose appetite remains inseparable from the cultures, migrations and contradictions that produced it.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.

‘Tables of Egypt’ at the Grand Egyptian MuseumFriday, Sep 25 – Sunday, Sep 27 | Powered by Marakez

An expansion to Cairo Food Week’s signature WHEN WE EAT series, this year’s edition prepares extra settings to what was previously known as ‘Tables of Cairo’, becoming now ‘Tables of Egypt’.

Exploring the art of hospitality, this change is both inspired by and in celebration of the launch of a new Egypt book publishers said the world did not need: Suzanne Zeidy and Rawah Badrawi‘s Egypt: Recipes and Stories from an Ancient Land (now available at Diwan.)

Hosted at the Grand Egyptian Museum, the ‘Tables of Egypt’ experience is designed by FR Studio to take the form of an immersive pop-up museum tracing the landscapes shaping Egypt's food, rituals, and ways of gathering— from seas to deserts, along rivers and up mountains, before arriving in Cairo where each leaves its unique trace upon the table.

Developed by Hana Shash and Ramzi Makram-Ebeid, the exhibition features artworks by Emma James, Louis Barthélemy, Mohamed Mahdy, Mai Eldib, and Shahira Fahmy—offering distinct interpretations of landscape and the communities they shape. The exhibition also features photography by Jonathan Gregson, the photographer behind Zeidy and Badrawi’s book, and lighting design by Ghada Dwaik of Lumino.

While the opening night will be an invite-only experience catered by The Cookery Co., the exhibition will remain viewable at the Grand Egyptian Museum’s open air gallery until September 27th.

CFW Conversations Season 2 at KOOK ZamalekSunday, Sep 27 | Powered by VALU

Last year, Cairo Food Week established a new platform dedicated to bringing the kinds of discussions about the culinary industry that are normally had behind closed doors to the forefront, open to the public. They included critical themes such as how to build the blueprint for a world-leading culinary institution, the power of storytelling in repositioning the regional identity, and the difficult task of preserving culinary heritage in a digital age.

This year, ‘CFW Conversations’ returns as a full day event bringing together leading voices to explore a whole new host of ideas shaping the culinary and hospitality landscape in Egypt. Hosted by KOOK at their Zamalek showroom and catered by Kesmat, all the talks will be recorded, while one will also be open to a live public audience.

Architecture of Taste at Tamara HausSunday, Sep 27 | Powered by Alchemy Experience

Returning for its 6th iteration, Architecture of Taste looks at how what we eat and drink can take inspiration from our surroundings. This time around, the architectural inspiration is also the very place where the event is taking place: Tamara Haus.

Across this restored heritage building, the different culinary elements that make up a dish will be distilled into their own exhibition, taking over a different gallery of the space. Hosted by Tchai, the experience this year is curated by Alchemy Experience and features Blak By O’s Omar Semary, patisserie Chouchou, mixology by Greek mixologist Gorilla, beverages by Pepsi and EgyBev, as well brands like Analogue, Marmonil, Benzo, and Aurea.

Chef Takeovers

In a series of ticketed and invite-only dinners, acclaimed chefs from around the world will be taking over some of Cairo’s hottest culinary destinations, giving the food a chance to speak for itself. From Australia to Nicaragua, Sri Lanka to Denmark, these chefs aren’t just bringing their own recipes and flavours, but an entire perspective on what, how, and why we eat.

Chef Paul Farag at Sachi Park St.

Monday, Sep 28 | Powered by Baky Hospitality

Baky Hospitality hosts Australian Chef Paul Farag in a night celebrating family memories, recipes, and rituals.

Chef Gabriella Chamorro at Izakaya

Tuesday, Sep 29 & Wednesday, Sep 30 | Powered by Palm Hills

Izakaya’s iconic Peruvian menu gets a fresh Central American spin by Chef Gabriella Chamorro of Dubai’s Girl & The Goose.

Chef Larry Jayasekara at Scalini

Tuesday, Sep 29 & Thursday, Oct 1 | Powered by Palm Hills

All of Sri Lankan Chef Larry Jayaskera’s ingredients come from his investors’ private estate and island in Scotland. Guests get to fine-dine the vision.

Chef Bo Bech at Mamina’s

Tuesday, Sep 29 & Wednesday, Sep 30 | Powered by Palm Hills

An interactive dining experience bringing guests into the kitchen with one of Copenhagen’s most distinctive culinary voices, Chef Bo Bech.

Chef Mirette Aly, Chef Dina Hosny, and Chef Clara Dayoub at LUHV BY TLT

Wednesday, Sep 30

In collaboration with the World Food Programme, TLT’s Chef Mirette Aly Hosts LUHV’s Chef Dina Hosny and Maison Choc's Chef Clara Dayoub for a moving night around the value of food.

Chef Francesco Brutto at Mazeej Balad by GN’K Hospitality

Friday, Oct 2 & Saturday, Oct 3 | Powered by M Squared

Chef Fransesco Brutto of Michelin-Starred Venissa brings Venice to Cairo at Mazeej Balad’s iconic rooftop.

The Bar in Front of the Bar at Studio Samara

Sunday, Oct 4 | Powered by M Squared

GN’K Hospitality’s Studio Samara will host the Athens-based mixologists behind acclaimed speakeasy, The Bar in Front of the Bar, for a glamorous cocktail evening to close Cairo Food Week 2026.

Stay tuned to SceneEats for more exclusive news and coverage of the fourth edition of Cairo Food Week by Flavor Republic.