ERHAPS it shouldn't have come as any surprise that when Alain Ducasse decided to open the seventh branch of his Spoon restaurant, following success in such outposts as Paris, London and St.-Tropez, he turned to Tunis, perhaps North Africa's most Europeanized city. Its high-rise office buildings obstruct the views from medina rooftops and donkeys have long been replaced by BMW's. Many of the city's best restaurants and nightclubs cater not only to well-heeled tourists from Europe and elsewhere but also to Tunis's own middle and upper classes.
You won't, however, find the most intriguing of these night spots along the city center's broad, busy boulevards. Like many of Tunis's offerings, they are hidden at the far ends of narrow medina streets, or tucked away in seaside suburbs.
Spoon, for example, is in nearby Carthage, on the Rue Mendes France, (216-71) 73 34 33, in the nine-month-old Villa Didon, a design-conscious boutique hotel. The taxi drive to this suburb goes past the palace of President Zine el-Abidine ben Ali, the Punic and Roman ruins of ancient Carthage, and blue-and-white villas of wealthy Tunisians.
The hotel lobby and bar is the most chic place in Tunis for a cocktail; on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, a D.J. spins house, lounge and Arabic music; the rest of the week you can relax to piped-in generic chill-out music. Meanwhile, anyone with a craving for Indian, Italian, Thai, Japanese and other cuisines will be sated by Mr. Ducasse's international menu.
That's not to say the restaurant isn't still working out some bugs. On a recent evening, the kitchen seemed to have had an aversion to heat, sending out chilled vegetables, untoasted nori around a prawn roll, and undercooked sea bass. The desserts, which did not lack for flavor, also suffered from what we hoped was a broken burner.
Tunis's best-known restaurant, Dar el Jeld, 5-10, rue Dar el Jeld, La Kasbah, (216-71) 56 09 16, offers a more interesting auditory experience - an elegantly dressed old man, plinking an antique sitar in the softly lighted dining room - and setting. At this converted private home in the medina, Tunisian specialties are cooked to perfection; the couscous is fluffy and delicately flavored and the kabkabou- dorado with tomato, capers and lemon - is fresh and light.
Another worthwhile splurge is the gorgeous hammam, or steam bath, at the Residence, a hotel on Les Côtes de Carthage in Gammarth, (216-71) 91 01 01. The hammam, with its eucalyptus-scented steam room, sauna and heated saltwater pool, lacks the mildew and fluorescent lighting of an authentic medina hammam, but makes up for it with the presence of a female attendant who will exfoliate you raw with a communal textured glove. Afterward, other attendants armed with scented scrubs and rose oil will gently massage the kinks out.
A short taxi ride will take you from the hammam to Le Boeuf sur le Toit, at 3, avenue Fattouma Bourguiba in La Soukra, (216-71) 76 48 07. The restaurant's name (The Beef on the Roof) hints at its eccentric tilt. The owner, Jacques Moati, who opened the club in a converted barn nine years ago, has propped a rotund white cow on the roof, hung antique carpets on the walls, and floated skeins of red, green, yellow and blue wool from the slanted wooden rafters, giving the place the air of a farmhouse souk.
Biwa, Rue de Lac Biwa, Berges du Lac, (216-98) 31 12 37, a new restaurant and salon de thé perched right on the Gulf of Tunis, is perhaps best in summer, when the deck and stretch of grass bordering the sea are filled with tables and 350 seats, providing a scenic spot to enjoy a crepe or a wood-grilled pizza.
Although the restaurant does not serve alcohol, it does brew a perfect mint tea. Instead of being served in traditional gold-trimmed clear glasses, the tea arrives in an elegant white mug, a Europeanized presentation of North Africa's age-old beverage. It's a microcosm of the winning formula that Tunis exemplifies.
Lodging and Dining
Note that many restaurants in Tunis close during Ramadan, which this year was mid-October through mid-November, and those that stay open do not necessarily serve alcohol.
Villa Didon, Rue Mendes France, 2016 Carthage Byrsa, (216-71) 73 34 33, fax (216-71) 73 34 88, www.villadidon.com (under construction), has 10 suites, each with a freestanding marble bathtub and a view of the Bay of Tunis and the surrounding Carthaginian ruins. A junior double suite, not including breakfast ($24), is $280, at 1.2 dinars to the dollar.
The Residence, Les Côtes de Carthage, Post Office Box 697- 2079 La Marsa, (216-71) 91 01 01, fax (216-71) 910 144, www.theresidence-tunis.com, has 170 rooms, with doubles starting at $295, depending on the view and the season, at $1.35 to the euro. The lobby and Thalasso Center and Spa are elegantly appointed with antique Tunisian handicrafts. Prices for spa treatments start at $28 for half an hour of endermology cellulite massage, and include use of the sauna, hammam, fitness center and thermal pool. Or, for $24, you can just use the facilities, which are open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Spoon, in the Villa Didon hotel, (216-71) 73 34 33, fax (216-71) 73 25 99, www.spoon.tm.fr, is a high-design restaurant, although the food seems to be more designed than cooked. The chef’s selection prix-fixe menu is $52 a person, plus $24 for a selection of wines by the glass. An à la carte dinner for two runs about $125, without wine. It is open for lunch and dinner daily.
Dar el Jeld, 5-10 Rue Dar el Jeld, La Kasbah, Tunis, (216-71) 56 09 16, fax (216-71) 56 78 45, www.dareljeld.tourism.tn, has a sister restaurant, Le Diwan, which features a gallery and a shop selling antique souvenirs, just down the street. Dar el Jeld is open for lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. Closed in August. Dinner for two, $65 to $80, not including wine.
Night Life
Also check www.tunislanuit.com for up-to-date listings (in French only) for concerts and festivals; Tunisia has many such events.
Le Boeuf sur le Toit, 3 avenue Fattouma Bourguiba, La Soukra, (216-71) 76 48 07, is open every day except Sunday for dinner from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Prix-fixe meals run $15 to $25, without beverages ($4 to $8).
Biwa, Rue de Lac Biwa, Berges du Lac, (216-98) 31 12 37, is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to midnight for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner for two can run from $15 to $32. Call ahead to see who is playing what kind of music.
News York Times