Best restaurants in Luxor for families

When travelling as a family, I can sometimes find it extremely difficult choosing places to eat. Whilst in Egypt I was keen to try as much of the local cuisine as possible. Whilst Chloe, our teenager is also often keen to sample the local food, the other two children can be more fussy!

As with many families, this means that choosing where to eat usually involves a balance between exploring the local cuisine and finding food that everyone in the family will be happy with!

We’ve rounded up what in our opinion are the best restaurants in Luxor for families. Our favourite for Egyptian cuisine was Sofra on the East Bank. Martha is usually the fussiest eater in our family and loved this place.

For somewhere with excellent views and some more Western style meals to keep the fussy kids happy Nile Valley on the West Bank and Al Sahaby Lane on the East bank are top choices.

Types of restaurant in Luxor

As with most large cities there are restaurants of all shapes and sizes in Luxor. This ranges from familiar fast food joints like McDonalds to small local restaurants and plenty of tourist-oriented restaurants featuring a range of food options.

We tried to sample a range of restaurants but in truth being in the tourist areas they are all somewhat tourist oriented.

In all honesty I often feel a bit intimidated trying a completely local restaurant in a foreign city. Particularly if unable to read the menu or speak the language! This problem is exacerbated with children since I would probably just order something without knowing exactly what it is and try it, my children would be less keen on this idea.

The advantage of restaurants that are more aimed at tourists is that usually the staff speak some English, you will be able to read the menu and often there will be a description of the dish. Knowing the name of an Egyptian dish doesn’t necessarily mean you will understand what it is made of.

East Bank Restaurants

On the busier East Bank of Luxor you are completely spoilt for choice with restaurants. Here are our favourites. There are more traditional restaurants throughout the town, but the riverside corniche provides restaurants with great views.

Best for Egyptian food: Sofra

I had read lots of great reviews of this place before we arrived in Luxor and it didn’t disappoint. Tucked away in a back street, not far from the train station, it’s difficult to tell from outside what the place is like.

There are some indoor rooms downstairs but we were ushered up to the beautiful roof terrace. Shaded by billowing curtains the terrace is spacious with beautiful individualised tables and chairs scattered around.

Benjamin particularly enjoyed the kitten that came to join him on his large bench seat!

It was our first full day in Egypt and with the menu being purely made up of Egyptian food items I was initially worried that there would be complaints from the children.

We decided to order the Sofra Mezze which consisted of 4 cold and 4 hot Mezze items. To supplement we also ordered a lamb kofta dish from the main menu to supplement this.

Between five of us this was plenty of food and was all delicious. The lamb kofta was particularly good. Probably our favourite Mezze item were the Ta’Miya- the best falafel I have ever tasted!

I was so pleasantly suprised that Martha (usually the fussiest eater in the family) loved all the food and kept asking when we could go back!

Unfortunately we didn’t make it back (we were never close enough in the area) but Sofra would be the first restaurant I visit if I ever return to Luxor.

I had read reviews about it being difficult to get a table here. We visited at lunchtime without a reservation and got in no problem. In the evening it is probably best to book ahead (most hotels will do this for you if you don’t have a phone you can use).

Where to find Sofra: 90 Mohamed Farid Street Al Manshiya, Luxor 83911 Egypt

Best for temple views: Al Sahaby Lane

Al Sahaby Lane restaurant is on the roof of the Nefertiti hotel.

For the best views you need a table by the edge of the terrace. From here you get an excellent view of the Nile and Luxor temple. We went in the evening and could see it all lit up.

However we hadn’t booked, so our table was further towards the back of the restaurant. We still enjoyed our meal and the menu contains a good mixture of Egyptain specialities and more western foods.

The children were happy with pasta and pizza while us adults tried the beef Fateera and the Egyptian Musakka.

We all really enjoyed our meal at Al Sahaby and had great service throughout. I had read some mixed reviews about service so maybe this depends on the day.

It is worth noting that being on the roof there are quite a few stairs to get up to the restaurant and I don’t think there is a lift. As previously mentioned we did manage to get a table without a booking but it was busy so pre-booking would probably be recommended.

Where to find Al Sahaby Lane: Ferry Boat Landing, Gezirat El Bairat, West Bank, Luxor, 85511, Egypt

For a meal by the river: El Kababgy

The whole Nile Corniche on the East Bank is lined with restaurants. Most of these look very similar, and some are in fact part of the same restaurant group with the same menu.

We chose El Kababgy based on online reviews and were very happy with our meal. It is well located just in front of the Winter Palace hotel, where we had just treated ourselves to sunset drinks on our last evening in Luxor.

Similar to many other Luxor restaurants that are geared for tourists the menu had a good range of Egyptian dishes and more familiar Western options.

We booked online, which was very easy and meant we had a riverside table ready and waiting for us.

Where to find El Kababgy: Kornish Al Nile, Luxor City, Luxor Governorate 85111, Egypt. (in front of Winter Palace Hotel).

West Bank restaurants

Our hotel was on the West Bank meaning that we ate on this side of the river quite a few times during our stay. Most of the restaurants on the West Bank are close to the Nile and being a much smaller area it is easier to get to them wherever you are staying.

Best for grilled meat: Thebes

Thebes was recommended by the hotel owner at Villa Belzoni. We enjoyed our meal but it probably wasn’t our favourite in Luxor. I had read lots of really positive reviews so maybe we just ordered the wrong things.

Chloe and I shared some Mezze, which was mostly very nice. The Mezze included spring rolls, which weren’t our favourite.

We didn’t end up visiting again but if we did I would have ordered one of the meat grills. We watched these coming out sizzling and they looked delicious.

Where to find Thebes: Ramla West Bank, from the ferry walk south along the river to find the restaurant.

Best for views: Nile Valley Hotel Restaurant

Another hotel rooftop offering fantastic views from the restaurant. Like most hotel restaurants in Luxor the menu was varied meaning there’s something for everyone.

Being on the West Bank the views are over the Nile towards Luxor temple on the East Bank. We never got tired of being able to see the iconic river from anywhere!

The Nile Valley is well located close to the public river ferry if you are staying on the East Bank. From our West Bank hotel it was only a 5 minute stroll by the river to get there.

We enjoyed our meal here and found the staff to be super friendly. The food was a similar level to what we ate in other places in Luxor (probably not as good as Sofra for Egyptian cuisine) but the views definitely make it worth a visit.

Where to find Nile Valley Hotel Restaurant: Ferry Boat Landing, Gezirat El Bairat, West Bank, Luxor 85511, Egypt

For lunch near the West Bank sights: Paris Restaurant

We were recommended this restaurant by our taxi driver that we had hired for the day to take us around the sights of the West Bank.

There is a bar downstairs and the main restaurant is upstairs. We visited at lunchtime and loved our meal here.

It was Egyptian food only and a limited choice from a set menu which came with some delicious side dishes. Between the five of us we ordered for four which was plenty of food for our family.

The restaurant is located right next to the Collosi of Memnon. Probably easiest to arrive by taxi and makes a particularly good stop off whilst touring the West Bank sights, and is also close to the air field for Hot Air Balloon rides.

Were to find Paris Restaurant: Al Bairat, Luxor 1341720 Egypt (next to the Collosi of Memnon).

Obviously this is a small sample of the restaurants available in Luxor. Food is always a big part of our travels and we really enjoyed the Egyptian cuisine, which is generally incredibly tasty.

Most hotels do have their own restaurants or are happy to make their own recommendations of local restaurants too.