L’Olivier easily wins the title of Nabeul’s best restaurant in our book, with its stylish tables, fresh fish, good wines and excellent service. Find it just around the corner from the medina: if you’re coming from the wonderful guesthouse Dar Sabri, leave the medina and turn left, then right. In fact, with its linen tableclothes, sleek decor and attentive waiters, L’Olivier is one of our favourite places to eat along the Tunisian coast.
Marrying the best of French cooking with the warmth and freshness of Tunisian cuisine, L’Olivier is famous for its fish and its couscous dishes. The Couscous au Merou (USD14) is the house special, prepared lovingly with the day’s fresh catch and lashings of light, mildly-spiced broth. But there’s also a host of other good options, including a twin-sauce chateaubriand for two, the French seafood stew bouillabaisse and steak served in a balsamic reduction. The Italian specialities are excellent too; think tagliatelle with zucchini and shrimp or fresh spaghetti with squid.
But like elsewhere in Tunisia, that day’s ocean haul is always the winner. The waiter showed us a selection of plump, ocean-caught seabass, seabream, shrimp and lobster. The seabass, served whole, was gently grilled and served naked (‘grandmother style’, the menu curiously says) with only its juices, as well as lemon and capers on the side. Accompanying vegetables were delicately sauteed, brimming with freshness and a light crunch. The bream (USD18) was equally good, although the shrimp sauce it was served in detracted from its fresh flavor.
This is an excellent place to try Tunisian wine, and the waitstaff can help you pick out a bottle to go alongside your menu choices. And if you’re unsure what to go for in terms of food, you could always make like the table next to us, who tried a little of everything, sharing plates of whole grilled bass, platters of squid and white bait and other fine daily specials.
Expert Review
L'Olivier easily wins the title of Nabeul's best restaurant in our book, with its stylish tables, fresh fish, good wines...
L’Olivier easily wins the title of Nabeul’s best restaurant in our book, with its stylish tables, fresh fish, good wines and excellent service. Find it just around the corner from the medina: if you’re coming from the wonderful guesthouse Dar Sabri, leave the medina and turn left, then right. In fact, with its linen tableclothes, sleek decor and attentive waiters, L’Olivier is one of our favourite places to eat along the Tunisian coast.
Marrying the best of French cooking with the warmth and freshness of Tunisian cuisine, L’Olivier is famous for its fish and its couscous dishes. The Couscous au Merou (USD14) is the house special, prepared lovingly with the day’s fresh catch and lashings of light, mildly-spiced broth. But there’s also a host of other good options, including a twin-sauce chateaubriand for two, the French seafood stew bouillabaisse and steak served in a balsamic reduction. The Italian specialities are excellent too; think tagliatelle with zucchini and shrimp or fresh spaghetti with squid.
But like elsewhere in Tunisia, that day’s ocean haul is always the winner. The waiter showed us a selection of plump, ocean-caught seabass, seabream, shrimp and lobster. The seabass, served whole, was gently grilled and served naked (‘grandmother style’, the menu curiously says) with only its juices, as well as lemon and capers on the side. Accompanying vegetables were delicately sauteed, brimming with freshness and a light crunch. The bream (USD18) was equally good, although the shrimp sauce it was served in detracted from its fresh flavor.
This is an excellent place to try Tunisian wine, and the waitstaff can help you pick out a bottle to go alongside your menu choices. And if you’re unsure what to go for in terms of food, you could always make like the table next to us, who tried a little of everything, sharing plates of whole grilled bass, platters of squid and white bait and other fine daily specials.