Sfax has a reputation among Tunisians for good food at honest prices — it serves a business clientele rather than tourists, so quality has to earn the customers. The local speciality is brik au thon (a deep-fried pastry filled with tuna, egg, and harissa), and Sfax is particularly known for its seafood, brought in daily from its substantial fishing fleet.
The restaurants in the new town around Avenue Habib Bourguiba and the central market cater to the local business lunch crowd and are consistently good value. Look for places serving chorba (the Tunisian spiced soup), couscous bi hout (couscous with fish), and grilled mullet or sea bass from the harbour. The working-class restaurants near the medina gates are the cheapest and most authentic — expect plastic chairs, shared tables, and excellent food.
The central market hall is worth a visit in the morning — it has a good fish section and a produce market that shows the agricultural wealth of the surrounding olive-growing region.