Where to Sit by the Sea on Alexandria’s Corniche Now
After the removals, the Corniche is opening up again
Alexandrians have spent much of August 2026 watching a familiar local argument play out in real time: who gets the sea view on the Corniche? On August 12, 2026, Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan Saeed’s administration announced that a seafront facility in Camp Caesar would not have its contract renewed and would be removed after the contract term ended because it blocked the public’s view of the Mediterranean. A follow-up campaign then removed encroachments and occupancies in the same area after residents’ complaints. For locals, that matters because this is not just about one business; it is about restoring the Corniche as a public promenade rather than a wall of privatized seating.
So where do you actually stop now if you want a lawful, straightforward sea break between Chatby and Camp Caesar? The short answer is: think less in terms of improvised kiosks and more in terms of established venues set back from the promenade, plus the Corniche’s best non-commercial pause points.
1) Chatby’s smartest reset: Bibliotheca Alexandrina Plaza
If you are starting in Chatby, the most practical answer is still the Bibliotheca Alexandrina precinct. The library remains one of the strongest legal, photographable and easy-to-navigate stopping points on this stretch, and the institution confirms that there are cafeterias and restaurants available at the BA Plaza. The library’s official channels also list current visitor information and opening hours, making this one of the easiest stops to plan around if you want a proper break rather than a guesswork detour.
What makes the BA area work especially well after the removals is not only the coffee option itself, but the setting: broad steps, open sightlines, benches and a genuinely public-facing forecourt. It is ideal if your priority is to sit with a takeaway, regroup between walks, or meet friends before heading east along the Corniche. If you follow Bibliotheca Alexandrina (@bibalex_library on Instagram), you will also know when the plaza area is busier because of cultural programming.
Best for
- Morning coffee before a Corniche walk
- A legal sitting break with easy access
- Pairing coffee with a museum, exhibition or library visit
2) The true Camp Caesar classic: El Rehany
Once you move east toward Camp Caesar, one name keeps coming up in long-running Alexandria guidebooks and local listings: El Rehany, at the Corniche corner with Ismail El Fangary Street. It is not a trendy newcomer, and that is exactly the point. Older travel references describe it as a large, breezy Alexandrian classic on this exact junction, while current local directory listings still place neighboring businesses beside El Rehany in Camp Shizar, confirming it remains a known landmark in the area.
For readers who want an old-school Alexandrian ahwa mood rather than a polished chain-coffee experience, this is the safest historic pick on the Camp Caesar end of the route. Expect it to be more about atmosphere, tea, coffee and lingering than about specialty brews. In a post-removal moment, it also represents the kind of fixed, known venue that makes more sense than chasing temporary Corniche setups that can disappear or change status quickly.
Best for
- Classic Alexandria coffeehouse atmosphere
- People-watching near Camp Caesar
- A pause after walking east from Chatby and Sidi Gaber side streets
3) San Stefano for a polished sea-view detour: Four Seasons dining
If your idea of “where to sit by the sea” includes valet, reservations and a proper table service experience, then the most dependable upscale answer nearby is Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano (@fourseasonsalex on Instagram if verified locally through hotel branding channels is not clearly surfaced in search, so better not force the handle here). The hotel officially states that it sits between the Mediterranean and the city, with a private 500-metre sandy beach, and its dining portfolio remains one of the most reliable legal sea-facing options on the eastern Corniche.
Within the property, Byblos Restaurant is explicitly described by Four Seasons as overlooking the Mediterranean, with daily service from 2:00 pm to midnight. Kala Restaurant is also part of the hotel’s current dining lineup, and official hotel materials describe its blue-and-white décor as inspired by the sea. This is not a casual five-pound tea stop, obviously, but if you are writing your own “best sea-view cafes and coffee stops” list honestly, San Stefano deserves the upscale slot because it offers exactly what many removed kiosk sites used to trade on: guaranteed view, legal setting and predictable service.
Best for
- Sea-view coffee or dessert in a formal setting
- Out-of-town guests who want comfort and easy parking
- A longer sunset stop, especially after a Corniche drive
4) Downtown detour option: Imperial near Saad Zaghloul
Strictly speaking, Imperial is a short inland detour rather than a pure “chairs on the seawall” stop, but it remains useful for this guide because many Alexandria outings naturally loop from the Corniche back toward Raml and Saad Zaghloul. Recent travel material describes Imperial Cafe & Restaurant at Midan Saad Zaghloul as a renovated classic with espresso-based coffees, Wi-Fi and both indoor and pavement seating.
If the Corniche itself feels crowded, windy or simply overexposed in the heat, Imperial works as a backup sit-down option that keeps you in the same larger promenade orbit. For local readers, that is often the more realistic plan: sea walk first, proper seated coffee second.
Best for
- Escaping midday heat without leaving central Alexandria
- Meeting friends near Raml Station after a seafront walk
- Coffee and pastry rather than just a quick tea stop
5) The promenade itself is part of the answer now
One of the biggest changes after the removals is psychological as much as physical: on parts of the Chatby-to-Camp-Caesar stretch, the best place to “sit by the sea” may now be the public promenade itself. That sounds obvious, but it matters. The governorate’s stated goal in the Camp Caesar action was to restore citizens’ right to see the sea. In practice, that means benches, railings, broad edges of pavement and pauses near landmarks such as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina walkway become more valuable again.
For budget-conscious outings, this is the most Alexandrian move of all: buy your coffee from a lawful fixed venue, then enjoy the walk and stop where the Corniche opens up. It is cheaper, often breezier, and more faithful to the city than paying only for a table.
How to choose your stop now
- For culture + coffee: head to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina plaza zone in Chatby.
- For a traditional Alexandrian ahwa feel: aim for El Rehany in Camp Caesar.
- For a polished sea-view outing: book or walk into Four Seasons San Stefano dining, especially Byblos or Kala.
- For a central backup with solid seating: keep Imperial in mind near Saad Zaghloul.
- For the cheapest option: treat the reopened Corniche sightlines themselves as your break, and sit only where the public promenade allows.
The local takeaway
Alexandria’s Corniche was never supposed to be only a row of pay-to-sit barriers. The August 2026 removals in Camp Caesar underline a simple principle that most Alexandrians already understand: the sea view is the main attraction, and it should stay visible. The smartest local strategy now is to rely on fixed, established venues and use the promenade the way the city intended it to be used. Between Chatby and Camp Caesar, that still leaves you with enough good options for coffee, conversation and a legal seat near the Mediterranean — just with a little more walking and, finally, a lot more sea in sight.