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Food & Drink: Algiers and popular coastal towns have a fair selection of good restaurants, serving mainly French and Italian-style food, though the spicy nature of the sauces sets the cuisine apart from its European counterparts. Even classic dishes will have an unmistakable Algerian quality. Fish dishes are exceptionally good. Menus generally feature a soup or salad to start, roast meat (lamb or beef) or fish as a main course and fresh fruit to finish. In the towns, stalls sell brochettes (kebabs) in French bread and covered in a spicy sauce (if desired). The range of foodstuffs in the south is more limited. Local cooking, which is often served for guests of a household, will often consist of roast meat (generally lamb), cous-cous with a vegetable sauce and fresh fruit to finish. Good-quality food is reasonably priced.
The sale of alcohol is not encouraged. Alcohol is only available in the more expensive restaurants and hotels and is generally not cheap. There are no licensing hours and hotel bars tend to stay open for as long as there is custom. Algeria produces some good wines but very few of them seem to be served in the country itself. If available try Medea, Mansourah and Mascara red wines and Medea, Mascara and Lismara rosés. The major hotels may have a reasonable cellar of European wines. All visitors are advised to respect Muslim attitudes to alcohol.
Nightlife: The main towns offer reasonable entertainment facilities, including hotel restaurants, nightclubs, discotheques, folk dancing and traditional music. In Oran and Algiers, some cinemas show French and English films.
Shopping: Possible souvenirs include leatherware, rugs, copper and brassware, local dresses and jewellery. Berber carpets are beautifully decorated, and from the Sahara comes finely-dyed basketwork and primitive-style pottery. Bargaining is customary in street markets and smaller shops. The rue Didouche Mourad is the best shopping street in Algiers. There are two state-run craft centres with fixed prices. One is located at Algiers airport. Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-1900. Some shops open on Fridays.
Social Conventions: Courtesy should be adopted with new acquaintances. The provision and acceptance of hospitality are as important a part of Algerian culture as elsewhere in the Arab world. In the main cities, the urban population lives at a frantic pace much akin to European urban dwellers, but in the south and in rural areas people are much more open and friendly. Algerian women have strict social and dress codes. Western women should respect Muslim tradition and cover themselves as much as possible or they may incite hostility. Tourist visits should be avoided during Ramadan. For more information, see the World of Islam appendix. Photography: Military installations and personnel should not be photographed. Visitors are advised to make sure there is nothing that could be of a governmental or military nature around their prospective photographic subject. Tipping: Ten per cent is usual.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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