Restaurants that have closed or have been renamed

Abu Ali

Upstairs restaurant on the bank of the Nile, which took over from the Ibis. It has now also closed and the building has been demolished.

Asia House

Asia House was the name for the pair of restaurants in a building more or less opposite the Sky Cruise offices, past the Isis on the way to the Sheraton hotel. The Bombay is still on the first floor above the street-level shops. The Beijing, a Thai and Chinese restaurant, used to be one level above that but it is now closed and has reopened as a cafe called 'Moods'.

(The) Bamboo

The ground floor restaurant in the Gaddis hotel, run by John of the Two John's, become John's Restaurant then the Gaddis restaurant.

Beijing

This was the Chinese and Thai restaurant above the Bombay. It has now closed and reopened as Moods coffee bar

Benz

This very small but popular restaurant serving Italian meals is still there, but is closed down. It is possible that Benz may reopen in the same or another place at some future time.

Dragon

The original Dragon, next to the Nile Palace hotel, has closed. It merged with the Sinouhe restaurant, opposite. The Sinouhe used to have an Egyptian and international menu but then served the Dragon's chinese menu as well. The Sinouhe closed in October 2009 and reopened in 2010. Instead of the merged restaurants, the Dragon is now a separate restaurant within a restaurant with its own enclosed space, but sharing kitchen and staff.

Ibis

The Ibis, on the West Bank, was only open for a short while but closed and re-opened as the Abu Ali restaurant. That restaurant has also now closed and the building has been demolished.

King Dude

The bar and Egyptian restaurant at the back of the ground floor of the Gaddis, run by John of Two John's fame, closed and become John's bar and Uncle John's Pizza and Pasta. In October 2010 it lost the John's name.

Jamboree (old one)

The Jamboree had to close because it was demolished as part of the city centre changes. A new Jamboree has been built in the centre of the tourist market (see map).

Marhaba

The Marhaba restaurant used to be above the rather untidy tourist shopping complex next to the (now demolished) New Winter Palace. The whole Marhaba centre has now been demolished as part of the city centre renewal programme.

Maro

A large restuarant on the east bank of the Nile, close to the mumification museum, serving mostly tour groups arriving by motor boat. The building is still there but vacated.

Pals

This restaurant used to be where the Puddleduck restaurant is now.

Queens Coffee

This reopened as Broodje Holland, a Dutch sandwich bar.

Thebes

The Thebes restaurant and Cleopatra bar, above the Grand, was named Thebes restaurant and Cleopatra bar in one place and Cleopatra restaurant and Horses and Coach pub in another place. (Yes, we know it should be Coach and Horses, but Horses and Coach is what it was called!). The bar is still there but the restaurant is now The Red Dragon chinese restaurant (not to be confused with the Dragon restaurant which used to be next to the Nile Palace).

Two Johns

Many regular visitors to Luxor will be familiar with the two Johns. They were the first to open an English restaurant in Luxor, 7Days 7Ways. They became so well known that their restaurant was often known as the Two Johns. For a while they also had an interest in Pub 2000, nearer to the centre of town.

After a short break the Johns came back, this time in partnership with an Egyptian businessman, to run Luxor's first self-service carvery. The new carvery was called John and Johns. It was just past the Isis hotel at the southern end of town and just a few steps from 7Ways, above the Grand. The Johns moved on from there as well. The carvery became the Thebes International restaurant and then the Red Dragon.

Most regulars know that only one of the Johns was involved with the restaurants by that time. He he moved from the carvery to the Gaddis hotel, opposite the Isis hotel, a stone's throw from the previous restaurants. Initially there was John & John's restaurant and John and John's Tavern, both on the first floor by the pool. There was also the Bamboo restaurant, serving low-cost set meals mainly, but not exclusively, to half-board guests at the Gaddis on the ground floor and the King Dude, an Egyptian restaurant with Egyptian styling and a choice of Egyptian set menus, and a coffee bar.

The arrangements at the Gaddis then simplified quite a bit. King Dude's became a bar called John's bar, famous for it's karaoke, behind a simple pizza and pasta restaurant, called Uncle John's Pizza and Pasta, serving in-house and also offering takeaway. The Bamboo was replaced with John's restaurant. The top floor restaurant by the pool remained, but the tavern closed.

Suddenly, in Mid October 2010, John's involvement in the Gaddis ended. His name was blacked out of the banners at the front of the hotel and the restaurants were renamed with the hotel's own brand. John is now believed to be in Thailand.

 

Updated January 2012