What to eat in Djerba
Fish from the Houmt Souk market, a tajine baked in a clay dish and harissa that sits on every table for free — food on Djerba is simpler and cheaper than on the coast around Sousse.
- Street food
- €0.45–0.90 a bite
- Set menu
- €2.40–5.30
- Djerban tajine
- ~€3
Fish is the base of island cooking, but what stays with you is the Djerban tajine — egg baked with meat and cheese in a clay dish — and the harissa that sits on the table before anything is even ordered. A stall at the Houmt Souk market is cheaper than a restaurant in the zone, and it's where you see what people actually eat.
The Houmt Souk market: street food
Stalls around the fishing harbour sell fricassé (battered, fried tuna in a bun), a caser-crouque sandwich and brik with egg, €0.45–0.90 a piece. Eaten standing up, while the market runs in the morning.
Djerban tajine and fish couscous
A Djerban tajine is egg baked with meat, cheese and spices in a shallow clay dish — same name as in Morocco, a completely different dish — ~€3 at a family-run place. Fish couscous, common along the whole Tunisian coast, runs €5.50–9 here.
A condiment, not a dish of its own
Harissa is a pepper-and-spice paste that sits on the table before anything is even ordered — you add it yourself, to taste, and it isn't charged separately. How hot the meal ends up is down to the diner's spoon, not the kitchen.
Bambalouni to finish
Bambalouni, a doughnut dipped in sugar straight from the fryer, is sold on the street and at cafés, €0.30–1 apiece — the price depends on whether it's bought from a kiosk or at a table.
A restaurant in the evening
In Houmt Souk and the hotel zone a main course at a restaurant, no drink included, runs €9–16 — a whole grilled fish or chicken, with salad and bread.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is a Djerban tajine?
Egg baked with meat and cheese in a clay dish, ~€3 at a family-run place.
Is food on Djerba spicy?
As much as the diner adds from the harissa on the table — the dishes themselves aren't hot.
Where's the cheapest food on the island?
The stalls around the Houmt Souk market, €0.45–0.90 a bite.
Ready for Djerba?
Where to next
The best time to visit Djerba
→Djerba has a long season: sea from May to the end of October, the pilgrimage in May, charter crowds in July…
El Jem · 159 km
→A Roman amphitheatre for 35,000 in the middle of an olive plain — an hour from the beach
How well does Djerba suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.