El Kef Restaurants

This restaurant is on the ground floor of the eponymous hotel; And, as I've said above, I'd call it a bar. Odd, since the hotel also has a bar attached. Four or five tables of men drinking beer and watching football on a wide-screen TV. I did see the odd plate of food being served, but not that many. Not that there was any overt drunkeness or bad behaviour but drinking was certainly the main business.

The food was actually very good, (although the service was a bit lackadaisical) and although they didn't have my first choice (Squid Provencale) the alternative cuttlefish offered as a substitute was excellent. And badly cooked cephalopds of any kind are disgusting, so it's a good test of a restaurant.

After walking around the town for a while during the afternoon and not really finding anywhere that looked all that good to eat at, I found this place near to where I was staying that looked OK from the outside. The food is very cheap and I had lambs liver and a coke for TD7 with some kind of beans as an appitiser. There's also a good looking bakery opposite.

Restaurant Andalous is a typical small local Tunisian eaterie with chickens roasting on a spit outside and three or four tables. What makes it special is the quality of the food.

Often the chicken in these joints is dry and stringy: here it was succulent, and the frites were abundant , crisp, and piping hot. Likewise, the couscous was the best I ate in Tunisia. I'm not a great couscous fan, largely because it's often stodgy. In fact, in my prior experience it's invaribly been stodgy. But here it was light, all the grains separate; for the first time I could understand why people like the stuff. Even better, the vegetables actually had a bit of bite to them. Couscous royale it says on the menu. I'd have to agree.

And as a digestif, a cup of shai with I don't know what in it, certainly not the mint I was expecting, but excellent.

Rather more than some of these places but still under 8 TD a head. Not the cheapest but excellent value. And the woman who runs it is charming and friendly. Go to El Kef and eat there!

Laminex tables, photocopied menus, and lovely thick tender lamb chops.
Do not order the roast chicken - stick to the lamb chops

Favorite Dish: Grilled lamb chops