Essaouira was one of my favourite cities I visited in Morocco. I loved the relaxed atmosphere, the gorgeous beach, the breeze which tamed the high temperatures, as well as the incredible fish dishes the restaurants in Essaouira are serving.
Essaouira is known as the windy city in Morocco, it’s a perfect hub for water sports as well as being one of the most important fishing harbours in the country. With many boats coming daily here with their catch, which gets packed on the docks and leaves for export the same day. This alone should be a great reason to visit Essaouira, if you are looking to try some exceptional fish dishes at the local restaurants.
I know I will return to Essaouira this year, as my trip to this beautiful city was not long enough. And I know that I will be updating this list once I go back. I loved this city so much, and the fantastic food scene was one of the reasons why I can’t wait to be back. As a foodie, I am writing this post to help you find the best restaurants in Essaouira, where you can go for a guaranteed delicious meal experience.
The Cuisine in Essaouira
Many of the restaurants in Essaouira are serving traditional Moroccan food as well as fantastic fish dishes. There is an abundance of fish and seafood here that you wouldn’t know what to order first.
The cuisine in Essaouira is a mix between Arabic flavours and South European gastronomy. The local aromas have been influenced over the centuries by multiple nations that have passed through Essaouira, which has always been an important trading port in the Atlantic Ocean.
Some of the local produce that are used in the gastronomy of Essaouira are the culinary Argan oil, which is native to the area, goat meat and cheese, olive oil as well as honey.
Fish, Fish, Fish
Fish is an important part of the local cuisine in Essaouira. I don’t think there is any restaurant in Essaouira that doesn’t serve at least one fish dish. The most popular fish in Essaouira is the sardine, which is brought in every day fresh, by the many fishing boats entering the harbour in the morning.
You can enjoy freshly grilled fish and seafood directly at the port, fried sardines at one of the mobile stalls in the medina, fish tagines, as well as Western dishes at the top restaurants in Essaouira.
The local fish dish in Essaouira is the conger eel in sweet sauce, made with onions and raisins.
The Best Restaurants in Essaouira – My Choices:
Fanatic
Fanatic was one of my favourite restaurants in Essaouira. I stopped here for a spot of lunch after a long walk on the beach. They have a lovely terrace with sea views, and an extensive menu focused on fish and seafood. The restaurant was very busy when we arrived, but even so they found a table for us on the terrace. The service was very friendly and attentive.
I ordered the grilled sole, which came with not one or 2 two, but three fish fillets, accompanied by rice and grilled vegetables. The price was very affordable, especially for the wonderful location and view.
The Fish Market Stalls
The fish market is an incredible place to see, in Essaouira. The boats start coming in the morning, before the sun is yet to rise. Crates over crates are filled with ice, and the fish is put on it immediately as it gets taken off the boats. Some of the fish gets sorted and sent straight to the fish auction house in the harbour. Others are taken to the market, where it is sold to locals and tourists alike.
You may wonder how you can enjoy some of that beautiful fresh fish that you see in the market. Well, I’m here to tell you. It’s not third at all, and you don’t need to stay at a hotel with a kitchen. All you have to do is buy the fish and seafood you want, and then take it to the grilling stalls in the harbour. The men here will cook it for you, over hot coals, and serve it with bread and salad.
You can also find fish stalls all over the old medina. Here, most of the fish sold are sardines, which are deep fried and sold for pennies.
La Mouette d’Essaouira
La Mouette d’Essaouira is an al fresco terrace located in the Moulay Hassan Square. It offers pretty views over the square, all the way up to the harbour, as well as the city walls of Essaouira. This restaurant serves affordable meals but it is more popular as a great place for mint tea and coffee, which was the reason for my visit.
The terrace is near a creperie, from where you can buy a delicious Nutella filled pancake to accompany your tea. Service can be slow, but I didn’t mind as I was there for a break in the sun, to enjoy a glass of mint tea whilst people watching.
The Crepe Stalls
And whilst talking about crepes, it’s good to mention all those delicious stands around the old Medina of Essaouira, selling crepes. There are so many different filling options, from the classic Nutella to bananas, strawberries, almonds, dates, amlou, even chocolate like Mars or Twix. There are savoury options as well, which make a great breakfast on the go.
The crepes are very affordable as well, with prices between 12-25 dirhams for the sweet options, to 25-35 dirhams for the savoury ones.
Riad Al Madina Essaouira
This is a very beautiful restaurant, inside an upscale riad with a charming indoor courtyard. The fireplace gives a nice touch to the restaurant and creates an intimate atmosphere.
