There are so many restaurants in Essaouira, it is hard to choose where to eat. After spending a total of almost a month here in the last year and a half, I have my favourite restaurants in Essaouira, that I have eaten at more than once. So, I know they are reliably good.
While I do consider myself a foodie, I do not like to spend a fortune on eating out. So, the restaurants on this list are either budget or medium priced and I would consider the food more on the “home cooked deliciousness” than the “Michelin star level” side of things.
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The best breakfast in Essaouira
Snack Aljazira
The best traditional breakfast in Essaouira, or possibly all of Morocco, is served here, in this rather unimpressive looking café on a street corner just a few minutes walk from the medina. If you didn’t know about it you would just walk right past it. It is always crowded, but we never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table.
What to order?
My personal favourite is the “big platter” breakfast, fresh bread with a selection of olive oil, argan oil, Amlou, honey, preserved butter and black olives. Add bissara, the traditional Moroccan breakfast soup made from beans or omelette with khlia (dried meat) if you are into more hearty breakfasts.
How much does it cost?
Platter shared between 2 people, bissara, orange juice, coffee and tea around 50-60 MAD.
Where to find it?
The corner of Avenue Princesse Lalla Amina und Avenue Mohammed V.
Café L’Esprit
Café L’Esprit opened just a few months ago (summer 2022) and already seems to be a favourite of many expats and digital nomads in Essaouira. It is run by Merriam, who is from Casablanca and has lived in both Paris and New York City. She, like me, left behind the stressful life of consulting to persue her dreams here in Essaouira. In addition to food and drink, you’ll find the best book exchange in town with books in several languages.
What should I order?
Definitely coffee and cake. My favourite was the Apple Pie. The avocado bread and homemade lemonades are also delicious.
How much does it cost?
Coffee and cake cost about 50-70 DH per person.
Where do I have to go?
Café L’Esprit is a bit hidden in the medina, the easiest way to find it is to follow the wall east from the Skala. The address is 32 Rue Taouhen, but the marker in google maps is not quite in the right position.
The best brunch in Essaouira
Mandala
The Mandala is basically where “Bali hipster café meets Morocco”. So if you are looking for an alternative to the traditional Moroccan food, this is the place to go. Located on the main street of the medina, tucked in between souvenir shops and other restaurants it is easy to find by looking out for the old school bicycle in front of their door. They are open from 9:30-17:00, making them a great choice for brunch or lunch.
What to order?
That is a tough call, as everything sounds so delicious. I’ve had the “overnight oats” for breakfast, a very healthy and yummy option. For lunch I’ve tried the “Tofu Wok Bowl” and a day special with fish, both were really good.
I also tried myself through the drinks menu and all the fruit juices as well as the coffee are the best I found in Morocco so far.
How much does it cost?
As most hipster places it is on the pricier side, but still very reasonable considering everything is fresh and excellent quality. We paid 160 MAD for breakfast for 2 and 280 MAD for lunch for 2 including cake for dessert.
Where to find it?
On the main street through the medina (Avenue de l’Istiqlal) about half way between Bab al Mechouar and Bab Doukkala.
The best dinner in Essaouira (and lunch too)
Chez Fatima
My absolute favourite place to eat at is Chez Fatima, a hole in the wall kinda place close to the Grain Market. It is run by Fatima and her husband, a really lovely couple who greet me with a hug whenever I come to eat there.
The menu seems to change a bit over the year, in the colder months there are tajines and soups on the stove. In summer they serve grilled vegetables, fries and sardine barbeque.
What to order?
I usually show up with a huge bag of fresh fish and prawns from the fish market. Fatima will fry or grill them and serve them with bread, a small Moroccan salad and, of course, fresh mint tea.
How much does it cost?
I pay between 30-50 MAD for preparing my fish, bread, salad and tea. It depends on how much we eat and drink I guess. The prices for tajines etc are also very reasonable around 30-40 MAD.
Where to find it?
Chez Fatima is located right behind the grain market but you will have to walk around the outside. If you come from the main street heading towards Bab Marrakech, you turn left just after the small Bab. Then it is on the right side just before the small alley.
