CAIRO — After a long and hectic day at work, Marina Ayoub, a government employee, impatiently walks to the quiet and first eco-friendly restaurant, Mashrou’ Mat’am (Restaurant Project), which she considers to be a “haven” where she can relieve the stress of eight hours of work.

Engineer Bishwi Rifaat and tourist guide Catherine Raafat established the restaurant. They used recycled materials to decorate the basement of an old building in central Cairo, where there is no internet connection or noise-causing televisions. The restaurant’s round tables are made of old tires, while the seats are made of wooden pallets. Painted pottery vessels, which are not a typical trait in modern restaurants, have replaced flower vases, and a small white candle lies on each table of the restaurant.

The founders of the restaurant rented the space from the building's owners for a period of three years.

“I feel comfortable as soon as I set foot in here. The place is very quiet. The setting is so comfy, and the dim lights offer a feeling of comfort,” Ayoub enthusiastically told Al-Monitor. “Simplicity is the name of the game here, and the food is very similar to my mother's food,” she said as she ordered pasta.