Best Restaurants in Tangier: Where to Eat, by a Local Guide
Tangier’s food mixes Moroccan, Andalusian and Mediterranean influences. Here are the kinds of places worth your time, what to order, and how to spot a tourist trap before you sit down.
Tangier Food in Short
Tangier does not eat quite like Marrakech or Fes. Its position on the strait gave it a seafood tradition you will not find inland, and decades of Spanish presence left their mark in the fried fish and small plates.
So you get the great Moroccan classics alongside simply prepared fish, often grilled the same day it was landed at the port.
What to Order
- Tagine: lamb with prunes and almonds, or chicken with preserved lemon and olives
- Couscous: traditionally served on Fridays
- Grilled fish: sea bream, sardines, calamari, depending on the day’s catch
- Pastilla: a sweet and savoury pastry, usually chicken or fish
- Harira: tomato, lentil and chickpea soup
- Mint tea: everywhere, all the time, and refusing it is a small insult
Where to Eat: Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood
Inside the Medina
This is where the small family restaurants and rooftop terraces are. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is real, but quality swings wildly from door to door. The best places are not the ones with someone outside calling you in.
Around the Grand Socco
A good middle ground between authentic and comfortable. Historic cafes, pastry shops and several restaurants serving careful Moroccan cooking.
The Port and the Corniche
This is fish territory. The restaurants are plainer but the produce is fresh, and it is where locals eat at the weekend.
Riads and Rooftop Terraces
For a more elaborate dinner with a view over the strait. Book ahead in high season.
How to Avoid Tourist Traps
- Be wary of any restaurant with someone outside calling passers-by in
- Look at who is eating inside. If it is only tourists, keep walking
- Always ask the price of fish before ordering, it is usually sold by weight
- A menu translated into six languages with photographs is rarely a good sign
- The best places are often the plainest looking
Budget and Tipping
A full meal at a local restaurant usually runs 60 to 120 dirhams per person. At a riad or a rooftop place, expect 200 to 400 dirhams. Tipping is not required but around 10 percent is appreciated.
Many places accept euros, but the exchange rate they apply is rarely in your favour. Carry dirhams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is Tangier known for?
Grilled fish and seafood, thanks to the city’s position on the strait. For classic Moroccan dishes, tagine and couscous are everywhere.
Is street food safe in Tangier?
Yes, provided you pick the stalls locals queue at and where the food is cooked in front of you. Avoid anything sitting out at room temperature.
Do you need to book restaurants in Tangier?
Not for the small medina places. For riads and rooftop terraces in summer, yes.
Are there vegetarian options?
Yes. Moroccan salads, harira, vegetable tagines and vegetarian couscous are common and easy to ask for.
Eat Where the Locals Eat
Our private tours include the places locals actually go, not the ones in the guidebooks.