The best restaurants Mediterranean Coast & Rif

Come again and again for its sublime view. This hotel-restaurant built perpendicular to the ocean on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean seduces above all by its absolutely exceptional setting. Not far from the Hercules caves, the establishment sets up its tables on the vast terrace which offers a panoramic view of the ocean. The wild sea bass is tasted in marinade, in carpaccio or in salt crust. Couscous and tagine on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can also have a drink as an aperitif when the sun goes down: a marvel. Reservation recommended.

In the middle of all the restaurants that face the ramparts of the medina, Yali stands out for its young and friendly staff. The restaurant, which looks like a cafeteria, has a pleasant terrace set against the ramparts. In addition to the pizzas and sandwiches that allow you to eat on the go, the extensive menu offers seafood products at attractive prices: giant spider crabs, small ultra-fresh fish, fish soup, paella (a little sticky), tagines...

The latest in the Café Clock trilogy has opened its doors in a steep alley in the medina of Chefchaouen. Just like its big brothers, the Clock of Chaouen is expecting a nice cultural program, workshops and concerts (stay tuned on the Facebook page). But it's also a place where you can come and eat delicious little dishes all day long or take a little break with fresh mint lemonade on the roof terrace overlooking the city. Multicultural atmosphere in this place frequented by locals and tourists.

El Tangerino is one of the new trendy addresses in Tangier. It offers two atmospheres on two levels: the lounge bar with its subdued lights offers a nice wine and cocktail list. And the restaurant welcomes you in a marine atmosphere: fishing nets and ropes on the walls. It serves Spanish-inspired cuisine with Tangier notes: a wide choice of tapas, paella, tartars, meats and fish a la plancha as well as very good desserts. Nice view on the cornice from the first floor. Temporary exhibitions are also available.

If you want to eat well without falling into the trap of touristy addresses, here is a nice little place, which is well located, where you can have meals around round tables in one of the beautiful caves. The establishment is quite popular, frequented by both locals and tourists. It serves traditional Moroccan food at low prices, such as prawn or lamb tagines. Fridays are of course reserved for couscous! Delicious homemade fruit juice. The dishes are tasty and the service very friendly.

Also known as Casa Aladin or La Lampe magique, this colourful restaurant is a pleasant address, especially for its terrace which makes us take height on the main square. You will also find a pretty room covered with cushions and tapestries. Yacine is eminently friendly and will be delighted to settle down with you to talk to you about the city. The food is rather good and cheap: pastillas, tajines, couscous, bricks and also excellent salads. You can also decide to come simply for a tea with a view.

In the city center, this restaurant with a Spanish atmosphere is an institution. The appetizers will whet your appetite before attacking the classic but always delicious seafood and fresh fish from the Mediterranean cuisine. The spider crabs are to die for. Excellent paellas. Nice selection of wines. The setting is pleasant in winter with a fireplace. It's a pity that the owner has increased his prices and that the overworked service sometimes leaves something to be desired in summer.

An old literary café located in the heart of the medina, on the Petit Socco square. The establishment, animated all day long, is frequented by both locals and tourists. One goes there especially to sip a coffee, to read or to dream on the terrace, spectator of the ceaseless agitation of this place animated from the morning to the evening. But you can also take advantage of it to eat something after having walked in the medina. The menu is simple and offers tagines, chicken brochettes and swordfish filet. The couscous is of course the star dish on Friday. Not to be missed!

This French gourmet restaurant has a very nice surprise in store for you. The interior is in the style of Parisian restaurants and bars. The boss Lhacen Louani invites you to discover a tasty and inventive French cuisine. On the menu: spinach sprout salad with Auvergne blue, roasted half-pintade with tarragon juice, the classic entrecote with béarnaise sauce or pepper, a fried Sichuan chicken. All presented in a neat manner. The welcome is also impeccable, professional and smiling. An excellent address to discover!

On the first floor of a corner house, Mandala will seduce you with its warm and welcoming setting. Only a few steps from the medina, this pizzeria is all the rage and attracts young people in search of novelty and different flavors. The pizzas prepared on fine pasta cooked on a wood fire are delicious. You can also taste different pasta dishes, generously garnished with grated Gruyere. The address is also famous for its desserts, classic but effective, which allow to finish on a pleasant sweet note.

You will surely pass by this restaurant on your way to Café Hafa. If it's time to eat, don't hesitate to stop there. You will be able to sit down in a room with the neat decoration or in terrace, in the pretty patio. Posada del Hafa offers tagines, couscous, chawarmas and salads. You can also order a grilled fish and some meats. The dishes are tasty, everything is prepared before your eyes! Just the smell of the grilled meat outside gives you an appetite! Small price and friendly welcome.

