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Food tours in Tunis: what to eat and which tour to book
Tunisian food is spicier than its North African neighbours: harissa goes into almost everything, couscous is the national dish, and the street classics are cheap and filling, from lablabi (garlicky chickpea soup poured over bread) and brik (a crisp pastry with a runny egg) to fricassé, a small fried sandwich of tuna, olives and harissa. Fish and seafood are central along the coast at La Goulette, while the Medina's alleys hide old sweet shops and snack counters. The French era left cafés, baguettes and patisseries on the Avenue Habib Bourguiba.
Use this page to know what to order and where, with rough 2026 prices in Tunisian dinars (about 3.3–3.5 TND to the euro). The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Tunis
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couscous كسكسي (kosksi) | Steamed semolina with a spicy tomato-based sauce and lamb, chicken or fish (couscous au poisson is a coastal speciality) and vegetables. | Traditional restaurants in the Medina and city centre; fish couscous at La Goulette. | roughly 15–35 TND |
| Brik بريك (brik à l'œuf) | Very thin malsouka pastry folded around an egg, tuna, capers and parsley, deep-fried so the egg stays runny. Eat it carefully with your hands. | Snack counters and as a starter in almost every restaurant. | roughly 2–6 TND |
| Lablabi لبلابي (lablabi) | Chickpea soup with garlic, cumin, harissa and olive oil poured over torn stale bread, often topped with a soft egg, tuna and capers. Cheap workers' breakfast and winter food. | Small lablabi shops in the Medina and working-class neighbourhoods, mostly in the morning. | roughly 3–7 TND |
| Fricassé فريكاسي (fricassé) | Small fried bread roll filled with tuna, harissa, olives, boiled egg and potato. | Snack bars and bakeries across the city. | roughly 1.5–3 TND each |
| Ojja عجة (ojja) | Eggs cooked in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce with harissa, often with merguez sausage or seafood, served in the pan with bread. | Casual restaurants and snack bars. | roughly 8–18 TND |
| Mloukhia ملوخية (mloukhia) | Slow-cooked beef or lamb stew in a near-black sauce made from dried, ground jute leaves; rich and thick. | Traditional restaurants and home-style eateries; also cooked for New Year's in the Islamic calendar. | roughly 15–30 TND |
| Grilled fish سمك مشوي (poisson grillé) | Sea bream, sea bass, red mullet or other fish grilled whole with salad and harissa; often priced by weight. | Fish restaurants in La Goulette and along the coast at La Marsa. | roughly 40–100 TND per person depending on fish and weight |
| Makroudh and mint tea with pine nuts مقروض / تاي بالبوفريوة | Makroudh are diamond-shaped semolina pastries filled with dates and soaked in syrup; Tunisian mint tea is often served with pine nuts floating on top. | Sweet shops in the Medina and cafés; Sidi Bou Said for tea with a view. | roughly 2–6 TND for tea; pastries sold by weight |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Central Market (Marché Central)
Large covered market in the French-built city centre, near Avenue Habib Bourguiba, with fish halls, olive and pickle stalls, spices, fruit, vegetables and meat. The fish section is the most lively part.
Medina of Tunis
UNESCO-listed old town with souks, small snack counters for brik and lablabi, old sweet shops and traditional restaurants in restored houses.
La Goulette
Port suburb east of the city, reachable by the TGM light railway, known for its fish restaurants and long-standing Jewish-Tunisian cooking traditions.
Sidi Bou Said
Blue-and-white clifftop village with cafés serving mint tea with pine nuts and bambalouni (sugared doughnuts) from street stands. Very touristy but worth a stop.
Avenue Habib Bourguiba and the city centre
The main boulevard of the French-era centre, with cafés, patisseries and brasseries, plus snack bars on side streets selling fricassé and sandwiches.
La Marsa
Seaside suburb at the end of the TGM line with cafés, ice-cream shops, seafood and more modern restaurants used by Tunisians at weekends.
