The Atlantic Ocean brought it prosperity during the heyday of the trans-Saharan trade for which its port was the outlet.
Today, Essaouira lives to the rhythm of the ballets of the fishing boats which bring back loads of fish every day under the watchful eye of the gulls.
Sardines, but also Saint-Pierre, seabass, red mullet, lobster, spiders… Enough to feed a generous table that does not turn its back on the earth.
A stone's throw away, a fertile countryside delivers other riches: argan oil with a subtle hint of hazelnut, artisanal goat cheese, organic vegetables and even lemons, caviar or local wines!
A new generation of Moroccan chefs are drawing inspiration from it to create unique tastes at the roots of the cosmopolitanism of the ancient city.
With your feet in the water, in the cozy lounges of an old palace or under the vaults of a former warehouse, here are six trendy restaurants!
Read also: Street food: five savory delicacies to savor on the go in Morocco
Dar Baba Restaurant & More
We love the arty decor by John Quinn.
Dar Baba / Press photo
The latest spot with arty decor signed John Quinn, fashionable decorator, and a table that has already made its way.
Large dining room or discreet alcoves with vintage furniture: in the evening candles and 70's lights diffuse a half-pop, half-intimate atmosphere served by an excellent soundtrack.
On the menu, Spanish tapas to nibble on with fruit and spice cocktails and tasty dishes at low prices combining Mediterranean influences, nods to Asia and local products.
Professional and friendly service orchestrated by Omar, the owner and the icing on the cake (the Amlou tiramisu, the “Berber Nutella”), soon a rooftop for dinner under the stars!
Prices:
between € 4 and € 9 for tapas, € 10 to € 15 for the main course, € 5 for dessert.
Dar Baba Restaurant & More, 2 rue de Marrakech, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 80 851 84 42.
Love by Caravan
The Love by Caravane patio.
Love By Caravane / Press photo
A large
LOVE
of metal plated on the wall, violets, yellows and greens that collide and a wise Buddha statue to watch over the tables: a stone's throw from the medina, welcome to the crazy world of a painter fascinated by color!
His mantra?
"Passeur of happiness" and at the same time, small gourmet dishes to nibble in the shade of vintage lounges or on the pretty sunny patio.
Beetroot tartare with fresh goat cheese, marinated sardines or fish accras?
We frolic in a map guided by the land, the ocean and the owner's long journeys between Guadeloupe, Saintes and Saint Barth '.
It's fresh, well served, with the added bonus of the boss's smile, always ready to share his good humor.
Prices:
between € 12 and € 20 for the dish of the day.
Open for lunch and dinner.
Le love by caravane, 5 rue Qadi Ayad, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 80 854 86 68.
The Blue Hour Palace
The oriental salon of the Blue Hour Palais.
Blue Hour Palais / Press photo
An English bar for a drink at the back of a club chair, an oriental lounge all in red velvet and brown woodwork for a pasha dinner: the Blue Hour Palais is living in the golden age of old Mogador, when a cosmopolitan art of living was invented there, nourished by the brewing of its great commercial port.
In the kitchen, Ahmed Handour, an inspired chef who mixes influences like in the days of the caravans.
A ras el hanout emulsion, the traditional Moroccan spice blend, flavor the fish of the day à la plancha, a touch of argan oil enhances the lobster medallion and a vanilla chiboust cream coats a fruit pastilla.
Supreme refinement, the dishes are paired with the house wine "L'Heure Bleue de Val d'Argan" created with the eponymous estate, the only vineyard in the region.
Prices:
menu from € 30, 3-course menu € 45, excluding drinks.
In the evening, lunch on the terrace at noon.
Heure Bleue Palais (Relais & Châteaux), 2 rue Ibn Batouta, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 52 478 34 34.
Silvestro
Le Silvestro is certainly the best Italian restaurant in Essaouira.
Press photo
It is a discreet address, nestled upstairs.
People don't come here for the improbable decor (wallpaper with large flowers and tiles spinning the maritime metaphor), but for the cuisine and the sweet family atmosphere with Italian scents.
In
show cooking
behind the glass, Giuseppe, the maestro, is active in the pizza oven while the women of the
famiglia
watch over the large pots where linguine with seafood, osso bucco or fish of the day simmer.
As an accompaniment, Moroccan and Italian wines and good jazz standards.
At peak times, we order a (generous) spritz and a cheese / cold meats misto
made in Italy
while waiting for his dish.
Prices:
count 25 - 30 €, drinks included.
Open for lunch and dinner.
Silvestro, 70 rue Laalouj, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 52 447 35 55.
La Table by Madada
Dish offered at La Table by Madada La Table by Madada / Photo press
With its large stone arches covering the tables, the setting seems to have come straight out of
Othello's
Mogador
, Orson Welles' cult film shot in Essaouira.
The place is historic: an old carob warehouse, one of the treasures of the old commercial port.
Today, you can taste the flavors of the ocean directly from the fishing port in a cozy atmosphere.
Couscous revisited with salmon and prawns, spider crab gratin or lobster pastilla, the dishes twist the centuries-old gestures of the dadas, the traditional cooks, and the culinary daring of Souad Ezzahidy, a young chef trained at the Essaouira cooking school, all that is more contemporary.
Prices: main
courses between € 13 and € 20, desserts € 6.
The Table is only open in the evening, by reservation, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
La Table by Madada, 7 rue Youssef El Fassi, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 52 447 21 06.
Vagrant Ocean
Fillet of Saint Pierre à la plancha served at Océan Vagabond.
oddityline / Photo press
"
No time, no news, no shoes
" is the motto of this boho-chic address which anchored in a large wooden cabin on the beach.
After a kite-surfing lesson (or not), take off your sandals to sit under the mimosas of the vast terrace and roam the map.
Pizzas, hamburgers, salads made with organic vegetables from the home garden, but also freshly caught fish or crispy meats from the slate of the day, we sail between brasserie and bistronomy spirit.
After the mint tea, rest!
Beds and deckchairs invite to a nap facing the ocean, rocked by the waves and the round of camels.
Prices:
around 5/8 € the pizza, between 14 € and 18 € the fish or meat of the day.
From noon to 5 pm from Sunday to Thursday, in the evening on Fridays, Saturdays and during school holidays.
Restaurant Vagabond, La plage, Boulevard Mohamed VI, BP103, Essaouira 44000, Morocco.
Phone.
: +212 52 478 43 67.