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If it weren’t for the other diners at Cafe Tanja, you might feel like you’re in a North African home. Knick-knacks extend from embroidered cushions to a framed Zinedine Zidane football jersey (the Algerian connection) and, like any good hosts, Sanah Djebli and Nadim El-Zein are characters in the small dining room, eager to tell you about their house-made bread or recommend what to order.

It’s not just friendly, but helpful, since this is one of the city’s few places to get North African food: briny chicken tajines with more olives than a Turkish picnic; Algerian-style fried eggs spiced with cumin; and brittle brik pastry concealing potato, egg and cheese. No booze here, though, with meals book ended by cake and sweet black tea instead of cocktails.