Eat · Sidi Bou Said village
Café des Nattes
Mint tea and pine-nut tea on woven mats at the top of the village; go after 16:00 and carry small notes.
- Mint tea with pine nuts
- Woven mats
- Cash easiest
- Order: Mint tea with pine nuts
- Tables and stools
- Walk-in window: before 12:00
- Queue risk: weekend midday
- Vegetarian options
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 10Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Medina lanes are stepped, narrow and shared with carts
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More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Usually daily until evening; hours vary
Typical hours: check on the day.
Busy this hour
Estimate by hour below
Easiest walk-in
before 12:00
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Bring cash
Per person
TND 5–152026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
Tip
Format
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Your first order
- Mint tea with pine nutsthé aux pignonsThe local speciality.TND 6–10
Menus and prices change; the board on the day wins.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
How to order
- Walk up the main lane and look for the mat-covered seating.
- Ask for a seat on the mats and order at the table.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
Allergies and diets
- YesVegetarian · Tea and pastries. · say: “Je suis végétarien.”
- AskVegan · Some pastries use butter or egg.
- AskHalal · No pork; not certified. · say: “Sans porc.”
- AskGluten-free · Pastries contain wheat.
- AskNut allergy · Pine nuts and other nuts are common.
- Not on fileAllergy · Pine nuts and nuts are common; show a card. · say: “J'ai une allergie aux noix.”
Paying
Bring cash
- Pay in cash and leave a small tip.
- Tip 5–10% or round up.
- Cash in dinar is easiest; card acceptance varies (check).
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Note
- Treat as walk-in unless the venue confirms otherwise.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
- 1Walk up the main lane and look for the mat-covered seating.
- 2Ask for a seat on the mats and order at the table.
No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Aslema | ah-SLEH-mah |
| Thank you | Shukran | SHOOK-rahn |
Portions and sharing
- Sip slowly; the tea is small and sweet.
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Extra items: Some tables are brought sweets unasked — Ask the price before eating.
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
- Pay in cash and leave a small tip.
- Tip 5–10% or round up.
- Cash in dinar is easiest; card acceptance varies (check).
- Cash in dinar for stalls and small cafés.
At the table
- Eat where locals queue and the food is hot.
- Harissa is very hot: taste a little first.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- TND 5–15 per person for tea and a sweet (2026 estimate)
Paying, diet and allergies
Paying
The default: carry small dinar notes and coins.
Larger cafés and restaurants; machines fail, so carry cash.
No transit-card culture.
Not common.
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianyes
Tea and pastries.
Show: Je suis végétarien.
- Veganask
Some pastries use butter or egg.
- Halalask
No pork; not certified.
Show: Sans porc.
- Gluten-freeask
Pastries contain wheat.
- Nut allergyask
Pine nuts and other nuts are common.
- Allergynot on file
Pine nuts and nuts are common; show a card.
Show: J'ai une allergie aux noix.
What is in the dishes
- Pastry platewheat
Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Who it suits, booking, closures
- How to book
- Walk-in only.
- How far ahead
- Not needed
- No-show / cancel fee
- Not applicable
- Dress code
- Casual; cover shoulders and knees is polite.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan | check before you go | Hours shift; evenings busy. |
| Weekdays | check before you go | Hours vary. |
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Hour by hour, with queue times
Quietest listed hour: 09:00 (quiet).
- 09:00quietlittle or no wait
- 10:00lightlittle or no wait
- 11:00busya short wait is possible
- 12:00heavyexpect a line
- 13:00heavyexpect a line
- 14:00busya short wait is possible
- 15:00busya short wait is possible
- 16:00busya short wait is possible
- 17:00heavyexpect a line
- 18:00busya short wait is possible
Desk estimate of crowd on a weekday; weekends and public holidays run one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Tables and stools
- Kids
- kids' menu: no · stroller: poor · Sweet treats suit children
- Access
- step-free: no · Steep lanes and steps
Hygiene
- Hot tea is safe; skip ice.
- Ask for bottled water.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not on file — Treat as walk-in unless the venue confirms otherwise.
- Capabilities
- food
- Getting there
- Sidi Bou Said main lane · ~4 min walk
Cons
- Busy at weekends and midday.
- Cash is easiest.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Thé aux pignons | Mint tea with pine nuts. | A Sidi Bou Said classic. |
| Mint tea | A green tea with fresh mint and sugar. | Ask "sans sucre" for less sugar. |
| Bambalouni | A sugared doughnut sold in the village. | Eat it warm from a stall. |
Price check
- locals pay
- Tea is TND 2–4 in an ordinary café (2026 estimate).
- tourist price
- Tea with pine nuts here is TND 6–10 (2026 estimate).
- rule
- Tip 5–10% or round up.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Extra items | Some tables are brought sweets unasked | Ask the price before eating. |
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it free to sit?
You order tea or coffee.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it kid-friendly?
Yes, for sweets.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
What is Café des Nattes known for?
Mint tea with pine nuts on woven mats.
When should I go?
After 16:00 or before noon.After 4:00 PM or before noon.
Do I need to book?
No.
How much is tea?
Roughly TND 6–10 with pine nuts (2026 estimate).
Do they take cards?
Not always; carry dinar.
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
All places to eat in Tunis, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Tunis in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Tunis
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.