Thebes International
Entrance to The Thebes
- through the open courtyard part of the Grand
Thebes International Restaurant is the new name for the restaurant previously known as John and John's. It used to be run by the same two Johns who started 7Days 7Ways.
The two John's opened this restaurant as Luxor's first self-service fixed-price carvery and bar, in partnership with an Egyptian businessman. However, the two Johns have now taken on the restaurant in the Gaddis hotel and their carvery has become the Thebes International Restaurant. It is just past the Isis hotel at the southern end of town and just a few steps from 7Ways.
To get to it you need to go through the open courtyard cafe part of the Grand restaurant, through the spacious rear of that restaurant and upstairs. The Thebes is above and behind The Grand, from where you can look past a stadium to views of the Nile.
Under its new name, the Thebes still has a fixed price self-service carvery on some days, but not every day. There is not yet any pattern to the days on which the carvery is available. The restaurant now also offers an à la carte menu.
The restaurant has its pub. Under John and John it was called the Coach and Horses. It is now the 'Cleopatra'. It doesn't have much character, being just a partitioned corner of the restaurant and is likely to be frequented by people dining at the Thebes rather than people looking to go to a pub for a drink.
Inside Thebes International restaurant.
When available, the carvery menu is typical British self-service fare. There are soups and salads for starters and a range of main courses including roast and braised meats, pies, roast, mash, jacket and boiled potatoes and chips, a huge range of vegetables and vegetarian meals - but no desserts.
The carvery price is a flat LE37.5 for as much as you can eat. Drinks are extra. The food is OK, well cooked, presented in the way typical of self-service carveries and kept reasonably hot. It is not the best food in Luxor. It tastes a bit 'kept warm'. Nor is there anything special about the ambience. The price is not too hot either. Remember it is two courses, not three and drinks are extra. You can get a waiter service 2 course meal freshly cooked at nearby restaurants for the same or less.
The à la carte menu includes western and Egyptian options, but again there is nothing to single it out from the crowd. Most steaks are are LE45 and a tajine with meat is LE35. This is more than local competition but we could find nothing about the food or the ambience to warrant paying the extra.
If you are in hurry and need to eat without waiting for the meal to be cooked, or if you are ravenous and want to take advantage of the 'eat as much as you can for one price' option, then the Thebes carvery may be for you. Otherwise we think you will be happier if you take your time and have something freshly cooked and brought to you for the same price or less at Maximes, Sinuohe, New Sunrise or The Ritz. Thebes is open for snacks and drinks from 10am and the full menu is available from 6pm.