Farsha Cafe, or Farsha Mountain Lounge as it is officially known, is the single most popular tourist attraction in Sharm El-Sheikh. Unfortunately, its popularity has also helped create some confusion about how to enjoy this fascinating space properly. That is why, rather uncharacteristically, I figured it deserved an entire article of its own, in which I can explain exactly what Farsha Cafe is, why so many people visit it, and how you should plan your own visit. Think of this article both as a virtual tour of Farsha Cafe and as a venue where I share my take on how to make the most out of this space when you visit it. Now, join me as we set foot into a world of charming antiques and colourful light shows.
Let us begin by understanding what this rather unique establishment actually is. Farsha Cafe is neither just another cafe, nor is it an ordinary mountain lounge. It is the result of one gentleman’s dream to create something special on the cliffs that quite dramatically separate the Red Sea from some of the most urbanized parts of Sharm El-Sheikh.
To that end, a portion of these cliffs was shaved off, sculpted, fitted with stairs, and so on, in an effort to make it feasible for thousands of visitors to descend to the shore every day, all while passing through Farsha Cafe. The entrance to this place is rather beautiful, yet it is also deceptively small for an establishment of this size.
Only when you look down the nearby cliff can you see the actual size of Farsha Cafe. What was once just a single cliff facing the sea all alone is now a gargantuan and labyrinthine venue filled with the finest antique items one can find in Egypt.
Apparently, the mastermind behind this project traveled far and wide within Egypt, visited almost all the major urban centres, and haggled with hundreds, if not thousands, of collectors in an effort to transform a cliff into what is essentially a piece of art in its own right. There are simply too many cool details, such as this old Coca-Cola merchandise, to check out when you are visiting Farsha Cafe.
And on this occasion, I should share my very first tip for visiting Farsha Cafe. Unlike what many others do, do not visit this lovely place only at night. It is true that Farsha Cafe becomes an outright magical place at night, something that I will write about soon enough. Alas, at nighttime, not only is this place too crowded, but there is also not enough light to properly appreciate the results of all these years of hard work.
Only during the daytime can one actually take the time to enjoy the individual pieces that make up this massive collection of antiques. Thanks to its beach service, you can enter Farsha Cafe very early on, by 8:30 am, to be precise. These earlier hours of the day are the perfect time to enjoy all the collected items and take photographs of them as you please.
Of course, even early on in the day, Farsha Cafe functions like a cafe, which is perhaps not so surprising. Here you can enjoy some of the best tea and coffee in town, and despite its popularity, the prices here are not necessarily different from those of its competitors.
Such reasonable prices, combined with extremely efficient and friendly service, are actually partially why Farsha Cafe ended up becoming the best private beach we visited in Sharm El-Sheikh as well. We enjoyed their beach two times and left the premises extremely happy in both cases. You just need to pay 200 EGP per person to rent a sunbed and a towel, and then you can enjoy whatever you like from their extensive drinks menu and not-so-extensive pizza menu. It certainly does not hurt to know that if you ever get tired of looking at the beautiful sea in front of you, you can always look back to enjoy the views of this cliff full of antiques.
While Farsha Cafe’s beach will always have a special place in my heart, I suppose it is now time to move on to the actual reason most people love this place. That is, of course, its magical atmosphere after sunset. Once it is dark enough, this entire cliff essentially transforms into a beautifully illuminated piece of art. This starts at sunset and lasts until the venue is closed for the day, which happens at 1 or 2 am depending on the time of year, as far as I can tell.
Now, allow me to share a second tip with you. Avoid visiting this place at sunset to catch the first light show, as thousands of others want to do. All the talk online about having to wait for hours in a line is mostly relevant to those people who must be there “on time,” per se. There is no perfect time to enjoy the lights of Farsha Cafe. Even the initial light show that happens after sunset can be enjoyed multiple times later at night as well. Sometimes, they simply kill all the lights, let you enjoy the dark, and then start a mini-show that includes some fitting music, flickering lights that change colours, and eventually, the full atmospheric lighting making a comeback by the end.
In our case, we reached Farsha Cafe at 9 pm. To our surprise, there was no queue to begin with. We walked straight in, received a ticket of sorts at the entrance, showed that to a staff member, and were immediately escorted to some of the best seats in the whole establishment. That last part was pure luck. There are no reservations, no entry fees, and no minimum spending requirements here. You just have to be there, wait in a queue if there is one, and then follow a staff member to your seat. Many people sit with their backs facing the light show, by the way, as you can see in this photograph. This is just something you need to prepare yourself for mentally. Sadly, some such folks had little breakdowns when they realized that their nights were “ruined” because of this. I mean, seeing how some folks wait for hours to get in here, I sort of understand why this may be an issue for some, but that is just the reality of the seating situation at Farsha Cafe. I, too, did not necessarily love the fact that a massive umbrella blocked a part of my view, but nothing much could be done about that.
Most folks that visit Farsha Cafe are there either to take some cool photographs for social media or to enjoy the shisha. However, you are never really pushed to buy anything more at any point during your stay there, which is something I really appreciated. We ended up getting a few beers and enjoyed the music and the atmosphere in peace. After spending around two hours there, we decided to go up the stairs and head back to our Airbnb. Crucially, at this point, it was already past 11 pm. To our surprise, there was now a rather long line of people waiting to enter Farsha Cafe. We saw a similar line at 4 pm the previous day when we left the beach to get back to our accommodation. This means that it is entirely possible to have to wait in a queue no matter when you visit Farsha Cafe; however, I still suggest going there around 9 pm, as we did, for the best chance of entry without much waiting. I think it is just such an odd time for most folks, who must have dinner at their hotels and then make the journey to Farsha Cafe in a taxi or a microbus. I did not test this theory of mine properly, since we did not want to return there and potentially take up a space that could be used by a first-timer instead, so take what I say here with a grain of salt. Perhaps we just got lucky the first time. Perhaps waiting in a queue is a natural part of visiting Farsha Cafe.
In the end, I must admit that Farsha Cafe is popular for a reason. Despite what some may say, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable, realize that you will be shoulder-to-shoulder with many others who wish to enjoy this space just as much as you do, and are fine not giving in to the temptation of being there “on time,” I am entirely certain that you can truly enjoy this unique place as well. After all, there is a reason why even the nearby beaches and cafes advertise themselves as having some of the best views of Farsha Cafe. Just think about that for a second. Even the competition acknowledges the allure of this place so readily. That is all because it does deserve some praise, to say the least. With all of that being said, personally, I still think that Farsha Cafe shines brightest in the daytime, when one can use its beach to enjoy a spectacular day by the sea and explore its collection of antiques at their own leisure. Therefore, if you know what is good for you, try to enjoy the beach here as well. You will not regret it!