Food is an important part of Tunisian life; Tunisians love to eat. A catalog of restaurants in Tunisia alone would fill a substantial book. I asked some of my Tunisian friends recently, and some frequent American visitors to Tunisia, if we could agree on the best restaurant in Tunisia. Of course, we could not agree, but I was not at all surprised by the number of votes (there were more than 20) collected. in slah, a wonderful restaurant hidden in a small side street at 14 bis, rue Pierre de Coubertin, close to the exact center of the city. You will probably need a good taxi driver to find it.
Like most high-end North African cuisine, the cuisine in in slah has deep French roots and focuses primarily on seafood and poultry and lamb dishes prepared simply, but what sets in slah then there is the meticulous care with which the chef personally selects the fish from the waterfront markets every day. This is an art, and it takes experience and a lot of skill to do it well.
Most of the inhabitants of in slah they are permanent residents of the city, with some knowledgeable visitors from out of town. You won’t run into any of the boating tourists here, or casual tourists. I have heard some say that they feel that dinner here is the equivalent of an invitation to the very elegant private home of a socialite. Tunisian elite. This is the best Tunisian food enjoyed by Tunisians with the best taste.
I usually start my meal here with a nice Chardonnay because I know the waiter will soon bring a basket of bread and a plate of olives and tomato paste, pretty out of this world, though you’d think anyone could pull it off. I think they must make the tomato paste themselves. It always seems to go better with a white wine. For a main course, many times I have had an appetizer of grilled shrimp and then whatever fresh fish the waiter especially recommends, most recently the red mullet, also grilled. came with simple fried apples, cooked in French-style animal fat, instead of vegetable oil. I guess this is harder on the heart, but hey, you only live once, and I miss the way we used to cook. fried apples back in the days before everyone became so health conscious.
The fish and potatoes were as fresh as I have ever tasted. Very simple cuisine, but elegantly prepared with great attention to detail. The food is simple but very good! I think there is something else that I always find charming in in slah that’s hard to pin down, and that’s its indefinable quality as part of Tunisia’s long storied past, perhaps reflecting the city as it might have been a century ago.
in slah it differs from the more expensive and flashy restaurants in better-known parts of the city, for example those around the glitzy La Marsa and the opulent new hotels (although the food there can be quite good, if more continental). I always find myself scrutinizing the other clientele in in slah, mainly expatriates and wealthy members of Tunisian society. This is a place largely unknown to newcomers.
Do not forget to make a reservation before coming to in slah, as regular customers often come several times a week to patronize this unique and precious gem. I once showed up without a reservation and was only admitted due to a timely cancellation while waiting for a taxi to take me somewhere else, probably more expensive and not as good. You can reserve a table by calling: +216 71 258 588.