Best Cafes and Restaurants in Essaouira, Morocco for 2026

Last Updated on 24th January 2026 by Jessie

Essaouira has no shortage of good food. Whether you’re after a strong coffee, a sunset seafood dinner, or a cheap bite in the medina, this guide has you covered.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Essaouira is the ideal city holiday destination in Morocco. Whilst Marrakech and Fes are incredible in their chaotic glory, for those wanting to experience all the finest food, art and culture that Morocco has to offer – without the overstimulation – Essaouira is your answer. You don’t have to walk a mile or sift your way through a bunch of tourist traps to find the best cafes and restaurants in Essaouira.

The main shopping and dining hub of Essaouira is small and compact, and laced with artsy European charm. The cafes and restaurants in Essaouira’s old medina and Place Moulay Hassan reflect the Euro-café culture, with strategic outdoor seating primed for an espresso, a book, a pack of Camels and a good old people-peruse.

As a port city with a thriving fishing industry, Essaouira is one of the best places in Morocco for eating fresh seafood. If you want to steer clear of some nasty Maroc belly, I’d advise making it a rule to only order fish tagines from restaurants within a 1km distance of the coast. Without further ado, for all the best coffee, seafood and tagine hotspots, here is my list of the best cafes and restaurants in Essaouira.

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15 Best Cafes and Restaurants in Essaouira

1. Arabico Café Brunch

Best For Breakfast

For somewhere that offers a bit of Western appeal, Arabico provides both the traditional Moroccan breakfast and ye olde avo toast. They’ve got a great location on the main strip, so you can enjoy breakfast with a show. It’s a popular coffee spot for travellers.

Recommend: Egg and tomato tagine for 35dh (€3.50). A Berber omelette by any other name. 

2. L’Espirit

Best for Coffee

As a bohemian city, there are quite a few cafes and restaurants in Essaouira serving specialty coffee. And L’Espirit is one such haunt. They’ve got that Euro-café culture I was banging on about earlier. A cosy little streetside gem with great coffee, good music, an abundant book swap and some homemade sweet treaties. Dream.

Recommend: A cuppa and an amlou biscuit.

3. Chez Miloud

Best for Mint Tea

This is your go-to for the Moroccan breakfast staples: Mint tea and msemen. With a strong Euro influence, Essaouira is known for its café culture. The outward-facing chairs of the cafes on the main strip are ripe for hours spent with a cuppa and a good book. But I suggest skipping the oat milk lattes and brunching the Moroccan way. Chez Miloud will teach you how.

Recommend: Mint tea and harcha (fresh semolina flatbread) with olive oil and honey. I’m not sure of the exact price, but it’s cheap as chips regardless.

4. Chez Omar

Best for Local Cuisine

Don’t mistake me – the full-trad eateries hold their own, and Chez Omar is one venue that proves such. This is the place to go for proper local Moroccan cuisine. No-frills decor where tourists and locals dine elbow-to-elbow in the alleyway. That’s a sure-fire guarantee for good, authentic, well-priced grub.

Recommend: Anything; if you want a good couscous or tagine, this is your place to go. The Moroccan Pil Pil shrimps for 50dh (€5) are extra special.

5. Restaurant Amira

Best for Seafood

Okay, that’s a little misleading. Restaurant Amira only serves one kind of seafood. In fact, the one-man business offers only one item on his entire menu: grilled octopus. But it’s truly a case of doing one thing, and doing it damn well.

The occy is freshly caught and cooked to perfection, served with grilled veg and bread. The little hole-in-the-wall is well sought out, so I recommend making a reservation the day before.

6. D’Jazy

Best for live music

D’Jazy is one of the best bars in Essaouira for live music, in my opinion. Every evening from 9pm you can expect a jazz/fusion band to grace your ears. With a cozy, low-key atmosphere, it’s a good spot for some well-priced drinks and well-played music.

Recommend: A whisky sour for 100dh (€10) – bit exy, but apt for the occasion – and a swanky seafood dinner.

7. Les 4 Saisons de Mogador

Best for Tagine

It’s a pretty big call, but I’m crowning the lamb and prune tagine at Les 4 Saisons de Mogador as the best tagine I’ve had in all of Morocco. The vegetable side dishes are banging too. It’s a great spot on the main strip with good prices and a little more pizzazz than the full-trad eateries.

Recommend: Lamb and prune tagine for 65dh (€6.50); zaalouk for 25 dh (€2.50); and caramelised carrots for 20dh (€2). Fit for a queen.

