I’m a sucker for weird meats, so when the chance to try some camel at a fancy local restaurant came up in Ghardaia I was on it like shit on a stick.
This led to our slightly clueless guide taking us to Tacha Restaurant, located at the edge of the Tafilalt “ecological village”. Which I’ll get into next.
Click to read about Hotel Suisse in Algiers.
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Tafilalt Eco-Village
As we know eco = cool these days with buzz words always outranking actual policy – Tafilalt is a prime example of this. According to our guide (so it could well be wrong) it was founded in 2000 as an environmentally friendly housing complex. Although what this actually meant was they recycled water. I did not see anything like, say, a solar panel for example.
It was though kinda a nice “estate” as we used to say in the old country. And apparently houses here cost just $2800 to buy, although again I take everything our guide said with a pinch of salt. There was though also a sadness to the area with the park looking very Soviet and the cars mostly being from 1970’s France. The later point here was cool for people like me and you, but less practical if you live it.
On the banks of said estate laid Tacha Restaurant, and we were hungry AF!
Tacha Restaurant
Tacha Restaurant is a medium-sized local restaurant situated on the edge of the Tafilalt Eco-Village in Ghardaia. The restaurant has been run by the El-Mahdi family since its opening and focuses on traditional local cuisine, specializing in camel meat dishes. It seats around 50 people and has a simple yet authentic décor, with carpeted floors and seating designed to reflect the local aesthetic. The kitchen is visible from the dining area, giving diners a chance to see the preparation of traditional meals. The restaurant has gained a solid reputation among locals and tourists alike for serving genuine regional food in a straightforward, unpretentious manner.
Our main raison d’être though was because we’d been promised a “proper local” meal, you know the kind they give to tourists.
The Meal
We were supposed to go for the tagline, but instead were served more a set meal for about $20 a person. This started with a piping hot retable type soup which was served with camel milk. Soup was decent, but the camel milk was the bomb. A bit like yoghurt and a bit like Yak Butter Milk, and not the thing your average barang can usually handle. Thankfully I am not average.
Following this we were served some meat and veg pancake type dish which was greasy, but good, and our couscous with sauce. I personally do not like couscous partly because it is poncy, but more so that it is legit just not that good. The sauce though was okay, particularly when combo’d with the dates.
And the Camel at Tacha Restaurant
This was not my first rodeo with camel, but it was not only the first time I had it here, but also my first time boiled. And you know what, it was pretty damned good, so much so in fact that I nigh on ate a whole plate to myself. And the taste? Unsurprisingly it was a lot like boiled beef, although it would be fair to say not exactly a Wagyu cut; I would also opine that it was of a better quality than horse.
Washing it down with the camel milk was also pretty good, much like a cow milk and beef combo, the tastes complementing each other. Tamarind juice was also provided for the less adventurous of the group, which again was very refreshing if not a wee bit bitter.
The Ambience and the like
Cost wise the restaurant rolled in about $20 a person, which while not exorbitant was pretty high by Algerian standards. I personally did not mind at all, but the group were indifferent at best.
Scene wise they really got it right with carpeted floors and dudes dressed like locals. Yes a bit touristy, but hey people need to chill on that point, particularly when they are, you know, tourists. And they even had a tea room, as well as locked up animals next door to provide further jollies. What more could one want from a restaurant?
Where the Tacha Restaurant?
Tacha Restaurant
Tafilalt Eco-Village
Ghardaia, Algeria
Click to check my Algeria Tours with YPT.