Food and Grocery Delivery in Egypt, Apps for Cairo and Hurghada

Which apps work in Cairo

Cairo has plenty of choice. Many supermarkets and restaurants take orders on their own websites or via WhatsApp, but most people use delivery apps. These services are working in 2026:

• Talabat. The biggest app: restaurants, groceries through talabat mart and goods from shops. It works in Cairo, Hurghada and many other cities.
• Instashop. Delivery from supermarkets and neighbourhood shops. Owned by Talabat since 2025, but it runs as a separate app.
• Breadfast. Groceries, fresh bakery and household goods from its own warehouses in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Mansoura. In September 2026 it also launched restaurant delivery, Breadfast Food.
• Rabbit. Fast grocery delivery in Greater Cairo and Giza; according to the company, most orders arrive in about 15 minutes.
• Elmenus. An Egyptian app with restaurant menus where you can order delivery or choose where to eat out.

Ordering directly from a supermarket

Big chains such as Carrefour, Spinneys, Metro and Gourmet take orders through their own websites and apps, and some of them are also on Talabat and Instashop. This is handy for a weekly shop: you choose a delivery time and get everything in one go.

Pharmacies also often deliver if you call or message them on WhatsApp, especially within their own area. It is worth saving the number of your nearest pharmacy as soon as you move in.

Delivery in Hurghada

Hurghada has less choice. Talabat lists Hurghada among its cities, and Hurghada restaurants are also on Elmenus. Besides, many supermarkets, cafés and bakeries take orders by phone or WhatsApp and deliver themselves; the number is usually on the receipt or the shop door.

Before ordering, enter your address in the app: the delivery zone and the choice of restaurants depend on the area, and in outlying areas and compounds the choice may be smaller.

How much delivery costs

We do not give exact amounts: fees depend on the app, the area and the time, and they change often. On Talabat the delivery fee depends on the distance to the restaurant, and there may also be a service fee as a percentage of the order, a small order fee and a cash on delivery fee. Rabbit charges a small fee per order.

All fees are shown before checkout, so look at the total, not just the price of the dish. Promotions, free delivery from some restaurants and a Talabat Pro subscription, if you order often, help you save.

Cash or card

Most apps let you pay by card or in cash to the courier. Rabbit accepts cash only in some areas. On Talabat an extra fee may be charged for paying in cash, and you can tip the courier through the app only when paying online.

Banks sometimes block a foreign card on its first payment in Egypt, so keep some cash just in case and have small notes ready: couriers do not always have change. Read more about cards, exchange and InstaPay in our article money in Egypt.

How to order if you do not speak Arabic

The Talabat app works in English and Arabic, the usual pair of languages for Egyptian services. There is no Russian interface, but ordering in English is easy. A few tips:

• Drop a pin on the map and write a detailed address: compound or street, building number, entrance, floor, flat and a nearby landmark.
• Add a short phrase in English to the comment, for example «Please call when you arrive».
• Keep your phone on: the courier almost always calls, and will speak Arabic. A few words or a translation app will help.
• Keep notes on dishes simple: no onion, no spicy.

Home cooks who deliver

You will not find plov, manti, samsa, pelmeni or homemade cakes in the apps, they are made by home cooks. You can arrange things with them in Russian, Uzbek or Kyrgyz on Telegram or WhatsApp. Many deliver around their own district or send orders by courier, and delivery and payment are agreed directly.

Read how to choose a cook and what to ask in our article home-cooked food to order in Cairo.

Making sure your order arrives on time

• During Ramadan before iftar and on weekend evenings couriers are overloaded, so order early.
• Check the order in front of the courier: is everything there and has nothing leaked.
• If something is missing, contact the app's support straight away and attach a photo.
• Do not send money to strangers from social media for «delivery» before you have received the food.
• For a big weekly shop it is easier to book a supermarket delivery for a set time.

How Tullab helps with home cooking

Cooks who deliver are collected in home-cooked food: listings show the district, prices and delivery terms, and you can contact the author by phone or Telegram.

Do you cook and can deliver yourself? Post a free listing and say which districts you deliver to and how you accept payment.