Address: 4 Rue de Syrie

Tel: 216-71-832128

In up-and-coming Tunis, where the dining scene is still in its infancy, Bamboo Lodge is a rare find. Seasoned co-executive chefs from Ivory Coast and Vietnam deliver dishes influenced by East Africa, West Africa, and the Antilles. Expats love the modern-meets--exotic decor—banquettes draped with woven fabric, and the odd mask or spear on walls done in deep earth tones—and the attentive service. But the food is compelling in its own right. Start out with the puff pastries filled with spiced fish or the lemongrass and coconut soup, then move on to yassa de poulet (chicken slow-cooked with onions and lemon), tiep bou dien (tomato-based stew of rockfish, carrots, cabbage, manioc, and eggplant), or other African specialties (entrées, $10–$21).