Food tours in Tunis compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunis: Traditional and Tunisian cooking class with Jiji | 4 hours | from €55 per person | max 6 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Guided tour of the Medina of Tunis & Tunisian street food tasting | 3 hours | from €45 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Medina of Tunis : Tunisian Cooking Class with a Local | 3 hours | from €55 per person | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Tunis Central Market: Culinary Tour With Tastings And Guide | 1.5 hours | from €17 per person | max 5 | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
| Tunis by Night: Medina, Sunset at Sidi Bou Said & Tunisian Dinner | 8 hours | from €50 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Tunis Medina: Home Dinner in a 100-Year-Old House | 2 hours | from €25 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
Tunis: Traditional and Tunisian cooking class with Jiji
On GetYourGuide · run by Jiji Local Food Workshop
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €55 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 60 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 6
- Included
- Hands-on cooking experience with an expert chef to guide you step by step All ingredients and cooking equipment provided for preparing traditional Tunisian dishes Refreshing welcome drink Traditional Tunisian sweets s…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- V55J+93P، Rue De La Méditerranée، Ariana, Tunisie
Guided tour of the Medina of Tunis & Tunisian street food tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Didon Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 22 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Certified local guide 2 street food tastings (savory + sweet) Mineral water Cultural and historical explanations Transportation from your accommodation (available as an option) Personal expenses Tips
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Hôtel Royal Victoria
Medina of Tunis : Tunisian Cooking Class with a Local
On GetYourGuide · run by Untold Tunisia
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €55 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Hands-on cooking experience guided by a local cook All ingredients and cooking materials provided Welcome drink and traditional Tunisian pastries A full meal featuring all the dishes you prepared Traditional Tunisian…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- *
Tunis Central Market: Culinary Tour With Tastings And Guide
On GetYourGuide · run by Bite&Bed
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €17 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 4 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 5
- Included
- Guided visit of the Tunis Central Market Tastings of local foods and street specialties Interaction with local vendors Cultural storytelling about Tunisian cuisine, traditions, and food habits Transportation to and fr…
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- 2 Rue d'Alger, Tunis, Tunisia
Tunis by Night: Medina, Sunset at Sidi Bou Said & Tunisian Dinner
On GetYourGuide · run by Tekiki tour
- Length
- 8 hours
- Price
- from €50 per person
- Rating
- 3.7 ★ from 4 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Comfortable transport Licensed guide Dinner Drinks and beverages Personal expenses Gratuities
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
Tunis Medina: Home Dinner in a 100-Year-Old House
On GetYourGuide · run by Bite&Bed
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €25 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 3 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Traditional Tunisian meal Stories of the Medina Cultural insights
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- 29 Rue du Pacha, Tunis, Tunisia
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Tunis is cheap and filling: lablabi and brik in the morning, fricassé and sandwiches with harissa through the day, bambalouni in Sidi Bou Said. Choose busy counters. During Ramadan street food mostly appears in the evening.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down meals start with salads (mechouia, a grilled pepper and tomato salad, is the classic) and brik, then couscous, grilled fish or a stew. Many restaurants in the Medina serve lunch only. Alcohol is available in licensed restaurants and hotels, especially in the centre, La Goulette and La Marsa.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Tunis are usually held in a family home or guesthouse and cover couscous, brik, salads and sweets, sometimes with a market visit first. Check where it is held and whether transport is included.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | 40–70 TND, about €12–20 (lablabi breakfast, snack lunch, simple couscous dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | 100–170 TND, about €30–50 (two sit-down meals with salads and tea) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | 250 TND+, about €75+ (fish dinner at La Goulette or a top restaurant with wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible with some care: mechouia salad, chakchouka (pepper and tomato stew), vegetable couscous, lablabi and ojja without merguez are common. Many dishes contain tuna, so say 'bla hout' (without fish) and 'bla lham' (without meat).
Halal: Easy: meat in Tunisia is halal by default and pork is essentially absent. Alcohol is served only in licensed restaurants, bars and hotels.
Gluten-free: Difficult: bread comes with every meal, and couscous, brik, fricassé and pastries are all wheat-based. Grilled fish and meat, salads, ojja and chakchouka without bread are the safest choices; carry a note in Arabic and French.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Medina 'guides' who say a terrace has a great view or a sweet shop is closed today, then lead you to a carpet or perfume shop and expect payment. Politely decline and keep walking; use a map and choose your own café or restaurant.
- Fish priced by weight at La Goulette and coastal restaurants, with a large fish cooked before you hear the total. Ask the price per kilo, watch the fish being weighed and agree the total before it is grilled.
- Taxis not using the meter, particularly from the airport or tourist areas to restaurants. Insist on the meter before getting in, or agree the fare in advance.
- Menus without prices and extra dishes (salads, olives, bread) added to the bill. Ask for a priced menu and say no to anything you didn't order; check the bill before you pay.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Tunis?
Tips are appreciated but modest. In cafés, leave small change; in restaurants, about 10% for good service is generous. Cash is best. Round up taxi fares. On food tours, a tip of roughly 10–20 TND per person for a good guide is appreciated but not required.
Is street food in Tunis safe?
Generally yes at busy counters where food is cooked or fried in front of you, such as brik, lablabi and fricassé. Take more care with raw salads and food that has been standing in the heat. Tap water is treated, but most visitors drink bottled water, which is cheap and everywhere.
When is the Central Market open?
The Marché Central in the city centre is mainly a morning market, busiest from early morning until about midday, when the fish halls are at their best. Many stalls close by early afternoon, and hours vary by day and during Ramadan. Check current hours, and go early for the full experience.
How spicy is the food?
Tunisian food is noticeably spicier than Moroccan or Algerian food because harissa, a chilli paste, is in sauces, sandwiches and often served on the side with bread and olive oil. If you prefer milder food, say 'shwaya harissa' (a little harissa) or ask for it on the side.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a tight budget, roughly 40–70 TND (about €12–20) covers street breakfasts, a snack lunch and a simple dinner. A comfortable day with two sit-down meals is about 100–170 TND. A fish dinner at La Goulette or a top restaurant with wine starts around 250 TND per person, depending on the fish.
Can I drink alcohol in Tunis?
Yes, in licensed places: hotel bars, many restaurants in the centre, La Goulette and La Marsa, and some bars. Tunisia produces its own wine and beer (Celtia is the local lager). Traditional Medina restaurants and snack bars don't serve alcohol, and availability is reduced during Ramadan.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.