Taverna Bolognese da Maurizio
Another favourite, especially if you are interested in a glass of wine with your dinner. As mentioned before, this is not fine dining, but as Donna Mamma will cook in Italy and you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu.
What to order?
Maurizio is from Bologna, Italy and accordingly the best thing to order here is the Tagliatelle al Ragu, also known as Pasta Bolognese. That said, the pizza is great too, both in taste and in size, you might want to share between two people. Especially if you want to eat dessert. Which you should! The tiramisu is the best I’ve ever had, including many, many in Italy.
How much does it cost?
Dinner for two including desserts and wine ends up around 300-400 MAD depending on the main dish you choose.
Where to find it?
Da Maurizio is located just off the second main street of the medina, Avenue Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah. If you come from the port, it will be on your right-hand side. Look out for an alley with Bob Marley decoration above the entrance, the restaurant is just through there.
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Sushi Restaurant Salt and Pepper (fomerly Chez Les Frères)
Salt and Pepper is a Sushi restaurant run by a Japanese couple in the medina. They both worked in restaurants in Casablanca and Mohammedia for years before they decided to open their own restaurant in Essaouira. They moved into a new location last year, into a more spacious building.
What to order?
I loved the classic sushi options and the gyoza. We were served a small salad and a soup before our main dishes, and both were really nice too.
The Thai-style noodles with veggies were also super yummy.
How much does it cost?
We went a few times and paid around 150-200 MAD each time, sharing a few sushi dishes and starters and drinking homemade lemonade or soft drinks.
Where to find it?
Coming from the Skala, head down Rue Laalouj towards the Institut Francais and turn right at the corner after the Institut. In the alley the entry is on the left side close to the sign for Riad Beldy.
Picknick Café
The Picknick Café has its roots in Frankfurt, where the owners have created a piece of Morocco. Now, since the summer of 2022, there is also a Picknick Café in Essaouira, again held in traditional Moroccan design. Only women work here, Dunja and Khadija run the shop with great pleasure. Similar to Mandala, you can eat modern, healthy dishes here, full of fresh vegetables. But the breakfast is also impressive, good coffee is the focus here.
What should I order?
My favourite was the picknick teller, a mix of Moroccan vegetable dishes like zaalouk, salads and dumplings. For drinks, I recommend the “flavoured water” with orange or hibiscus but completely without artificial flavours.
What does it all cost?
For lunch or dinner, you can expect between 100 and 140 DH per person.
Where do I have to go?
The Picknick Café is located at the end of the main road towards the harbour, in a nameless square, on the left-hand side.
Munchies
Munchies serves burgers, wings and loaded fries. And the burgers are awesome! The best, albeit relatively simple, burgers I’ve ever had in Morocco.
The place is run by Khalil, who is from Chicago but has been living in Morocco with his Moroccan wife for a few years. Munchies opened in the summer of 2022, and even though it’s a bit out of the way, it’s worth the trip. Khalil bakes his own burger buns every morning and it shows.
What’s also very practical here is that the restaurant is physically separated from the kitchen, so the clothes don’t smell like food, as is usually the case in small burger shops.
What should I order?
My favourite burger is the Munchies Burger, which is a bit like a Big Mac. It comes with fries with ketchup and, if you want, mayo or special sauce.
How much does it cost?
Burger, fries and drink are around 40-50 DH per person.
Where do I have to go?
Munchies is located in a small side street to the left of Avenue Princesse Lalla Amina. Just turn off at the first kitesurfing school, you can’t miss it.
Fishburger Essaouira
Fishburger Essaouira openend at the end of 2022, and their burgers are really tasty! Nabil and his business partner Safa started the restaurant after living in the USA for a few years and falling in love with Essaouira during a weekend visit. They are convinced pescetarians and realised that there was a gap in the market in Essaouira, namely really tasty fish burgers at fair prices. The idea for the fish burger restaurant was born.
