About 200 metres from the taxi stand inside Tunis’ medina is Dar Slah, second only to Dar El Jeld in terms of fine dining in the ancient city. But unlike Dar El Jeld, Dar Slah is affordable: its lunch menus start at USD20 and include three courses.
Push back the simple doors and you’ll find a pleasant, bustling dining room that doesn’t wave its culinary achievements in your face. In fact, you might wonder if you’re even in the right place – until, that is, you taste the food. The lunch menu changes daily but the food is so fresh it’s practically still alive, and always reliably cooked to perfection.
Dar Slah prides itself on its service, and we were impressed: the head waiter talked us through the day’s options, and the chef came over for a quick chat halfway through our lunch. We started with a plate of beautiful appetizers, including a crisp Tunisian salad and a serving of spicy, house-made baba ganoush (eggplant dip) with a single, salty kalamata olive. On the side, we bit into samosas and onion patties that didn’t bear a hint of oil. Delicately cooked meatballs and a bowl of marinated carrot and apple salad completed the spread.
The seafood tagine entree was served in a stunning ceramic bowl, and every mouthful of tender fish, eggplant, carrot and couscous was delicious. The fish kabkabou, served in a tomato and olive sauce, got our vote as well. It would have been easy to fill up and skip dessert, but we’re glad we didn’t: the ramekins of date, aniseed and noisette crumble were out of this world.
The clientele here is mostly local, and the restaurant is dry: that felt authentic to us. Regardless of whether you have the budget for Dar El Jeld around the corner, don’t miss Dar Slah: this is Tunisian dining at its natural best.
Expert Review
About 200 metres from the taxi stand inside Tunis' medina is Dar Slah, second only to Dar El Jeld in...
About 200 metres from the taxi stand inside Tunis’ medina is Dar Slah, second only to Dar El Jeld in terms of fine dining in the ancient city. But unlike Dar El Jeld, Dar Slah is affordable: its lunch menus start at USD20 and include three courses.
Push back the simple doors and you’ll find a pleasant, bustling dining room that doesn’t wave its culinary achievements in your face. In fact, you might wonder if you’re even in the right place – until, that is, you taste the food. The lunch menu changes daily but the food is so fresh it’s practically still alive, and always reliably cooked to perfection.
Dar Slah prides itself on its service, and we were impressed: the head waiter talked us through the day’s options, and the chef came over for a quick chat halfway through our lunch. We started with a plate of beautiful appetizers, including a crisp Tunisian salad and a serving of spicy, house-made baba ganoush (eggplant dip) with a single, salty kalamata olive. On the side, we bit into samosas and onion patties that didn’t bear a hint of oil. Delicately cooked meatballs and a bowl of marinated carrot and apple salad completed the spread.
The seafood tagine entree was served in a stunning ceramic bowl, and every mouthful of tender fish, eggplant, carrot and couscous was delicious. The fish kabkabou, served in a tomato and olive sauce, got our vote as well. It would have been easy to fill up and skip dessert, but we’re glad we didn’t: the ramekins of date, aniseed and noisette crumble were out of this world.
The clientele here is mostly local, and the restaurant is dry: that felt authentic to us. Regardless of whether you have the budget for Dar El Jeld around the corner, don’t miss Dar Slah: this is Tunisian dining at its natural best.