Where To Eat of Essaouira

Where To Eat of Essaouira

Rue de Agadir (00 212 524 47 21 03). 'I call it hippy chic,' says Abdellatif Rharbaoui, proprietor of what resembles a 1970s junkshop transported from the Portobello Road. After the trash-aesthetic decor, his menu seems quite conventional: oriental classics with an Italian flourish, a legacy of the nine years he spent in Bologna. Order organic chicken with fresh figs, and lemon sorbet with vodka. About €35 for dinner for two.

CAFE RESTO LE TAROS
Place Moulay Hassan (00 212 524 47 64 07, www.taroscafe.com). As well as a bar, boutique,  gallery and library, Taros has a kitchen serving nourishing Moroccan food (try the chicken tagine with prunes and almonds); but this is a meeting place as much as a café, and its rooftop is the place to be seen. Cocktails from about €5. Two-course meals about €15 for two.

LA LICORNE
26 rue Scala (00 212 524 47 36 26, www.lalicorne-essaouira.com). More faux-baronial decor, this time under the ramparts of the Scala. La Licorne serves some of the finest couscous, tagines and pastillas in town.

L'HEURE BLEUE PALAIS
(See Where to stay). The most sophisticated dining in town, a mix of Moroccan and French conjured up by Sylvain Scotti, a talented chef from Lyon, and served in a Moorish-baronial dining room or outside on the patio.

RESTAURANT DU PORT CHEZ SAM
Port de Pêche (00 212 524 47 65 13). An old-time favourite, Chez Sam serves beautifully fresh seafood: oysters brought down from Oualidia, fresh sea bass, hake and sole off the boat, all served simply.

RESTAURANT FERDAOUSS
27 rue Abd Essalam Labadi (00 212 524 47 36 55). The creation of chef Madame Souad, who left Villa Maroc (renowned for some of the best food in town) to set up on her own. The food is unfussy, delicious and pure Morocco.

LE CHALET DE LA PLAGE
Mohammed V Boulevard (00 212 524 47 59 72). A local landmark since 1893, this light and airy seafront restaurant serves great seafood with bay views. Your jolly host Jeannot is a patron of the old school, straight out of the cast of Casablanca. Ask for a table on the terrace.

Each lunchtime, a string of gargottes (food stalls) opens in the park near the entrance to the port. The fish is fresh and simply cooked. Trust your nose and the warmth of the welcome. Prices are fixed and printed on a board.

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