Dinner and coffee near BA before Hisham Kharma tonight
Hisham Kharma at Bibliotheca Alexandrina tonight: a Chatby food-and-coffee plan
Alexandria has one of those rare concert nights where the venue and the neighborhood matter almost as much as the setlist. Egyptian composer and producer Hisham Kharma (@hishamkharma on Instagram) is performing tonight, Friday, 11 September 2026, at 8pm at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Arts Center in Chatby, with the BA Orchestra in a concert also highlighted this week by Al-Ahram Weekly and local entertainment listings. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina itself confirms its Chatby address on the Corniche, making this a very walkable outing if you want dinner before the music and coffee after it.
For Alexandria readers, the good news is that Chatby already works well for a full evening out. You are not dealing with a stand-alone venue in the middle of nowhere; you are heading to one of the city’s best-known cultural landmarks, with cafés at the library entrance and the wider Corniche within easy reach. The BA’s own visitor information notes that there are cafés near the entrance, including the restaurant-and-café hub on the Plaza and La Poire Café, which is useful if you want the least stressful option before the concert starts.
First, know the venue setup
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (@bibalexofficial on Instagram) is in Chatby, Alexandria 21526, and the official site lists its main phone number as +20 3 483 9999. That matters on a concert night because BA events can draw a crowd, and the easiest plan is usually to arrive early enough to clear entry, orient yourself, and avoid scrambling for food at the last minute.
If you are aiming for the 8pm performance, a practical Alexandria timetable is:
- 6:00-6:30pm: arrive in Chatby and have an early dinner.
- 7:15pm: move toward the BA entrance and security point.
- After 10pm, approximately: shift to dessert, coffee, or a sea-view stop instead of a heavy late meal.
That rhythm works especially well for Hisham Kharma’s style of live show, which tends to attract audiences who want a polished cultural night out rather than a rushed in-and-out stop.
Best low-stress option before the concert: eat inside or right by the BA complex
1) BA Plaza restaurants and cafés
The most reliable pre-concert move is to stay as close as possible to the venue. Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s FAQ and library materials explicitly mention cafeterias and restaurants at the BA Plaza, plus La Poire Café near the entrance. If your priority is convenience over destination dining, this is the smartest call.
Why it works tonight:
- You stay within the immediate venue zone.
- You reduce the risk of Corniche traffic delaying you.
- You can keep dinner light and still make it to your seat comfortably.
Best for: sandwiches, pastries, a fast coffee, or a simple sit-down meal when timing matters more than restaurant-hopping.
2) La Poire at the BA entrance area
La Poire is specifically named by the BA as one of the nearby café options, which makes it more dependable than random social media recommendations. For a concert night, this is the kind of place to use strategically: coffee, water, dessert, or a quick savory bite before heading inside.
Order strategy: go for coffee and something compact rather than a full drawn-out dinner. If you are meeting friends before the show, this is one of the easiest recognizable meeting points around the library.
For a more Alexandrian pre-show meal: go sea-facing and keep it simple
3) Selsela Cafe in Al Shatby
One of the clearest current location references available online is Selsela Cafe’s Al Shatby branch listing, which places it directly in front of Bibliotheca Alexandrina on the beach. That makes it one of the strongest options if you want an actual Alexandria mood-setter before the concert: sea air, Corniche energy, and a table close enough to the BA to remain practical.
Why Selsela makes sense before Hisham Kharma:
- It fits the setting; this is a concert by the sea in one of Alexandria’s signature cultural districts.
- It is close enough to the library for a same-evening plan.
- It works for mixed groups where some people want a meal and others just want drinks.
What to do here: arrive early, take the sea-view table if available, and keep the order moderate. Grilled items, sandwiches, mezze, or a shareable dinner work better than anything too heavy right before an 8pm concert.
After the concert: coffee first, dinner second
When the performance ends, the neighborhood question changes. Most people leaving the BA will not want a full formal meal unless they skipped dinner beforehand. After a concert, Chatby and the Corniche are usually better for coffee, dessert, and a decompressing walk than for a late elaborate dinner.
4) Return to the BA café zone for a post-show coffee
If the venue-side cafés are still serving, this is the easiest post-concert plan. The advantage is obvious: no transport coordination, no hunting for parking twice, and no need to move the group. You simply step out, talk through the performance, and let traffic thin out.
Best post-show order:
- espresso or Turkish coffee
- tea if you are driving back late
- dessert or a light pastry instead of a second meal
5) A Corniche coffee stop in Shatby
Yellow Pages’ current category listings for El Shatby show café and coffee-shop options around Port Said Street and inside the Bibliotheca Alexandrina zone, reinforcing what locals already know: this is an easy district for an informal coffee stop. If your group wants to stretch the night out, walk or take a very short ride along the Corniche and choose a place based on table availability rather than chasing a single overhyped name.
This is the better choice if:
- you want sea breeze and conversation after the music
- you did dinner earlier and only need caffeine or dessert
- you are waiting for traffic around the BA to calm down
How to choose your spot tonight
If you are coming mainly for the concert
Choose BA Plaza or La Poire. You are minimizing risk and maximizing comfort.
If you want a full Alexandria outing
Choose Selsela Cafe in Al Shatby before the show, then coffee near the BA or on the Corniche after it.
If you are meeting friends coming from different parts of the city
Choose a venue-adjacent café. It is easier to share your live location at the library than to coordinate a scattered dinner plan on a busy Friday night.
Final verdict
For Hisham Kharma’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina concert tonight, the smartest Chatby plan is not to overcomplicate it. Eat early, stay near the venue, and save the leisurely coffee for after the show. The strongest practical options are the BA Plaza dining area, La Poire by the library entrance, and Selsela Cafe in Al Shatby for a more scenic pre-concert meal. Together, they give you exactly what a Friday concert in Alexandria should have: culture, the Corniche, and a smooth dinner-and-coffee route built around a real local event rather than a generic night out.
For readers planning future outings, this is also a reminder of why Bibliotheca Alexandrina remains one of the city’s best event anchors: it is not just a landmark. It is a venue you can build an entire Alexandria evening around, especially when the performer is an Egyptian name with a dedicated live following like Hisham Kharma.