Heliopolis is a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood and alcohol is not a feature of its street life. What it does have is strong ahwa culture — the traditional Egyptian pavement café, serving tea, coffee, and shisha under the arcades, with plastic chairs spilling out onto the wide pavements. Sitting at an ahwa on one of the main boulevards in the early evening, watching Cairo go by, is one of the more pleasant ways to spend an hour in the city.