Close to the port, numerous restaurants, crowded in summer, offer fresh fish at ridiculously low prices and hearty portions. We chose the Marhaba restaurant, whose specialty is char-grilled sardines. The refrigerated display case also features soles, mullets, shrimps and other freshly caught fish and shellfish. A real treat! You can sit down in one of the air-conditioned dining rooms or on the terrace to enjoy generous plates. In summer, the restaurant also serves delicious pizzas. Meticulous service.

In the heart of the city, this popular and authentic canteen was the home of the Moroccan writer, Mohamed Choukri, who often came to write and eat good food. This institution, with its Spanish atmosphere, is also famous for its delicious meat skewers and grilled fish cooked with charcoal. The decoration remains however unspecified, with some pictures of the old Tangier, but a nice patio will allow you to sit down on the terrace. Carefully and professionally staffed. A must have!

This is Nador's most popular restaurant for fresh fish at reasonable prices. Orders are taken in front of the refrigerated display case where red mullet, sole, prawns, langoustines, sometimes even lobsters and other delights of the sea are displayed. Once you've made your choice, you're given a number to take a seat in the air-conditioned dining room or on one of the roadside terraces. The fresh fish goes straight into the hands of the cooks, who grill it without waiting in front of the customers. Service is fast, perhaps even a little rushed.

This small restaurant will give you a warm welcome. In this elegant space, the menu highlights Moroccan cuisine, which is of a high standard. The chicken couscous is copious and succulent. The menu also offers a variety of choices between fish, seafood and meat. In generous quantities for very reasonable prices. Delicious home-made desserts. An emblematic establishment of Melilla where one likes to return several times. The place being victim of its success, do not forget to reserve!

This restaurant offers typical and refined Moroccan cuisine. The decor is also and the furniture is the same as the one that orne the country's houses, where the green and gold colours combine and complement each other admirably. Delicious Moroccan cuisine.

In this trendy resort, the Japanese restaurant Mi sushi will enchant the taste buds of a trendy and moneyed clientele. Here, the inevitable sushi, sashimi, teriyaki and bentos are prepared with impeccable hygiene, as well as delicious rice balls and skewers. You can also enjoy some Asian-inspired starters (Tom Yam soup, spring rolls, chicken curry...) or "poké bowls", these small complete salads. Everything is fresh and the service is impeccable.

A good address for the copieux and breakfast lovers. . painted with ceiling, large chairs and nice decoration. Good value for money.

Ideally located on the corniche, an Italian restaurant with a very simple but good card and a very nice owner. The staff were friendly and helpful.

This pocket table is always full and in the evening, the line stretches out on the sidewalk to grab shawarmas and pizzas to go. The few tables occupy the mezzanine overlooking the pizza ovens, rotisserie and piles of cardboard boxes. The locals come here with their families and don't hesitate to mix and match on the same pizza. They are so big, that sharing them with several people becomes a necessity, unless you are a sumo wrestler or a rugby player. Sheep meat shawarma comes on top of a thick pita.

Lux is one of the most popular restaurants for middle-class Tangiers. It is located at the corner of the pedestrian passage of Msala, one of the most animated districts of the city. Its success is such that from 8pm, it is difficult to find a seat. And this, until late in the evening. The atmosphere is very friendly and the waiters are sometimes overwhelmed by the situation. Pizzeria Lux is worth the detour, perhaps more for its overexcited atmosphere than for the quality of its pizzas. Even if they are not bad, far from it.

OtriK welcomes you in a setting inspired by post-industrial New York lofts. The bricks are exposed, the bright red decorates the skai benches and the walls of the mezzanine. An old Solex, a Vespa or an old generation Fiat 500 reinforce the urban signature of the place. In addition to its trendy look, the restaurant offers refined quality cuisine. You can enjoy fish dishes, grilled meats or pasta. Karim and his team give a warm welcome to customers, whether they are regulars or not.

The Moroccan table at Kenzi Solazur emphasizes the gastronomic aspect of traditional cuisine. The room combines tradition and modernity with carved wooden ceilings, painted wooden doors, contemporary fabric banquettes and comfortable leather seats. The cozy setting, lit by candlelight and LED lamps, attracts a rather bourgeois tourist and local clientele. The menu offers the best of Moroccan cuisine: tasty couscous, fragrant tagines and honey-filled pastries.

