One of the best places to drink the typical tunisian "
thé à la menthe aux pignons" and smoke a shisha in Hammamet is the Sidi Bou Hdid cafe. Located perfectly between the walls of the old Medina and the sea, it offers a magnificent overview of the bay, which can easily erase any idea of time and space from your stress-filled soul. One of she best moments you can choose to spend there is late in the day, just before sunset, when you will see sky and water blend in together in a million shades of color.
Couples, friends, workers, tourists and locals will promenade before your eye, giving you a perfect feel of the amazing different-cultural tunisian experience. All seats and tables are arranged in such a way that you are facing the sea, and the promenade, also exemplfying the typical easthern habit of curious observation of the outside world.
Take your time and try to soak in the atmosphere. If you are a woman, you will definitely notice a lot of men staring at you. Like our Tunisian tour guide commented, Tunisian men have very "sexual eyes", you feel naked and exposed by the way they judge you all over. Here, like in most Arab countries, you will feel most at ease, if you forget about mini skits and short sleeves. Cover up a bit, both to show respect for the local culture, and to be able to fit in better. In any case, having a pretty shawl to wrap your shoulders with, is a good idea, even just to protect you from the sea breeze.
Sidi Bou Hdid is one of very few cafes in which we saw women. Most of the time, the local cafes are filled only with men, who, we are told, like to speak about football, politics and women. In Sidi Bou Hdid it is different, and you can see women in couples or small groups, having long talks. Another typical sight is a single guy, still in business attire, taking a short break before going home after work. If a couple sits by, you will observe that the woman usually remains on the farthest end of the table, separated from the other men by her husband/boyfriend, and rarely speaking a word.
When you visit this part of the world, tasting the delicious green mint tea is a must. Be brave and order it with pine nuts or almonds. The tea is very sweet and very strong, and can give as much energy as a coffee. Perfectly complimenting its taste is an apple-tasting shisha, which is served at almost any location around Tunisia. We spent our last Tunisian hours in Sidi Boud Hdid, counting the last dinars to buy one final narguile (and as a consequence, we did not have money to buy dinner after that :).
Finally, if you ever wondered, sidi is a respectful title in arabic, equivalent to "mister". It is very commonly used in different titles, and even village names...
