Sofra

And now for something completely different.

Away from the tourist hotels around the temple and at the southern end of town, close to backpacker-land, not far from the station, is an unassuming single storey building with screens around its roof. This building houses a restaurant with much more character than most. The outside is well-presented enough, but once inside you step back 60 years and enter the world of colonial Egypt.

The Sofra has a general dining room with two 4 seat and two 2 seat tables. For larger groups there are several rooms of varying size for parties of around 5 to 12, each furnished and decorated as a dining room from the colonial days, with a single central dining table and chairs to suit the capacity of the room.

Elsewhere in Luxor there are restaurants that claim Englishness and replicate English food. There are others that sell English type food with a touch of Egyptian influence. The Sofra is an Egyptian restaurant offering traditional Egyptian cuisine in a bygone Egyptian atmosphere.

The menu explains the content of the meals, so even those unfamiliar with local dishes can find something to suit. Choices include a wealth of hot and cold mezzes, soups and other starters, a wide range of meat, fish and vegetarian main courses and a small selection of desserts. Main courses are mostly around LE25 with others between LE15 and LE50 so all budgets are catered for. It is easy to find a three course selection for two within a total of around LE80, or those on a tight budget would manage two courses for LE20 each plus drinks.

If you are inclined to try local cuisine but wish to immerse yourself gently into the new experience you could choose a soup, tajine (stew) with rice and fruit cocktail with water and have enough change from LE50 to leave a tip.

The food itself is excellent and appears to be cooked to order. If you wanted to be really fussy, you could argue that the meat could be better trimmed, but it is well cooked, extremely tasty and taken in a setting and for a price that encourages you to forgive any minor imperfections.

The roof offers a spacious and sheltered alternative for dining or for hot or cold drinks and snacks. Shisha is available.

The simplest way to get to the Sofra is to start at the railway station. With your back to the station, take the left turning that is signposted to Happy Land hotel. This is El Manshiya Street. The traffic is one way and coming towards you. Take the first turning left off this road and the Sofra is on your left. If you are coming from the hotel area at the southern end of Luxor there are shorter but more complicated routes. If you are not confident walking in the narrower and busier local streets you may wish to take a taxi. It will be worth it.