There are several small addresses on the corniche and Casa César is one of our favorites. This small Spanish restaurant is held by Juan Carlos. Good choice of fresh products: Paella, salads, but mostly fish (daurade, gambas, fried calamars or grilled…) and live music every night! Very nice, and just opposite the beach.

A cheap address to eat a pizza not far from the beach. The Van Gogh is one of the establishments seeking to breathe new life in Tangiers. Far from the charm of the addresses of the medina, but very much appreciated by young tangéroise.

This address located on the Corniche welcomes you in a vast room that is chic with its tablecloths and elegant wooden chairs. You come here to enjoy a cuisine that mixes Italian, Japanese, Moroccan and Western flavours. On the menu, grilled meat or fish, a wide choice of pasta and pizzas at low prices, and sushi. The atmosphere is family oriented and everyone will find a dish to satisfy their hunger. On the other hand, it is better not to be in too much of a hurry, as the service is a bit slow.

It is the La Muralla hotel. An excellent address for those who want to have fun and spend excluding.

This classic and tourist international restaurant is very pleasant. Bistro atmosphere. The address is especially famous as a tapas bar.

The terrace of Dar El Kasbah is one of our favorite addresses in Tangier. And we're not the only ones. Everyone agrees that the couscous they serve on Fridays is the best in the city. We won't say otherwise. From lunch to dinner, the restaurant treats our taste buds. The terrace is pleasant, with sunny and shaded areas. We also loved the tagines, the fish and the salads. And to accompany it all, a warm welcome from the whole team.

Marina Smir has two marinas, one to the north of the beach, the other to the south. The southern one is much more popular, and is enclosed within the huge Kabila apartment complex. This is where you'll find Mora & Mess, a cafeteria-pizzeria with a large terrace overlooking the marina. The à la carte menu allows you to enjoy inexpensive meals at any time of day. Good breakfast. During the day, you can choose from pasta, burgers, paninis, salads and a variety of pizzas (large and small), prepared with fresh ingredients.

This small neighborhood canteen got a makeover in 2021. The room is still long and narrow, but it is now better lit. The walls are dressed in pink and white and the refrigerated display cabinets in blue, which form a cheerfully colorful whole. A clientele of workers, women with children, young people come to eat on the run. One swallows here simple but good dishes: a well spiced chorba, a steaming tajine, grilled lasagne, a plate of French fries or a salad of crudenesses.

Exit the expensive and trendy restaurants of Tamuda Bay, welcome to the popular glitter of Oued Laou. The Miramar distinguishes itself from its comparses installed on the Corniche by its terrace with colored plastic chairs. The choice is limited, the cuisine simply prepared but the products are fresh and it is delicious. You can enjoy grilled anchovies or sardines, fried food, paella or tajine... fish of course, all for a handful of dirhams.

Of all the restaurants on Martil's waterfront, El Faro is undoubtedly the most popular. The restaurant's long dining room and storefront have undergone a complete facelift. Now brighter and more modern, the restaurant also has tables set up on the sidewalk under an awning. The restaurant specializes in seafood, which is cooked to your liking. Sushi is served alongside noodles sautéed with Thai-style squid, while paella follows on from shrimp nems. There's also great pizza for pizza lovers.

This restaurant is nestled at the gateway to the Kasbah, in an old Arabo-Andalusian mansion built around a 3-storey patio full of flowers. The cuisine is refined, well-seasoned and masterfully cooked, with seasonal variations. In summer, take the elevator up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy a pizza and a glass of wine while contemplating the extraordinary view over the Kasbah, the Medina and the Bay of Tangier. It's magical! Efficient, professional service. Remember to book during high season, as the restaurant is often fully booked.

In a warm, vaulted setting with traditional decor, this is a typically Moroccan restaurant serving delicious cuisine. The menu features all the country's specialties: couscous, tajine, seffa, tanjia merrakechiya, as well as various grills, excellent salads and pastillas. Everything is homemade, including the fruit juices to accompany your meal. Relax on the large Moroccan sofas, and the team will take care of the rest. The welcome is charming and the waiters attentive. The bill is very reasonable.

Not far from the new marina, in its extension, is the old harbor which houses fishing boats and small craft. All around are several small restaurants and shops that concoct delicious grilled fish at very low prices. The atmosphere is very friendly and perfectly local. Many families stop here to share a meal of ultra-fresh fish without running up the bill. The cafes welcome fishermen back from their fishing trip to share their adventures over tea.