8. Ocean Vagabond

Best for Beachfront Bar

With live music, friendly staff and a caravan of camels striding past along the beachfront, Ocean Vagabond is one of the best cafes and restaurants in Essaouira for a laidback Larry afternoon.

The menu has the basics covered with burgers and wood-fired pizzas, plus a bit of a bistro flair with some swankier dishes. They’ve got a great range of cocktails and a 2-for-1 happy hour deal.

9. Mama Lova

Best for Boujee Décor

Mama Lova is a velvet-laden boutique hotel that envisions itself as, “a coworking space and cafe by day, rooftop bar in the evening, and high-end hotel at night.” Aim high.

Mama Lova is a pretty exy option for coworking in Essaouira, but all bookings include a meal and unlimited coffee. The food is exceptional (though reflected in the price), with a menu that showcases traditional Moroccan cuisine, but with a bit of fine dining rizz.

Recommend: The set breakfast for 150dh (€15) eek, or for my budget-minded friends – a small mezze dish (under 50dh) served on the rooftop to take advantage of the epic sunset views.

10. Restaurant Khmissa

Best for a Moroccan Feast

Restaurant Khmissa is another local family-run gem. It’s the kind of place that you’ll dine at once and then find your way back to every night for the rest of your trip because you can guarantee that your belly’s going to be happy. The tagines are epic, as are the harira soup and the Moroccan salad starters.

As with many of the best cafes and restaurants in Essaouira, Khmissa is small and cosy, with only a few tables – so get there early or expect a wait. Your patience will be rewarded tenfold. I recommend dining with a small gang and ordering a bit of everything to share.

Recommend: Menu du jour (menu of the day) for 100dh (€10).

11. Retro Corner

Best for Healthy Western Food

When you’ve had your fill of tagine for a bit, I recommend switching up your palate with lunch at Retro Corner. I must preface that they do also serve Moroccan cuisine, and I’m sure it’s equally delicious, but their burritos and bowls are my go-to.

Retro Corner is one of the more upscale venues in the medina, with a funky little dining room offering a cosy reprieve from the outside hustle and bustle.

Recommend: Steak house burrito for 70dh (€7).

12. Mega Loft

Best for a Rooftop Beer

I’ve never eaten here, so I can’t comment on the food either way. But Essaouira restaurants that also sell alcohol tend to lean on the pricier (and lesser quality) side. Nevertheless, the rooftop at Mega Loft is the best spot for a sunset beer. It’s ideally situated on the main strip of the medina, so you have primo viewing of the sidewalk chaos below, and the dreamy pink skies above.

Recommend: A cold Casablanca for 60dh (€6).

13. Coin Typique

Best for Moroccan Cuisine with Good Vego Options

An authentic little Moroccan restaurant tucked in an alleyway near the ramparts. It’s a one-chef show, so expect a leisurely wait, but the quality of the food is worth it. Think home-cooked Moroccan cuisine done to perfection. Coin Typique is a step above the hole-in-the-wall jaunts in terms of hygiene/restaurant experience – so the menu is priced accordingly.

Recommend: Vegetarian pastilla, zalouk (eggplant salad) and taktouka (hot tomato and leek salad) for 170dh (€17).

14. Cafe Jalil

Best for Kefta Tagine

Cafe Jalil is hidden down a side street in the medina, alongside a bunch of similar restaurants. Proper hole-in-the-wall joints, with 3 or 4 tables each. These are your go-to for cheap, tasty tagines. I rank this place as the best kefta tagine (meatballs and eggs in a spiced tomato sauce) in all of Essaouira. It was so good that every person who walked past asked what it was. And subsequently, the initially empty restaurant was filled by the time we left.

Recommend: Kefta tagine for 35dh (€3.50).

15. Mifan

Best for A Swanky Dinner

Mifan is definitely on the pricier side when it comes to Essaouira restaurants. But alas, sometimes we crave that polished new-age dining experience. The artsy little venue offers a tapas-style menu. Best shared with friends and/or lovers.

Recommend: Hummus, lentils with gambas, and foccacia for 140dh (€14).

Once you’ve eaten your way through all the best cafes and restaurants in Essaouira, check out my complete guide to Essaouira for more tips and tricks.

More tips:

• Bars and Nightlife in Essaouira
• Coworking Spaces in Essaouira
• Hammams in Essaouira
• Best Cafes and Restaurants in Mirleft
• Rug Shopping in Essaouira

For more Maroc info and a little less of my own opinions, I’ve created a travel wisdom-sharing hub over on Reddit. Join the group here.