My Top 10 Food Spots in Tangier

Tourists, visitors, and new Tangiawians are constantly asking my where to eat. This is close to my heart. I love food, and I love to share good places to eat. So here is my answer of the places I have discovered in Tangier that I recommend.

An excellent lamb and prune tajine made for me by my friend Hajar, for lunch on her balcony at her lovely country cottage with sea views.

Note: while dhs for dirhams is the usual abbreviation, for exchange info Moroccan dirhams are abbreviated as “mad”s (love that!). At the present 10 mads is about $1USD or €1.

As a rule of thumb, a meal will typically be 50-80 dirhams. You can get sandwiches and kebabs for as little as 8-30 dhs. Obviously you can pay more than 80dhs – especially for non-Moroccan places. Bread usually comes free, sometimes olives and other little things, so don’t let them charge you for it unless you asked for it. There aren’t many places in Tangier which do that, but there are a small number (be warned though if you’re heading to Marrakech, happens a lot!).

Medina just means city, but when I say medina I mean the ancient medina, or the old walled city.

MY TOP 10 FAVOURITES – I’m sorry, first the non-Moroccan food list, and a SECRET

And my favourite international cuisine treats in Tangier: (this is premised by a note that most of these cuisines are a long way from home. This is the land where sushi is deep fried or pizza flavoured, lol)

1 The Syrian – otherwise known as Abou Tayssir.

When I’m asked for a good place to eat, this is always my first suggestion. It is tiny, but boy it packs a punch for the food. It’s also a good place to meet people, and vegetarian options. You can get a cheap but good shawarma starting at 25 dhs. I love the mixed dips (humus, regular babaganoush/eggplant dip and white babaganoush with yoghurt) which come with lebanese bread for 45 dhs. The red pepper dip is also excellent. There are vine leaves, fried chicken, salad, the best falafels I’ve had anywhere, and borek which are manna from heaven – triangular pastry wraps which are so crisp, the fillings so yummy! Run by Redwan from Syria and his lovely wife.

Humus, red pepper and white babaganoush dip, at the back salad, falafels and a Syrian Ramadan sweet.

It's on Rue d’Italie, the street which runs along outside the medina wall from Grand Socco, up the big hill to the kasbah (castle). It’s a tiny shop at the base of the hill, next to café Colon and opposite cinema Alcazar.

2 The Other Syrian – down on the Boulevarde (ie past Hotel Rembrandt and towards the UN Square or Techno Park).

The Other Syrian, on the Boulevarde.

It’s bigger, and also very good. They have the real-deal proper shawarma (according to my friend from Jordan/Syria/Egypt). So grab a shawarma (30dhs) or find some hungry friends and order from the large selection of dishes to share.

Humus, Kebdi, falafel, white babaganoush, shawarma, and their vine leaves are amazing!

Walk from the canons following the bend past Hotel Rembrandt, past the orange Marjan supermarket square, Defacto dress shop, and Downtown café on the corner, and La Grande Poste (main Post Office), all on your left. If you see Marwa clothes shop on your right you have gone too far. The Syrian is on your left just past a big new bakery-café. There’s a stand out the front with pastries.

3 Hatanaka’s – because a little piece of Japan is exactly what you’d expect in the middle of a Moroccan medina.

Hatanaka’s Yakisoba noodles.

Ramen

Basic – yakisoba fried noodles, yakimeshi fried rice, ramen noodle soup and Takoyaki octopus cooked in dough balls. Right at the top of the old medina near the kasbah and jail museums and the gate with an amazing sea view. You can sit outside and catch a nice breeze with a view down towards the sea – the one on my blog title page. Not only a good, cheap meal at about 35 dhs, but in a city where most people speak 3-5 languages and I have only one useful one, a chat in Japanese with my friend Hatanaka makes me feel a tiny bit less dumb.

