2. Gamila – Another exceptional resort restaurant, this time based at the ‘Ultra all-inclusive’ Garden Beach Resort and offering breathtaking views out to the desert and over the Red Sea.

Walking into Gamila, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were stepping into a traditional Bedouin tent, but inside the restaurant is anything but unsophisticated. Egyptian-Lebanese treats dominate the menu, with dishes such as houmous, falafel and lamb bakes filling the air with delicious smells.

Once finished, there’s a neighbouring shisha corner to enjoy a pipe and mint tea, or even an English Pub where you can knock back a few well-earned jars.

The ideal place to start a night on the tiles.

3. El Masry – As any travel-smart tourist will tell you, if you want to find the best food at the cheapest prices, follow in the footsteps of the natives or local ex-pats. If you do that in Hurghada, the chances are you’ll end up at El Masry.

Located just off the Sakkala Square, the restaurant may not be much to look at from outside, but once sat down, you’ll be blown away. The food is genuinely local, fresh and has that ‘homemade’ feel to it – lashing of Arabic rice served with lamb or chicken and stuffed with local leaves. Delicious and lunch for two should cost well under than a tenner!

The place to go for a genuine taste of Egypt.

4. Al Jocker – If El Masry has tickled your taste buds and left you with a penchant for the local flavours, then Al Jocker should be right up your street too.

It’s a large restaurant on a busy intersection and takes up two large floors with a lovely open-air top floor that offers great views over downtown Hurghada. Almost everything on the menu has come directly from the Red Sea and dishes like calamares, clams and shrimp leave you in no doubt as to their freshness. However, for many, the sea food soup alone is worth the visit.

A wonderful catch for fish lovers.

5. Hor Palace – Now, you’d think that jumping into a taxi and asking to go to Hor Palace would, at best, lead to an eye-opening experience and, at worst, require a shot of penicillin when you returned home, but Hor Palace is actually a fantastic beach resort about 10 minutes’ drive from the downtown area.

Most hotel complexes in Hurghada have their own beachside restaurants. While the food at Hor Palace’s beach bar is good, it’s not overly special, and the service likewise, but it’s a gorgeous and tranquil place to sit and relax while you’re waiting for your African-style grilled fish or meat dish to arrive.

A people-watcher’s paradise.