Maymana is the chic and tasty option for a vacation without the headaches. Rabat's famous caterer, the one who has been at all the weddings and big parties of the capital's high society, is opening a short-lived boutique-restaurant in Marina Smir. You will find all the "signature" dishes of the venerable house that has been simmering, concocting and cooking for 35 years. The store allows you to compose your menus and/or order a selection of pastries. The restaurant has a few tables set up under large wicker canopies, in a bobo-chic setting.

With its large bay window overlooking the sea, its glass lights and its Art Deco style, this address is rather chic. Here, the cuisine highlights fish, seafood and shellfish as well as local products (meat, vegetables, olive oil) directly from the family farm of Karim, the owner. The recipes and dishes are perfectly mastered and emphasize the quality of fresh products. In an ecological approach, plastic bottles have been banned and replaced by recycled glass. Impeccable service. To be tested.

On one of the tourist places of Chefchaouen, here is a restaurant with a good quality-price ratio. You can sit on the terrace with its lively atmosphere, or in the room on the second floor, more peaceful and offering a nice view. On the menu, Moroccan and Mediterranean specialties, as well as good pizzas, made with a Sicilian recipe, kept secret. The establishment also serves very good breakfasts with a varied choice of pancakes and fresh fruit juice. The welcome is friendly but the service sometimes takes a long time.

On the left-hand sidewalk as you climb up to the Kasbah, this charming little coffee-shop-style restaurant offers a menu based on fresh market produce. The menu, with its limited choice, changes daily. You'll find well-cooked fish soup, pastilla, grilled sardines and olive-chicken tagine. The decor harmoniously combines a multitude of objects and vintage furniture! Lovely rooftop terrace, ideal for afternoon mint tea. A family address.

"La maison marocaine" is a charming restaurant that serves local cuisine. On the menu, the inevitable couscous, pastilla, lamb or chicken tagine, briouates and delicious sweet and spicy pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar. Small lounges lined with benches form a large dining room. Exposed stone and lime plastered walls are the main decoration. At the back of the house, a long courtyard hosts a few tables for those who prefer to have their meal outside.

Au Pain Nu takes its name from Mohammed Choukri's autobiographical novel published in 1973, in which he recounts his exodus from the Rif to Tangier and which sweeps away all the taboos of Moroccan society. The place is nice to drink a tinto verano served with a farandole of tapas, but it is also a very good restaurant with a varied menu of Mediterranean inspiration. The only small drawback is that the room is often smoky at the end of the evening. Local clientele, rather intimate atmosphere and music. Pleasant and helpful staff.

If this snack bar presents itself as an unpretentious pizzeria, it also serves quality chawarmas, burgers, tacos and fries. The young people of Tangier like to meet there at any time of the day or evening. The large room upstairs with its wooden tables and chairs is often full. The setting, simple, is nevertheless neat with photos set in original wrought iron frames. Pleasant staff and efficient service. It is clean, you can eat on the spot or take away for a few dirhams. No alcohol but sodas.

Hamadi is a tourist restaurant, with musicians and belly dancers in the evening. It is well located and of rather good quality. On the first floor of a pretty house, the succession of typical lounges offers a comfortable setting with its hangings with local patterns and its beautiful old dishes hung. The tables are arranged around comfortable benches, Moroccan style. The menu is varied and offers a large choice of tagines and couscous to accompany a glass of wine or a beer. Remember to save room for the delicious oriental pastries.

An exceptional location for this fish and seafood restaurant that is almost feet in the water. Its large terrace overlooks the sea and the restaurant, with its contemporary decoration, offers a romantic setting for a dinner for two. If you go there mainly for the view, you can also eat very well: grilled soles and sea bream, fried fish and squid, meat fillets, but also salads, pasta, omelettes... Beautiful setting and warm welcome, in the dining room or on the terrace. A very good address.

This new minimalist address on the Corniche offers excellent smash burgers, US of A style. Here, the ground steak is smashed as it cooks on a hot plancha. The result: the burger has a crispy, almost caramelized crust, and the meat stays juicy inside. An ultra-short but effective menu. Choose between beef and chicken. Everything is homemade: the buns are plump and moist, the sauces masterful and the fries ultra-crisp. A nice strawberry milkshake to wash it all down. A warm welcome.

This restaurant located at the corner of a street, slightly set back from the National, plays the marine card to the full. The tables are covered in white and blue and a large sign with a swordfish and rudder welcomes you. The chef prepares tasty grilled fish that you can choose from the refrigerated display case. Most of the recipes are from the Spanish repertoire, such as paella, fish croquettes, marinated anchovies or the delicious Valencian-style grilled swordfish. In case of bad weather, the restaurant is closed, proof that everything is fresh.