When you have not been to a city it is hard to imagine what its nightlife is like, and this is what happened to me in Algiers. What I did know though was that it had to be better than Tripoli. For there was drink, at least in places like Hotel Suisse!
To be fair I also really did not know what to expect from the Hotel Suisse either. Would it be some big grand cocktail type affair, or something different. Well it turns out that it was different, very very different, although this was not necessarily a bad thing.
Click to see my take on Libyan Cuisine.
Table of Contents
How does drinking in Algeria work?
Drinking in Algeria is not like most other countries, especially compared to Europe. Alcohol is available, but mainly in hotels, some bars, and private clubs. Outside these locations it is not easy to find and generally frowned upon in public. Wine, beer, and a few spirits are available, but no large selection or craft cocktails. The hours are often limited and service is slow if the place is small.
Some hotels operate speakeasy-style bars for guests only, often behind discreet doors or with buzzer entry. You need to be aware that drinking is mostly tolerated indoors, not on the street, and prices can be higher than you expect. I might do a full blog on this later, but for now, these are the basic rules on drinking and nightlife in Algiers.
And the Bar at the Hotel Suisse
Proximity to the marvelous El Walima restaurant was what drove us to Hotel Suisse, or rather we walked with the foreknowledge that we would get a drink. For some in the group, they had not drank for five days. Not me as I’d had paiawara in Tripoli, although I was also thirsty.
After the seven-minute walk we went into the hotel only to be told the bar was next door. We then found the speakeasy entrance (which required a buzzer) next to a 1970s Peugeot. You honestly could not make the shit up.
On entry we were greeted by a proper 1970s style pub, much in the mirror of what we’d been served at the Beer House in Tunis, although with fewer choices. Essentially French, the range was set at beer, wine, or a few spirits. None of these deadly included vodka. The main beer of interest to me was Beaufort, which is originally from Cameroon and gets distributed through the old colonial French Empire. Better than Heineken, but also a bit like sex in a canoe – fucking close to water. I had about six in thirty minutes and did not even have a glow. Not trying to make out I’m “hard” rather that the beer was weak.
Food-wise, I did not see anyone actually eat anything, but the bar had a menu including simple items like sandwiches, cheese plates, and olives. Small snacks mainly, nothing fancy, but enough to keep you going if you are hungry after a meal at El Walima.
In Conclusion
Not the best bar in the world, in fact really rather far from it, but we deal in economies of scale. This is without doubt probably the best bar within walking distance of the ABC Hotel and El Walima Restaurant.
The staff are also pretty much fine, there’s an old car outside, and well, if you have spent a week mostly dry in Tripoli then beggars can’t be choosers.
Where the Hotel Suisse
Address: 5 Rue Didouche Mourad, Algiers, Algeria
Phone: +213 21 63 1122
Email: info@hotelsuisse.dz
Click to see my Algerian Tours with YPT!