I’ve been there several times since they opened, and I have to say it’s really delicious! The buns are baked in Essaouira and the fish comes fresh from the fish market.
What should I order?
My favourite burger by far is the crispy burger, with patatas bravas and a homemade lemonade.
How much does it cost?
The last time I was there, the menu as described above cost 80 DH.
Where do I have to go?
At the intersection of Avenue Mohamed Zerktouni and the alley from Bab Marrakech before the small city gate on the left, the location is correctly marked in Google Maps.
La Crevette
If you want to have a nice fish fry but don’t want to go pick your own fish at the fish market, this restaurant is a good alternative. It is always busy with locals (which is always a good sign) and it is conveniently close to the beach and the medina.
What to order?
I love the fried soles, but as all the fish is fresh from the day, you can order what you fancy. Choose bread or fries and salad to go with your meal and you’re all set.
How much does it cost?
I think we paid around 100-150 MAD for the two of us including drinks.
Where to find it?
The restaurant is just around the corner from the breakfast place. You turn into Rue Charif El Idrissi from Avenue Princesse Lalla Amina and it will be on your right.
Samaresh Pizzeria Italiana
A very inconspicuous pizzeria in a small alley off the main roads in Essaouira is the Samaresh. And even if the service leaves something to be desired from time to time, the pizza is absolutely worth a visit.
What should I order?
My favourite was the La Seguin pizza, a white pizza with fresh goat cheese and honey. So delicious!
How much does it cost?
You can expect 50-90 DH per pizza, and I once took half for the next day as it was too much for me.
Where do I have to go?
The restaurant is correctly marked on Google Maps, so it should be easy to find. The easiest way to get there is from Place Moulay Hassan, just turn right at the north end of the square and then keep your eyes open after passing the first turn to the left.
If after all this food you still have room for a little dessert, check out these options. They are of course also great as a snack during the day.
The yummiest dessert in Essaouira
Crepes (and Falafel) across Patisserie Driss
This snack place has great French style crèpes. They are great for a snack during the day when you are exhausted from walking around, or as dessert after lunch or dinner, as it is fairly uncommon for Moroccan restaurants to serve dessert. You can get sweet or savoury ones and my favourite is with Amlou, the Moroccan Nutella. Prices range from 12-25 DH I think and you can find them opposite the Patisserie Driss.
Glacier Chez Said
If you fancy some ice cream, this is one of the places I can recommend. It is just around the corner from Patisserie Driss heading northeast. The selection varies, I loved the melon and peach ones. Not sure about the prices, but it was very affordable.
Cafe Italien Dolcefredo
This is a more traditional Italian gelato place, with a great selection. Additionally, they are located on the Place Moulay Hassan with great people watching and if you are lucky awesome live music on the square.
The best drinks in Essaouira
Sugar cane or pomegranate juice on the street
My favourite drinks in Morocco are the fresh fruit juices. Depending on the season, you can find little stalls selling sugar cane or pomegranate juice and they are just the best! Make sure the sugar cane gets mixed with lemon and maybe a little ginger, for additional taste and vitamins. Sugar cane juice is usually cheaper than pomegranate and prices might vary with the season. It should be between 10-20 DH per glass. Location changes throughout the day, just keep your eyes open as you wander around.
Taros
For a fancy drink (meaning alcoholic) with a sunset view head up to the roof top terrace of Taros. They are located on Place Moulay Hassan and offer great views over the ocean and the small islands. Most nights they have live music of various styles. Prices are almost European level, a Gin and Tonic was around 80 DH I think.
M Beach
This one is right on the beach in front of the Hotel Le Medina. The cosy seats on the beach are reserved for hotel guests, but there are plenty of seating options on the boardwalk and inside as well. I have to admit I’ve never had a drink here as they don’t have prices on the menu and fancy places like this are not quite my style. But the views are great, so just go for it!
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2 Comments
I visited Essaouira recently, and I wanted to express my gratitude for your informative blog. Thank you for sharing such valuable insights.
Amazing blog, and very important one as most of the travelers asked about the recommendation of the restaurants.