Most visitors to Tunis spend their time in the Medina, which makes sense because the Medina is genuinely impressive. But the city that exists outside those walls is where I found the Tunis I was not expecting.
Avenue du 14 Janvier is the main axis of modern Tunis. It is named after the date of the 2011 revolution. Walking down it you pass street art with political references, local cafes where men play cards in the afternoon, and food spots that have no menu in English and no reason to pretend otherwise.
I stopped for a fricassee sandwich, which is a Tunisian street food that is hard to describe briefly. It is a small fried bun filled with tuna, harissa, olives, egg, and potato. It costs almost nothing and it is better than most sandwiches I have eaten anywhere in Europe. A calligraphy artist was working nearby, painting Arabic letters on small tiles. We spent about twenty minutes talking through hand gestures and a translation app about his work.
Crossing a street in Tunis requires commitment. There are traffic lights but they function more as suggestions. You watch the flow of cars, find a gap, and walk with confidence. Hesitate and you will stand there forever. It is the same logic as certain parts of Rome or Cairo, and once you understand it the city opens up.
The downtown area of Tunis feels genuinely alive in a way that many European capitals no longer do. Shops open onto the street, people gather outside in the evening, and the noise level is comfortable rather than overwhelming.
Give yourself one full afternoon outside the Medina. Walk without a plan. Eat something from a stall. That is when Tunis shows you what it actually is.
