Libya Eating

Eating

Eating In Tripoli, it is surprisingly hard to find a traditional Libyan restaurant. Most serve western-style cousine, with a few Moroccan and Lebanese restaurants thrown in. This is a shame as there are some wonderful Libyan dishes should you be fortunate enough to be invited to a Libyan dinner party or wedding (but be prepared to be over fed). A favourite cafe for the local expatriate community is the fish restaurant in the Souq. Here, you can enjoy a great seafood couscous for a few dollars, a specialty is the stuffed calamari. Another good seafood place is the Hofra Market. On the beach road to Mateiga Airport, only about five kilometres along the beach from Green Square, this fish market is grimy looking but don't be fooled: the fish is fresh and there is a huge variety. You can buy your fish (or seafood) and take it to the adjacent cafes where it will be cooked to your order and served with huge amounts of bread and salad. The tourist will pay more here than the locals (unless you are an experienced haggler!) but it is worth the $15 spent. Also recommend Al-Saraya. Food OK but it's attraction is it's position right in Green Square. Another good seafood restaurant is Al-Morgan next to the Algeirs Mosque near 1st-September Street. A relatively recent arrival in Tripoli are the flash-looking big fast-food outlets. These are not the multinationals but a close copy! They are springing up in areas such as Gargaresh Road (a big shopping strip in the western suburbs of Tripoli) Drinking The most common drink in Libya is tea. Green tea and "red" tea are served almost everywhere from small cups, usually sweetened. Mint is sometmes mixed in with the tea, especially after meals. Coffee is traditionally served Turkish style: strong, from small cups, no cream. Most coffee shops in the larger cities have espresso machines and will make espresso, capuccino and such. Quality varies so ask locals for the best around. Alcohol is officially banned in Libya though some rumors are heard that the government plans to introduce alcohol sales in some resorts planned for mass western tourism in the future. In reality alcohol is very readily available through a local black market (anything from whiskey to beer to wine). It should be noted that penalties for unlawful purchase can be quite stiff and travellers should always exercise appropriate common sense with respect to local laws and, more importantly, local sensitivities and traditions.