Good food in Algiers offers variety, luxury and economy
Algiers, the capital of Algeria, offers many excellent restaurants. Many residents and tourists in Algiers could head to the venerable Hotel El-Djazair for an evening of the best traditional Algerian food, and they would be happy with their choice. And yet there are a number of lesser-known restaurants in Algiers that are newer, fresher and offer evolving interpretations of the traditional North African staples of lamb, fish and chicken by culinary artists who are rising to the top of your office.
Fortunately, Algiers has a great selection of excellent restaurants. One that has garnered a sterling reputation in recent months as perhaps one of the top half dozen restaurants in the city is tantra. This little gem is hidden away in a beautiful villa in the Bois des Arcades, a wooded area near the Maqam Echahid o Monument to the Martyrs in Riad El Feth. tantra it has a fabulous terrace open in the summer which is great for dining outdoorbut eating indoors is probably better when it gets too cold in the evenings.
the chef in tantra is a brilliant synthetist specializing, as expected in seafaring Algiers, in fish and shellfish, but with very interesting proposals for poultry and lamb also in his menu card. Recent guests have ordered fried shrimp for an appetizer, grilled sea bass for an entree, and French apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Can you imagine a simpler home cooked meal? However, this was delicious.
Preparation is everything. The freshly baked bread was served with a plate of fresh local tomatoes and sardines complemented by a second plate of roasted peppers. The tomato and sardines were delicious preludes to the grilled shrimp. Tea prawnsShrimp, as shrimp is known in this part of the world, were so fresh, no shellfish to disguise what it came from the ocean, delicately fried in a butter mixed with little bites of pineapple.
Highlights of a night out tantra It could certainly be grilled sea bass, seared with extreme heat to seal in its subtle flavor and juices, then roasted to perfection over a slow wood fire. The sea bass arrived without sauce, a sign of a very confident chef. There was nothing there to mask the subtle and wonderful flavor of bass on its own. Many guests will enjoy this treat as long as this item remains on the menu. Before ordering coffee, you might consider a dessert. One of the best is a French apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, a bit of a departure from the American version of fashion cake. apple pie in tantra it is served quite warm, moist, but with a spicy and crispy crust, an exceptional delight.
Don’t expect fancy decor at tantra, although it is quite elegant and is now kept in a splendid, impeccably clean style. The waiters are also very helpful and extremely attentive. Do not leave Algeria without trying tantra at least once.