Sousse feeds its visitors well - if you know where to look. Tunisia’s second city has a dining scene that runs from no-frills medina cookhouses to harbour-front fish restaurants with Mediterranean views, with street food stalls filling every gap in between. This guide covers our pick of the best restaurants in Sousse, with an honest assessment of cuisine, atmosphere, and what you can expect to spend.
Eating in Sousse: What to Know
Lunch is the main meal of the day in Tunisia, typically served between noon and 2:30pm. Many medina restaurants close early in the evening or offer a reduced menu after 8pm. For the best value and widest choice, aim to eat lunch rather than dinner.
The Tunisian dinar (TND) is the local currency. Budget restaurants in the medina charge from TND 8 to 18 per person for a full meal with a drink. Mid-range places run from TND 25 to 50. Tourist-facing restaurants along the seafront can exceed TND 80 per person. Prices quoted throughout this guide are approximate estimates as of 2026.
Tipping is not obligatory, but rounding up the bill or leaving 5 to 10 per cent is appreciated at attentive establishments.
The Medina: Authentic Tunisian Cooking
Restaurant Emna
One of the most consistently well-regarded addresses in the Sousse medina, Restaurant Emna serves traditional Tunisian cooking in a simple, unfussy setting. The chakchouka - eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce - is particularly good here, and the Friday couscous with chicken, ladled out from a large communal pot, is a genuine local ritual. Expect to pay TND 12 to 20 per person for a full lunch with a drink. The restaurant sits a short walk from the Great Mosque, in the quieter inner lanes of the medina.
Café Houmet Sousse
More than a café, this medina address turns out a short menu of Tunisian staples: brik (crisp pastry parcels filled with egg and tuna), fricassee (a small fried bread roll stuffed with tuna, olive, and harissa), and salade mechouia (a smoky grilled vegetable salad). It makes an ideal spot for a fast, inexpensive lunch at TND 6 to 12 per person. The ground-floor terrace faces a small, shaded square - a decent option outside the peak heat of the afternoon.
Restaurant La Palmeraie
This family-run medina restaurant is well known among Sousse locals for its grilled merguez brochettes and Tunisian tagine - a baked egg, minced meat, and spice dish cooked in the oven (quite different from the Moroccan sauced version). The daily menu, posted at the entrance, rotates regularly and often features grilled fish or slow-braised lamb with vegetables. Budget roughly TND 15 to 25 per person.
The Harbour and Seafront: Fish Restaurants
Restaurant Le Lido
The benchmark fish restaurant in Sousse, Le Lido sits on the edge of the marina. The menu changes with the day’s catch: grilled sea bass, gilt-head bream, sautéed squid with garlic, and fried red mullet all appear regularly. Fish is priced by weight - allow TND 40 to 70 per person for a full meal with a starter and drink. The terrace facing the harbour is worth the extra cost.
Restaurant Le Bonheur
On the seafront, Le Bonheur takes a broader approach than Le Lido, mixing Tunisian cooking with Mediterranean staples: seafood pasta, a reinvented niçoise salad, and grilled fish with lemon and herbs. Staff are courteous and generally speak French. Prices run from TND 35 to 65 per person depending on the fish you choose.
Fish Point Sousse
A more casual address close to the harbour, Fish Point is popular with locals for its fried fish sandwiches and plates of grilled prawns. Prices are noticeably more accessible than the table-service restaurants: TND 15 to 30 for a meal with a drink. No booking needed, though Friday lunchtime draws a crowd.
Around the Medina: Cafés and Street Food
Street Food on Rue de la Kasbah
The street that runs along the kasbah ramparts comes alive in the evening with a string of street food stands. Fricassee, brik, Tunisian chapati, and merguez sandwiches are all on offer at rock-bottom prices - TND 2 to 6 per item. This is the place to eat standing up as locals do, in a relaxed evening atmosphere.
Café Sidi Bou Makhlouf
Tucked near the Sidi Bou Makhlouf mausoleum in the upper medina, this traditional café serves mint tea with small honey and almond pastries. It is not a restaurant in the full sense, but it is one of the best places in Sousse for a sweet pause and a strong coffee after visiting the archaeological museum or the Ribat fortress. Budget TND 3 to 6 for tea and pastries.
A Guided Taste of Sousse
If you want a structured introduction to Sousse’s eating scene, a guided tour is the most efficient way to cover medina cookhouses, harbour restaurants, and street food in a single session without the guesswork. The Sousse and Monastir day tour combines a guided walk around both cities and gives good context for navigating the medina on your own afterwards. For a broader range of Sousse tours and food experiences, browse current options with GetYourGuide.
Practical Tips for Eating in Sousse
Booking: Fish restaurants at the harbour fill up at weekends and in July and August - book ahead. Medina restaurants generally do not take reservations.
Hours: Lunch is served from noon to 2:30pm. Dinner rarely starts before 7:30pm; some medina establishments close as early as 9pm.
Vegetarians: Tunisian cooking is meat- and fish-heavy, but several dishes are naturally vegetarian: chakchouka without meat, salade mechouia, vegetable couscous, and fricassee without tuna on request. Ask the waiter - most can accommodate.
Alcohol: Few medina restaurants serve alcohol. Harbour and seafront restaurants typically stock beer and Tunisian wine. Local Celtia beer costs TND 4 to 8 depending on the venue.
Getting around: The Sousse medina is compact and entirely walkable. The harbour restaurants are about 10 minutes on foot from Bab Diwan, the medina’s main entrance gate.
Where to Stay in Sousse
Staying in the city centre or the medina puts you within walking distance of virtually every restaurant listed here. Hotels in Sousse range from large beach properties north of the harbour to small guesthouses inside and around the medina - the central area is the best base for exploring the local food scene.
Plan Your Trip
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