If you walked along Steinway Street in Astoria towards the Grand Central Parkway you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported straight to the Middle East. That’s because this little area between Astoria Boulevard and 28th Avenue is known as Little Egypt.
According to the publication Give Me Astoria, Yemenites, Moroccans, Tunisians, and Algerians have been coming to Astoria since the 1960s, and the neighborhood’s Little Egypt has no shortage of offerings from Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Palestine, among other countries.
And trust us, the mouthwatering smells alone emanating from this area of Astoria are enough to make it worth a visit!
So, next time you find are some of our favorite places to eat in Astoria’s Little Egypt:
Cafés & Bakeries
Start your day off on the right foot with coffee and a pastry at one of Little Egypt’s best coffeehouses. Two words: honeycomb bread. Honestly, need we say more?!
1. MOKAFÉ Coffee House
MOKAFÉ’s name is rooted in Yemen port Mokha and one of the most famous coffee-based drinks–Mocha. Their beans are handpicked from specialty farmers in Yemen and Guatemala and their pastries are out of this world (we highly suggest their pistachio croissant or their honeycomb bread!)
📍 25-73 Steinway St.
2. El Khayam
El Khayam is actually a coffeeshop hookah bar, and it offers a pretty great list of teas, some of which are imported from Egypt. Beyond tea, they also have a selection of freshly made juices, rice pudding, and baklava.
📍 25-72 Steinway St.
3. Al-Sham Sweets & Pastries
Al-Sham is a small bakery in Little Egypt serving Middle Eastern pastries and desserts such as kanafeh and baklava–some say it’s even the best baklava in NYC! There’s no seating so you’ll have to take your order to go, but it’s well worth a visit!
📍 24-39 Steinway St.
Restaurants
Whether you’re looking for the best hummus in all of Astoria, fresh seafood that is cooked however you want it right on the spot, or soft-as-butter lamb shanks, you’ll be equally blown away by all of these Little Egypt restaurants:
4. Kabab Cafe
Opened in 1987, Kebab Cafe was the first Egyptian-owned establishment to open its doors on Steinway Street. For over 20 years, Chef Ali Elsayed has made it his mission to redefine Egyptian cuisine, cooking up dishes passed down to him from his family.
Here you can get your hands on soft-as-butter lamb shanks, delicious babaganoush and kebab, and hawawshi of the day, among many other mouthwatering bites.
📍 25-12 Steinway St.
5. Duzan
One of our go-to restaurants in Astoria as a whole is Duzan, where they serve delicious Palestinian food for an extremely good price. Some of their must-try dishes include their Chicken Shawarma Pitas and Bowls, and their many loyal customers insist that they have the best hummus in all of Astoria.
📍 24-11 Steinway St.
6. Abuqir
Abuqir is one of Astoria’s best seafood restaurants. You can literally walk in, point at what you want to eat, and have it cooked for you (however you like) right on the spot. Their daily offerings usually include various types of whole fish along with other sea creatures including baby octopus, squid, and shrimp.
📍 24-19 Steinway St.
7. Mombar
Mombar is a small, art-filled restaurant serving up original Egyptian dishes–along with some of the chef’s personal creations. From spiced lamb and couscous to thick, doughy pitas and sautéed chicken livers, you seriously can’t go wrong here, regardless of what you order.
P.S. they’re also BYOB!
📍 25-22 Steinway St.
8. Sabry’s Seafood
At Sabry’s Seafood, Chef Sabry, who was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, has been known in the Egyptian community for specializing in delicious seafood. Each meal starts with freshly baked bread before giving way to delicious dishes such as mixed seafood stew, tajine scallops, fried red snapper, and more.
📍 24-25 Steinway St.