In an already crowded coffee scene, Limbo arrives as both the poison and the antidote. It is yet another place competing for your attention in Cairo, but it does it differently, with a self-awareness that tempts you to give it a try. Since opening in August 2025, Limbo has positioned itself as a pause in the city.

“I originally come from a background of engineering and finance,” Adham Ibrahim, founder and owner of Limbo, tells SceneEats. “I studied for the CFA, which is a very intense and time-consuming program, and spent several years in a high-pressure environment where performance is constant and rest is rare. Eventually, this led to burnout. Limbo was really born out of that phase. I didn’t want to build something grand or aggressive. I wanted to create a space that recognises ambition and effort, but also respects exhaustion and the need to slow down.”

While many of Limbo’s customers come (and return) for the coffee, matcha, and cleansing juice mixes, it is Limbo’s nonchalant attitude that caught our attention. One of Limbo’s promotional posts is particularly eye-grabbing. Illustrated almost like a renaissance painting, it asks: “Saints or Sinners? We don’t judge. We just serve.”
According to Ibrahim, “It’s playful commentary on the coffee scene itself. There are some huge brands in the space, and we’re intentionally not that. We’re just a pause, either before what you’re about to do or after what you’ve just done. Limbo doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should the people passing through it.”

Instead, Limbo is, like its name, a state of transition. “The name itself comes from the feeling that Cairo never really pauses. You’re either rushing or recovering,” says Ibrahim. “I was reflecting on that in-between state: not escape, not indulgence—just a moment to breathe and think.”

Rather than escaping the city, Ibrahim chose a central location in Zamalek that confronted it directly. “You’re not removed from Cairo, you’re in it. Limbo isn’t meant to be a destination café, it’s meant to be a stop. A calm interruption in your day.”
Limbo’s design reflects this. The colour palette is calm, the music is purposefully curated (and not just a ‘Today’s Top Hits’ playlist), and the seating is designed to give you ample space. Cafes have long been used by their customers as a place to pass away the hours, whether or not the establishments actually sanctioned such non-profitable activity. But rather than shooing you away or hurrying you with the bill, at Limbo, they’ll meet a place that not only accepts overstaying your welcome, but facilitates it. "We’re not delivering transformation," Ibrahim elaborates. "Just a pause that helps you keep going.”

Limbo also actively pursues events around which they can build a community. “We’re intentionally a multifunctional space. Coffee is just one layer, but at our core we’re about community and having a shared experience.” On Mondays, Limbo hosts 9 AM yoga sessions with instructor May Shalaby. They’ve also hosted Pilates sessions, painting workshops, and tufting workshops, and have turned the space into a dynamic art installation showcasing the work of local artists. “These aren’t treated as ‘add-ons’,” says Ibrahim, “they’re part of the identity.”

Soon, Ibrahim intends to introduce two more features: a brunch menu, and Limbo Live, a platform for upcoming musicians and artists to perform intimate sets in the space, which will be professionally recorded and shared onto a dedicated YouTube channel.

They’re also looking to expand to a Download location, taking their concept of pause right into the beating heart of the restless giant that is Cairo. However, as with their user philosophy, a similar laid-back pulse defines their management. “More broadly, we’re focused on deepening the experience rather than rushing growth. More community-driven events, more Limbo Live sessions, and thoughtful collaborations," Ibrahim says. "If and when we expand, it will always be in a way that protects the calm and intentionality that define Limbo.”