13 Best Restaurants in Tangier, Tangier and the Mediterranean

In 1931, an American architect renovated a kasbah mansion and turned it into El Morocco Club. Today it's three venues in one: a sophisticated restaurant serving a fusion of Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine, a pretty café terrace, and a seductively lit piano bar. The restaurant menu features fare such as foie gras, seafood couscous, and lemon meringue pie. The café terrace, located under a century-old fig tree, offers more affordable salads and sandwiches and is an excellent choice for a leisurely lunch.

At this iconic, cash-only restaurant, the menu and the price are fixed, so just sit down and prepare to enjoy four courses, designed to be shared by the table. The main event is always the catch of the day—perhaps St. Pierre, dorado, or sole. The dessert might be strawberries (in season) with almonds, smothered in local honey. You'll be served special fruit juice, infused with flowers, cloves, and other secret ingredients, and a souvenir earthenware dish is usually part of the price.

The decor of this cute café-restaurant reflects Tangier’s mix of cultures. The chef only makes a handful of main dishes a day depending on market finds—perhaps briouates (small pastries stuffed with meat or cheese) or kebabs—and when they're gone, they're gone. Be sure to wash your meal down with a seasonal fresh juice. You can dine anywhere across the three floors, from the cozy ground floor to the relaxed roof terrace.

Front-row seating can be had at the pavement tables of this café smack bang in the middle of the Petit Socco. It's a good place to catch your breath with a coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice and a crepe as you watch an intriguing cast of characters wander past.

West of the Kasbah, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar and set up on seven levels plunging toward the sea, this laid-back cliff café opened in 1921 and soon became the favorite sunset-watching haunt of locals and bohemian visitors. Waiters impressively deliver 16 steaming cups of sweet tea at a time, along with bowls of bissara (traditional pea soup). 

Located within the Minzah Hotel, El Korsan serves traditional Moroccan cuisine in sumptuous style. Specialties include succulent mechoui (roasted lamb or mutton) and slow-cooked tagines, often served to a soundtrack of Andalusian music. The service is attentive, and the decor is classic Moroccan opulence.

The sleek café-restaurant of renowned French pastry chef Eric Kayser serves up an array of French goodies such as baguettes, melt-in-your-mouth croissants, pain au chocolat, mille-feuille, and choux buns. Marvel at the elaborate displays, then grab a decadent cake and a coffee, relax, and people-watch.

This fabled café has been gracing a corner of the buzzy Place de France since 1927, and its brown leather seats, wood paneling, and mirrors galore will make you feel like you're back in the 1950s with William Burroughs (he wrote here) or in The Bourne Ultimatum (a scene was filmed here). The terrace is the perfect place to watch the world go by over an orange juice or café au lait.

Decorated in over-the-top Moroccan style, with banquettes covered with rich brocade and plump cushions, Hammadi (named after the affable owner) is never dull. Try traditional dishes such as the house pastilla (a meat pie), chicken tagine, or kefta (beef patties), along with a cup of freshly brewed mint tea. The place is definitely touristy, but it also has a certain local charm. There's always a live band playing traditional Andalusian music, and if you go for dinner, you can avoid the tour groups.

Stop for lunch at this community center, whose name means "Our House," and you won't just enjoy a scrumptious home-style meal; you'll also be supporting local women and children in need. The traditional couscous served on Friday shouldn't be missed, especially when eaten in the sun-drenched, tiled patio. Don’t forget to check out the small on-site shop.

Boasting an undeniably romantic ambience with intimate nooks, antique furniture, and sparkling stained-glass lights, this hotel restaurant serves traditional Moroccan dishes with a creative twist. The catch of the day is popular, along with dishes like chicken and olive tagine cooked over a wood fire. In fine weather, eat on the open-sided balcony overlooking the sea and out to Spain. It's worth having an alfresco pre- or postprandial drink on the terrace for the views alone.

Decked out in dazzling blues and whites, this seaside house behind Place de la Kasbah has been turned into a tea salon and restaurant by the owners of the guesthouse Dar Nour. Tuck into delicious Moroccan dishes in the intimate salons or on the terrace with stunning sea views across to Spain. Order à la carte or choose from the three-course fixed-price menu, which includes fresh salads, tagines, and almond pastries. And don’t miss the unique mint tea, a special blend with added rosemary and verbena.

A visit to Villa Josephine—perched on a hilltop estate, a 15-minute drive west of the city—is like stepping back to the glamorous 1920s, when it was a summer retreat for the rich and famous. Dress to impress for cocktails in the wood-paneled library and bar before dining on a classic French menu—perhaps steak with béarnaise sauce—on the terrace or in the dining room lit by crystal candelabra. Give yourself time to explore the lovely garden and take in the showstopping views over Tangier.