27 Best Restaurants in Tangier and the Mediterranean, Morocco

The hugely popular Café Clock company has arrived in a cool blue riad in Chefchaouen. It comes with the same relaxed vibe as its counterparts in Fez and Marrakesh, as well as menu favorites like camel burger and a wide variety of fish dishes. It's much more than just your standard café, and offers fascinating cultural programs featuring Riffian artists and musicians.

Locals and visitors alike flock to this marine-theme, Spanish-style seafood restaurant for no-nonsense fresh fish, paella, and seafood. The terrace is a nice place to linger over a bottle of Moroccan wine. On weekends, large families join tables banquet-style, so book ahead, especially on Sunday.

For authentic Moroccan cuisine at great-value prices, look no further than this small, family-run restaurant. Dine in the cozy salon or at one of the pavement tables, and choose from an array of brochettes, tagines, pastillas, and briouates (stuffed pastries).

In 1931, an American architect renovated a kasbah mansion and turned it into El Morocco Club. Today it's three venues in one: a sophisticated restaurant serving a fusion of Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine, a pretty café terrace, and a seductively lit piano bar. The restaurant menu features fare such as foie gras, seafood couscous, and lemon meringue pie. The café terrace, located under a century-old fig tree, offers more affordable salads and sandwiches and is an excellent choice for a leisurely lunch.

At Asilah's finest restaurant, the sophisticated menu is largely French, with a dash of Asian and Moroccan. A chalkboard highlights the daily specials—perhaps John Dory, crab, or roasted poussin (young chicken); there are great-value two- and three-course prix-fixe menus, too. Pair it with an excellent Moroccan wine or cocktail, and don't miss rounding off a meal with an irresistible dessert. Dine on the terrace in balmy weather; inside it's decorated in warm tones, with dark-wood furniture and white linen tablecloths.

Set within a jasmine-scented courtyard, this is one of the prettiest dining spots in the city. The food is equally as good as the setting, thanks to a menu of modern Moroccan cuisine featuring dishes such as orange, carrot, and saffron salad, and seafood cannelloni. Prices are reasonable, too.

At this iconic, cash-only restaurant, the menu and the price are fixed, so just sit down and prepare to enjoy four courses, designed to be shared by the table. The main event is always the catch of the day—perhaps St. Pierre, dorado, or sole. The dessert might be strawberries (in season) with almonds, smothered in local honey. You'll be served special fruit juice, infused with flowers, cloves, and other secret ingredients, and a souvenir earthenware dish is usually part of the price.

The decor of this cute café-restaurant reflects Tangier’s mix of cultures. The chef only makes a handful of main dishes a day depending on market finds—perhaps briouates (small pastries stuffed with meat or cheese) or kebabs—and when they're gone, they're gone. Be sure to wash your meal down with a seasonal fresh juice. You can dine anywhere across the three floors, from the cozy ground floor to the relaxed roof terrace.

West of the Kasbah, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar and set up on seven levels plunging toward the sea, this laid-back cliff café opened in 1921 and soon became the favorite sunset-watching haunt of locals and bohemian visitors. Waiters impressively deliver 16 steaming cups of sweet tea at a time, along with bowls of bissara (traditional pea soup). 

Popular with both locals and visitors, the town’s first female-owned restaurant has a menu that showcases traditional dishes made with the freshest ingredients. Dine alfresco under an awning; don’t miss the shrimp tagine or the fluffy seven-vegetable couscous. You may have to go more than once.

In a prime spot next to the Cap Spartel Lighthouse, this popular restaurant has a sweeping terrace to take in the views. Its wide-ranging menu includes paninis and sweet and savory crepes, as well as salads and fresh fish. Try to time your visit for the stunning sunset.

It's all about the bird's-eye views over the main square from the three-story riad's terraces here, as the food can be hit or miss. Tagines are the best bet, or stick to a mint tea and pastries.

Open for lunch and dinner, this laid-back restaurant is difficult to find but well worth the search. Abdou himself, a rare and well-loved Tangier personality, serves up some of the freshest fish, simplest salads, and most perfect paella in the area. You can choose to sit indoors or at a table in the sandy maze of colorful and leafy outdoor spaces that lead out to a fine sandy beach sprinkled with tiny shells and beach umbrellas for hire. The best dishes here are the simply prepared fresh seafood plates. Take the first right about 30 feet after the rotary that puts you on Route de Rabat (N1) and at the near end of the Diplomatic Forest. If you see the Club de Tir, you've gone too far.

