Tunisia City Card
Cheap flights to Tunisia from Jet2.com will open your eyes and tastebuds to a whole new dining experience when you sample the delights of Tunisian cuisine. With such a variety of places to choose from we have selected three from Tunis and three from Monastir that we believe are worth the visit.
Eating in Tunisia
Budget: Capitole (+216 71256601) £3 is a popular location for traditional Tunisian cuisine at exceptionally reasonable prices. They serve a range of local dishes with seafood popular but also specialise in pasta dishes. They have a ‘prix fix’ menu that allows you to sample starters, mains and desserts for a brilliant 6TD (roughly £3) making this a perfect haven for a substantial but quick bite to eat.
Mid Range: Chez Slah (+216 71258588) £3-£6 is something of a hidden gem in Tunisia’s capital. Tucked away off the main streets the restaurant marries a vibrant ambience with exceptional culinary delights for all tastes. Specialising in seafood, they serve only fresh dishes caught that morning but for those wishing for something meatier there is plenty to choose from. It resides in the Bab El Bahr neighbourhood so keep an eye out for it.
High Range: La Brasserie (+216 71961951) £12-£16 provides a taste of Tunisian haute cuisine so don’t expect large servings. The food, though, oozes in flavour with meat and fish dishes abounding. It is also blessed with picturesque views that help to generate an atmosphere of opulence. They don’t serve alcohol either.
Eating in Monastir
Budget: El Ferik (+216 73460517) Away from the Marina, this tidy local themed restaurant offers a variety of flavoursome dishes including delicious goat meat. The staff are friendly and the service is quick adding to the enjoyable dining occasion.
Mid Range: Le Grill (+216 73462136) is recognized as one of the popular Monastir places to dine. The prices are reasonable and the menu is geared up towards typical western dishes so expect plenty of meat to choose from.
High Range: The Captain (+216 73461449) possibly Monastir’s premier restaurant. Prices reflect the quality of the food and if you’re a fan of seafood this is the perfect place to sample to fresh fish. Tourists regularly flock to this restaurant which generates a vibrant atmosphere.
Drinking and Entertainment in Tunis
Most of the evening entertainment is centred on the hotels. Most people enjoy a few drinks with their evening meal before extending this back to the hotel or popping into one of the hotel clubs en route.
Drinking and Entertainment in Monastir
Like most other resorts drinking and indulging in some evening entertainment generally takes place in the hotels. Monastir doesn’t have a thriving night life but just down the road in Skanes you will find plenty of bars to enjoy a couple of beverages in. Luna Mare is the stand-out location but revellers can also visit the clubs in many of the hotels such as Coco Club inside the Tropicana Club Hotel, on the seafront, popular with great cocktails and Cosmos inside the Tropicana Club Hotel.
Shopping in Tunisia
Shopping in Tunisia takes something of a hands-on style. ‘Souks’ which loosely translates to ‘markets’, is where you will find most of your shopping activity especially in the Medina’s. The souks are comprised of stalls all closely crammed together on the narrow streets where owners ply their trade. Be prepared for extremely high prices on initial inspection but don’t be put off as this is done to accommodate the customary bartering. Haggling over prices, if approached with the right attitude, is a fun enterprise that gives you a real sense of Tunisian living. It can also be a way of striking up some banter with locals.
The souks are very hectic though so you will need to keep your wits about you and watch any bags closely.
For more conventional shopping, recent developments have seen various complexes built both in Tunis and also Monastir/Skanes to accommodate this; however, they are few and far between. The best place for souvenirs is in the souks where you are made to work for your purchase. There are number of bookshops in the Tunis area and one called Al-Kitab is particularly useful as it sells guides and maps and has a stock of English titles. So make the most of your cheap flights from Jet2.com and barter your way to a clutch of bargains in Tunisia.
Things to do in Tunis
Being the capital, Tunis, offers a great deal to tourists making the most of cheap flights into the country. Some of the popular highlights when visiting Tunis include:
Bardo Museum (Le Musee National du Bardo) - £3 - offers a mesmerising collection of ancient Roman mosaics that have been perfectly preserved. Visitors cannot effuse highly enough about this wonder and it is worth spending a couple of hours I there absorbing it all.
Blanko Kitesurfing Beach Club - this sport and beach club offers everything from the conventional watersports to dining at the restaurant and parties in the evening. They also offer lessons.
Medina of Tunis - The popular shopping district that offers you everything from Tunisian culture is the obvious first choice to visit and you may find yourself there on more than one occasion – especially if you have a knack for bartering!
Things to do in Montasir
Medina of Monastir - The ancient and vibrant crammed streets full of souks offer you everything from Tunisian culture and an obvious first choice to visit; you may find yourself there on more than one occasion - especially if you have a knack for bartering!
Ribat of Monastir - is a beacon of Tunisian ancient architecture that is now celebrated as a museum. It was first built in 797AD and was the inspiration for Monastir’s name as it appears today.
The Marina has been wonderfully built and offers a variety of watersports for the adrenaline junkies amongst us.
Key Phrases
Hello - Aslemma
Good bye - Bislemma
Yes - Aye/na'am
No - Leh
Please - Min fathlik
Thank you - Shokrun/barrakaloveek/ascent
Good morning - Sbakhir
Good evening - Messa el Khir
How are you? - Lebes?
I'm fine and you? - Lebes, winti?
Do you speak English? - Tikallem Angleez?
I don't understand - Ma nifhimsh
I don't speak Arabic - Ma nitkallamsh arbi
I am very sorry - Samahni
Give me the menu please - Atini el menu yaaychik.
Bring me a cold glass of water first - Atini kass ma bared.
What's the daily dish? - Chnawa el sahan mtaa lyoum?
When can I find the travel agency? - Brabbi win el agence de voyage?
May I buy a travel ticket? - Ennajem nechry teskra?
Where is the taxi station? - Wini mahatet el taxiet?
A bottle of water - De bousa mer
Pasta - Macarouna
Tea - Tay
Coffee - Kahwah
Too expensive - Gahli Barcha
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