To Tunis or to Nice? That is the question. A pair of American tourists made headlines recently for mixing up the two destinations; learn from their mistake and skip the airport altogether by heading to Oula, a new all-day Tunisian cafe in Fitzrovia.
After years of hosting Tunisian feasts and supper clubs, Tunisian-born cook and culinary curator Boutheina Ben Salem wanted to create something that would live beyond one-off events. Oula, which is rooted in Mediterranean and Tunisian food traditions, sits within Ibraaz, a new cultural centre celebrating creativity and expression from the Global South. The cafe and community space embodies Ben Salem’s vision of slowing down, sharing food and celebrating the flavours of her home country.
“Oula will evolve naturally, just as Tunisian kitchens always have,” she says. “The word ‘oula’ itself means ‘seasonal preservation’,” or processing the harvest. “Everything we serve follows the rhythm of the seasons.”
The menu is intentionally short. In the mornings, you can start with viennoiserie from Toklas Bakery and bsissa, a millennia-old regional staple made from roasted pulses, grains, nuts, herbs and spices, blended with dates and olive oil. Served as a smooth, nourishing drink, it’s traditionally part of saba, an ancient matriarchal ritual that honours new mothers and helps restore their strength. “It’s considered by our elders to be the secret of longevity,” Ben Salem explains. “The recipe began with my mother and grandmother, and over time I’ve layered in methods and ingredients I’ve discovered on my travels across Tunisia. Traditionally roasted over clay tabouna ovens, it’s a long and complex preparation, full of scent and memory.”
At lunch, the spotlight turns to keskrout tunisien, Tunisia’s beloved street-side sandwich, here made with bespoke bread from Quince Bakery and filled with vegetables, harissa, capers and fermented carrots. “Tunisia has one of the most exciting sandwich cultures in the world,” says Ben Salem. Other dishes include lablabi, a comforting chickpea soup with cumin and lemon, and Tunisian pastries paired with mint tea and pine nuts.
The drinks list is compact and considered, with sohlob, a warm drink made from sorghum and geranium water (Tunisia’s answer to hot chocolate); citronnade; teas brewed from wild herbs; and coffee reflecting the cafe’s Mediterranean roots. “Everything we serve has a ritual purpose,” Ben Salem says. “It’s either meant to awaken or soothe.”
Stepping into Oula, which is wrapped in a warm, sun-dappled glow, rouses those feelings. Designed by celebrated South African architect Sumayya Vally (who designed the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion), the space features burnt orange and dusty pink tones, warm woods and handcrafted details by Tunisian and Palestinian makers. “I wanted to move away from what Maghrebi design is expected to look like,” Ben Salem says. “Instead, I wanted to translate the intimacy and warmth of Tunisian homes into a contemporary London setting.”
Fitzrovia may have been a chance location, but for Ben Salem, Ibraaz feels like the perfect home. “It’s a way to root Tunisian food culture in London’s everyday life,” she explains. “To make it part of the city’s rhythm rather than a special occasion.”
Ben Salem’s mission is to treat the menu as a living archive, reclaiming Tunisian cuisine as a vital part of the Mediterranean rather than vaguely “North African”. Each dish reflects knowledge, rituals and ingredients that have sustained communities for centuries.
“Tunisia isn’t just spicy or one-dimensional,” she says. “It’s a cuisine of poetry – shaped by mountain, desert and coast, by Amazigh, Andalusian, Ottoman, Arab and Mediterranean influences. These dishes aren’t trends or superfoods; they’re simply our way of life.”
Oula
93 Mortimer Street, W1W 7SS
Hours:
Wed to Sun 10am–6pm