Since 1920 this Larache landmark has occupied a prime spot on the main square. Inside, it's all Art Deco splendor with towering columns, gilded chandeliers, and a grand piano; or you can grab a terrace table, perfect for people-watching over a breakfast of French or Moroccan pastries and perhaps a pizza in the evening.

Decorated in over-the-top Moroccan style, with banquettes covered with rich brocade and plump cushions, Hammadi (named after the affable owner) is never dull. Try traditional dishes such as the house pastilla (a meat pie), chicken tagine, or kefta (beef patties), along with a cup of freshly brewed mint tea. The place is definitely touristy, but it also has a certain local charm. There's always a live band playing traditional Andalusian music, and if you go for dinner, you can avoid the tour groups.

This great-value restaurant, with its carved-wood chairs, colorful banquettes, and bare stone walls, is one of the top choices in town for Moroccan dishes full of home-cooked flavor. House specialties include regional favorites such as bissara and hearty tagines, as well as plenty of options for vegetarians. If you're with a group, you can order lots of dishes and share them, family-style. And if you can’t find a table, head to owner Said’s second outpost, Beldi Bab Ssour.

For a quick snack, head to this no-nonsense tapas bar near La Plaza Nuestra Señora de Africa. Try the insalata russo (a Spanish take on the Russian Salade Olivier), a Spanish tortilla (a mix between an omelet and potato pancake), or some Serrano ham with bread.

This small, well-located restaurant sits just outside Bab al-Kasaba, the medina's main gate. The current menu is overly expansive, but the fried fish is always a good choice. There's also a selection of tapas. It's dimly lit inside, so grab a pavement table.

This retro-look dining room serves classic Spanish dishes such as jamón ibérico (cured leg of pork), seafood paella, and grilled octopus. Dramatic lighting is provided by attractive Andalusian lanterns hanging from the high ceiling like a constellation.

Take a break from tagines and head to this popular restaurant just outside the medina. Pizza and pasta are the mainstays of the menu, but they also serve meat dishes and good-size salads. Be sure to save room for the sinful chocolate fondant.

Stop for lunch at this community center, whose name means "Our House," and you won't just enjoy a scrumptious home-style meal; you'll also be supporting local women and children in need. The traditional couscous served on Friday shouldn't be missed, especially when eaten in the sun-drenched, tiled patio. Don’t forget to check out the small on-site shop.

Boasting an undeniably romantic ambience with intimate nooks, antique furniture, and sparkling stained-glass lights, this hotel restaurant serves traditional Moroccan dishes with a creative twist. The catch of the day is popular, along with dishes like chicken and olive tagine cooked over a wood fire. In fine weather, eat on the open-sided balcony overlooking the sea and out to Spain. It's worth having an alfresco pre- or postprandial drink on the terrace for the views alone.

A narrow alleyway leads off Avenue Mohammed V to a small courtyard with a large fig tree as its centerpiece; you can dine inside or out at the restaurant here. Try the platter of fried fish, which might include calamari, sole, rouget, and shrimp. Beer and wine are available.

The restaurant in this Spanish-run hotel is one of best options for a great homemade meal short of being invited into a Tetouani home. Fine Moroccan dishes include chicken pastilla, fish skewers, and delicious nut-based pastries, as well as Spanish croquetas (fritters). Picky eaters will find hamburgers, and you can wash your meal down with Moroccan wine or a cold beer.

Decked out in dazzling blues and whites, this seaside house behind Place de la Kasbah has been turned into a tea salon and restaurant by the owners of the guesthouse Dar Nour. Tuck into delicious Moroccan dishes in the intimate salons or on the terrace with stunning sea views across to Spain. Order à la carte or choose from the three-course fixed-price menu, which includes fresh salads, tagines, and almond pastries. And don’t miss the unique mint tea, a special blend with added rosemary and verbena.

A visit to Villa Josephine—perched on a hilltop estate, a 15-minute drive west of the city—is like stepping back to the glamorous 1920s, when it was a summer retreat for the rich and famous. Dress to impress for cocktails in the wood-paneled library and bar before dining on a classic French menu—perhaps steak with béarnaise sauce—on the terrace or in the dining room lit by crystal candelabra. Give yourself time to explore the lovely garden and take in the showstopping views over Tangier.