Tunis for The Night Owls: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Whitewashed hills, a medina of domes, and Carthage under the pines.
The city after dark. Days start at noon, the real plan starts at nine: a concert, a cocktail bar with a door policy, a club worth the queue, and breakfast on the way home.
Friday: Late arrival
- Théâtre Municipal de Tunis
A theatre from 1902 on the main boulevard; check the programme for a concert or play and take a seat in the stalls.
- Le Grillon
A late dinner and cocktails on the boulevard; the kitchen runs till midnight and the bar a good while longer.
Saturday: Noon to dawn
- Café M'Rabet
A late start in the courtyard café, tea and pastries once the souks are quiet.
- Souk el Attarine
The perfume souk in the afternoon when the stalls are still open and the crowds have thinned.
- Cité de la Culture
The national cultural centre hosts concerts and shows late into the night; check the programme before you go.
- Café de Paris
A grand café that stays open late for a final tea and a sandwich on the main avenue.
Sunday: Slow afternoon, late night
- La Marsa corniche
Walk the La Marsa corniche before the beach cafés fill and the evening promenade begins.
- Le Golfe
A long lunch that slides into the afternoon on the terrace over the gulf in Sidi Bou Said.
- Mad'Art Carthage
A cultural café and club in Carthage with a long evening schedule of concerts and DJs.
Monday: Dawn breakfast
- Pâtisserie Ben Yedder
Early pastry and coffee at the end of a long night, when the city is quiet and the cafés open.
- Avenue Habib Bourguiba
A slow walk down the French-era boulevard, from the clock tower to the cathedral, in a city waking up.