One of the older and better cafes on or near Rue Didouche Mourad, the Café des Artistes has long been a gathering place for Algerian writers, journalists and students. The interior is plain — marble-topped tables, cane chairs, a long bar serving coffee and soft drinks — but the clientele keeps the conversation interesting. It is the sort of place where political arguments are conducted with genuine passion.
Coffee is strong and black in the Turkish style. French pastries appear in the morning. The cafe is at its most lively late morning and in the early evening. It closes earlier than most European equivalents — by 9pm at the latest.