What is the food like at all-inclusive hotels in Hurghada — is the buffet worth it?

According to a recent report, food at Malikia has declined noticeably over the past six months. Seafood is now offered only once a week on fish day, while mango and watermelon appear weekly at an afternoon fruit festival by the water park. Morning fresh orange juice costs €2 and no other juices were noted; soft ice cream is available daily but received mixed reviews.

At Calimera, the buffet was rated highly for both taste and variety. Reported options included salmon steaks, shrimp, crab, beef, chicken and other fish dishes, along with salads, soups and desserts. The reviewer reported no stomach problems during the stay.

At Segul, the food was described as basic and somewhat bland, but not worse than at many other Egyptian five-star hotels. Guests should not go hungry, and the buffet was considered acceptable for a four-star property.

Even when the hotel is fully occupied, restaurant queues can remain short: typically two or three people wait for breakfast eggs and around five for mango at dinner. Other buffet items are self-service without waiting, and the reviewer consistently found a table for four without difficulty.

A recent guest found breakfast to include made-to-order omelettes, waffles, pancakes, minced-meat pita and tuna toast. Lunch had grilled fish and chicken, kofta and beef liver; dinner offered a broader selection, including roasted lamb. Fruit included pears and plums as well as grapes, figs, dates and melon.

Under this all-inclusive plan, the displayed food and drinks are included, while freshly squeezed juices and imported alcohol cost extra.

Guests who checked in near midnight found that the late-night buffet still offered two soups, some salads, fruit, and hot dishes like stewed potatoes, beef and rice — enough for a satisfying late-night snack.

Guests staying during the May holidays praised the food quality, noting octopus, langoustines, sushi rolls, fish prepared multiple ways, plenty of pastries, fruit, meat and chicken.

A guest reported the hotel is currently at full occupancy, so all restaurants are crowded: the main buffet, the 'Silk Road' restaurant, and the beach restaurant.

Breakfast offers fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, but seafood options on the buffet are limited.

After a nine-day stay, a guest reported that seafood is served regularly at dinner, alongside fish, beef, chicken, turkey and duck. Grapes and figs were particularly good, while the selection of Eastern and jelly-style desserts felt limited: halva appeared only twice and baklava was missed.

At one hotel, the summer beach bar supplements the main buffet with burgers, fries and notably good ice cream. There is also a grill by the central restaurant serving meat, lyulya kebab, chicken and duck, plus fresh juices and plenty of fruit.

At a small, clean hotel sharing a beach with Blue, there is no need to return to the main restaurant for lunch: the beach serves oven-baked pizza, burgers, fruit, vegetables and drinks.

A recent report rates the food at one hotel in the chain as good and varied: several kinds of meat and fish were available, including duck at dinner, grilled red fish at lunch and squid. Breakfast includes made-to-order omelettes and lots of pastries; fruit included apples, bananas, melon, dates, figs and ripe mango, though some of the fruit was considered average.

At a nearby hotel (Amphoras), food was well-liked: over 10 days there were three fruit parties with mango and watermelon, poolside grilled kebabs and hot dogs, plus cotton candy and popcorn for kids. Kids' animation program was mediocre though.

The l'asiatic restaurant was renamed to East&West, and little Asian cuisine remains. Breakfast now offers 4 types of fresh juice (orange, mango, guava, strawberry) at the 2nd-floor restaurant and Sidi Ali, plus hibiscus tea (karkade) was added. Paper cups for soda were replaced with reusable plastic ones.

Hotel Palacio is known for its food to the point that guests from neighboring hotels head there just to eat and use the beach, which makes it consistently crowded.

A hotel in Makadi Bay was a letdown food-wise: after three days, only the fruit selection impressed, while the main dishes were unappealing. Guests who had previously stayed at Conti hotel found the dinners there much more enjoyable by comparison.

One Hurghada hotel's buffet (breakfast, lunch and dinner) featured chicken, fish, quail and turkey, a wide variety of side dishes, vegetables and greens. Shrimp and watermelon appeared every other day. Fruit selection included apples, melon, plums, dates, oranges and bananas. Fresh-squeezed orange juice was available every morning. Guests rated the food 10 out of 10.

When dining outdoors at the hotel terrace, use the provided plate covers (dome-shaped lids) to protect your food — crows are very bold and will steal from your plate the moment you look away.