Mohandiseen
Mohandiseen is a relatively large neighbourhood on the west bank of Cairo, that is bounded by Sudan street to the north and west, by Dokki to the south, and by Dokki/Agouza to the east. Its name means the "Engineers", and it was built up largely during the 60's and 70's to house Cairo's growing number of technocrats.Mohandiseen is, for the most part, a sprawling mess of grey concrete and some of the most congested roads in Cairo. It's an affluent area, comprised of both housing and business, and with a large concentration of high rise buildings belonging to banks.
The main thoroughfare is Gamaat al-Dowal al-Arabiya, which is a wide boulevard running north-east – south-west. This street, and the ones off it, is packed with Western-style cafes and restaurants, and lots and lots of Western fast food. If you are looking for McDonald's, Cilantro or Costa Coffee, then Mohandiseen is heaven. Otherwise, you may feel as though you've wandered in to hell.
As well as restaurants, cafes and bars, Mohandiseen has a lively shopping scene. There are numerous fashionable clothes shops, shoe shops, furniture stores and a handful of malls. Whilst it's not a particularly pleasant place to wander around, it is interesting: this high-end, Westernised neighbourhood is just as much a part of modern Cairo as more traditional neighbourhoods such as Islamic Cairo, and still retains a uniquely Egyptian character.
If you are staying near by, such as in Dokki, Zamalek or even Downtown, then it might be worth heading over to Mohandiseen one evening to grab a bite to eat and do a bit of window shopping. Cedars restaurant, on Gezirat al-Arab, is a decent, authentic Lebanese restaurant. If you fancy a drink afterwards, perhaps check out Deals bar, though watch out for tour groups!
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