Algiers eats well and eats cheap. The cuisine is a genuine fusion of Arabic, Berber, Turkish and French influences, and the best of it is found at the no-frills street stalls rather than the hotel restaurants. Couscous is the staple — a wheat pasta served with richly spiced sauces — and you will find excellent versions at El Marsa, La Casbah, La Colomba and Des Facultes.
Head to the old town for kebabs wrapped in French bread and dunked in spicy sauce. Hummus and chickpea dishes are everywhere; Arzett Loubane does particularly good Lebanese-style preparations. Seafood is fresh and plentiful along the coast. Dates, figs and hard goat's cheese round out the local fare. Alcohol is served only in upmarket hotel restaurants.