Here you must try the mrouzia, a special traditional Moroccan dish that I have been told is mostly served at weddings, as well as at the Eid al-Adha festival. It consists of lamb with fragrant spices such as ras el hanout, ginger, cinnamon and saffron then slow-cooked with honey. It is served with almonds, raisins, as well as other dried fruits. This is a very unique dish that I haven’t seen on any other menus of the restaurants I visited during my three weeks in Morocco. So, if you have the chance to try it, you should, as it’s an explosion of flavours and a delight for the taste buds.
Restaurant Keltoum
I found this tiny restaurant whilst looking for somewhere to have dinner, in the old Medina of Essaouira. Located on a small side street, just off the bustle of a main road, this restaurant is tiny, with only five tables. As we saw a couple of locals eating there, we decided to go in and sit down. A lovely waitress came straight away with the menus.
This restaurant in Essaouira is very affordable, with fish dishes priced between 50-100 dirhams. They serve both traditional Moroccan food, as well as local fish dishes.
I decided to start with a tuna salad and order the chermoula stuffed sardines for the main. The food was outstanding. The salad was massive, big enough to share as a starter. The fish was delicious, with a fantastic fresh taste from the delightful mixed herb filling.
Restaurant Sayef
This restaurant was opposite our hotel, on a tiny alley where you wouldn’t imagine there would be a good restaurant. Taking into consideration the restaurant has a clear score of 5 on Tripadvisor, you can imagine it’s a good one. I noticed their specials every day, and got intrigued by the fresh fig tart, which sounded quite unique.
Whilst I did not personally eat here, some of the people I travelled with did and highly recommended it. Not only were the portions large and the prices very affordable, but they tasted delicious too.
The lobster is highly recommended, and so is the carrot and avocado salad.
The Fondouk at Dar L’Oussia
The Fondouk is another great restaurant in Essaouira that is located inside a riad. You can stay here and enjoy their rooftop terrace, or just dine in their cosy restaurant with an open fireplace.
This restaurant serves a fusion of cuisines, combining traditional Moroccan flavours with world classics, using local ingredients such as Argan oil, seafood and fish, as well as preserved lemons.
Because of the location and the intricate menu you may think this is a very expensive restaurant. But in fact it isn’t. The prices are average, just a little bit higher than in other places where the food is not as good. For example, fish mains are priced at an average of 100 dirhams, meat dishes at around 140 dirhams, whilst entrees are around 50 dirhams each.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a cute bakery in the heart of the old Medina of Essaouira, selling delicious pastries and cookies, as well as good quality coffee. They pride themselves by using fair trade and organic ingredients where possible, which doesn’t mean that they charge an arm and a leg for their products. On the contrary, they are very affordable.
This is also a great place for a quick lunch, especially if you’ve had enough tagines for the day. They serve a variety of quiche, soups, as well as grilled sandwiches. When it comes to sweet treats, you will find here the famous round croissant filled with chocolate, which was made famous last year by the Lafayette bakery in New York.
The interior is very cute as well, modern and cosy.
For more articles about my experience in Morocco that will help plan your trip here check out:
- What to eat in Morocco – Traditional Moroccan food
- What to drink in Morocco besides mint tea
- Unique things to do in Marrakech
- A 10 Day In Morocco itinerary
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Wow all the food looks so fresh and delicious and good to know that many of the restaurants serve both traditional Moroccan food as well as fish dishes, as I don’t eat fish (although the rest of my family do, so would love these places). Also I like that you can pick up crepes at street stalls – love crepes any time of the day. The fresh fig tart at Restaurant Sayef sounds intriguing and I always use TripAdvisor to give me an idea of what a place is like. I’m hoping to go surfing in Essaouira one day as I’ve been lucky enough to surf in South Africa, the UK and parts of europe
I’ve never tried Moroccan food, but I’m a seafood lover. I know I will enjoy the food in Essaouira when I find myself there. I’m jealous reading you eat fresh seafood every day at affordable prices. And I will try mrouzia, too. It has spices that I’ve never used at home, like ras el hanout and saffron. It sounds interesting.
I undoubtedly enjoy this article as a foodie. I appreciate that each restaurant has a unique menu. Like the Fanatic and La Mouette d’Essaouira, I favor eating places with views. I’ll undoubtedly visit the crepe stands because I enjoy sweets. I’ll definitely pin this article for potential future trips to Morocco.