Essaouira is a fishing town first, so eating well here is simple: fish from the port, vegetables from the medina market, bread from the oven around the corner. After a morning on the water you will be hungry. These are the three places we send our students to, and where we eat ourselves.
1. The fish grills at the port
Where: the open-air stalls between Place Moulay Hassan and the harbour entrance.
This is the Essaouira meal. You choose your fish from the ice at the front of the stall (sardines, sea bream, sole, prawns and squid are the usual choices), it goes straight onto the charcoal grill, and it comes to the table with bread, a simple salad and lemon. Nothing else is needed.
Two practical rules. First, agree the price before anything is cooked: the price per fish or per kilo, plus bread, salad and drinks. Second, lunch is the best time, when the day's catch has just landed and the grills are at full speed. Travel guides quote roughly 50 to 80 dirhams per person for a full plate, so budget around that and confirm on the day. Expect a queue during the Gnaoua festival in June.
2. Umia
Where: 22 Rue Skala, inside the medina, close to the ramparts. Phone +212 524 78 33 95.
Umia is the place for the evening you want to sit down properly. The menu is short and changes with the season, built on local fish and vegetables, with vegetarian dishes and a cocktail list. The room is small (fewer than 25 covers), dinner service starts at 18:00, and it fills up, so book a table in advance. Count on roughly 20 to 45 euros per person without drinks.
3. Triskala
Where: 58 bis Rue Touahen, in the medina.
Triskala is a small, informal restaurant with a menu that changes every day, usually two set options with one vegetarian choice. It is the address we give to vegetarian students, and the vegetable tagine comes up again and again in reviews. Payment is cash only, dinner is often fully booked, so arrive early or ask them to keep a table, and check the opening hours before you go, because listings differ.
Good to know
- All three are in or beside the medina, a short walk from the beach where our lessons run.
- Many restaurants close or change hours during Ramadan and on Eid al-Adha.
- If you want to eat with a view of the bay, Salut Maroc at 32 Rue Ibn Rochd has a rooftop terrace open to non-guests.
Hungry after a kitesurf, surf or wingfoil session? Our school is at 11 Avenue Princesse Lalla Amina, open every day from 9:00 until sunset, and we are always happy to point you to the right table.