It’s on google maps, but easy to find. Walk from Grande Socco up Rue d’Italie all the way to the T-intersection at the top. Turn right and walk in through the Kasbah gate, and follow the wall on your left. Just in front of you where the road makes you follow it to your right in front of the newly renovated and opened Kasbah jail museum, look for the Japanese flag – because that’s a list of things you’d expect to find together!

4 American Fast Food

Only open by about 6 months by a lovely American couple, this also has a simple menu, but again one well worth the visit. I’ll admit I can’t move past the Buffalo wings, but I’ve heard the hamburgers and hotdogs are also very good. My pick is 8 pieces with the sweet chili sauce which is just under 50 dhs for a full meal including fries and drink. Yesterday they had a competition – if you could eat 10 *very* spicey hot wings in 10 minutes, you got them for free, plus a bag of goodies. If you dare, maybe ask if they will give you a go.

From the end of the canons, turn right into the paved street, then left on the next one (which is Rue de Mexique). If the American flag stripes aren’t obvious, you can see MacDonalds a block away.

5 Anji – Chinese restaurant.

Crisp garlic and chili beans and beer above and Peking Chicken to the right.

Left - view from the window of Anji.

Down on the Corniche on the roundabout at the beginning of the beach, which also marks the boardwalk out to Churinguito. I’ve had a range of different dishes here, and my craving for Asian food is satisfied. They are priced from 58 dhs to 128 dhs and up. I’ve had the crispy fried garlic and chili green beans, a version of Peking Duck, some excellent dumplings, spring rolls, noodles and stir fries – and that’s just from the cheap end of the menu. Sit upstairs above the roundabout and enjoy the views of the marina over an ice-cold beer while you wait. They serve beers and alcohol starting from 40 dhs. (Damn – thinking about it just makes me want to go again!)

It's on the roundabout opposite Hotel Miramar. Walk down to the bottom of the medina and follow the beach-harbour-main road to your right away from the ferry, past the yachts to the second roundabout. To your left is the boardwalk to Churinguito and some other café/restaruants, beyond it Marina Bay beach starts. Hotel Marina is on the far corner, Anji is on the corner right next to you.

6 The Italian Palace – getting a little pricier, but a nice place to go, and our usual for special events.

Pizza is cheapest on the menu, starting at around 80-90 dhs. There is pasta and calzone as well – your standard Italian restaurant, and not too bad. Just down from the Iberia roundabout.

Above - pizzas at Casa d’Italie.

Casa d’Italie is on google maps, from the end of Rue d’Italie – the one which runs along the outside of the medina and up the steep hill to the Kasbah (castle) – turn right with your back to the sea. Take the right-most street from Grand Socco, which will take you up through an archway randomly standing in the middle of the road. If you walk along the footpath through the park you will also randomly find tombs in the middle of the pathway. At the corner with the bakery Bouarrakia on your right and another mosque on your left, turn right, then the next one left. It’s on your left on that street. You have to follow the road in and around – but don’t worry, you’re not trespassing, and being tucked away like that is why it is nice and peaceful.

7 Sarayah Food – Indian restaurant. I’ve had food from here once as takeaway, and it was pretty good. I need to go and try it out. Near Hotel Chelah (which has live music in the winter). Dishes are towards the 100dhs mark.

It’s on google maps, but if you walk past the canons, and turn right at the paved street where you can see MacDonalds’ logo. Walk away from the water to MacDonalds. Keep going straight ahead for 2 more blocks. Turn right for one short block, and you will see it to your right from the next corner.

8 Mr Noodles – down in Malabata on the beach from the train station, near Arena Cafe.

The Chinese version of noodles.

I always get one of their noodle specials for just under 100 dhs, which are not too bad. It’s just a block off the beach, and is also close to a Kandinsky’s ice-creams where you can sit with sea views for dessert. There are some other places nearby which look promising. I haven’t tried them, especially a very nice looking café on the corner, but it’s always busy.

9 Tom Yam – I haven’t been here yet, and will update with a review as soon as I have. But it’s been very recommended, and serves alcohol. Thai food, near the Techno Park or UN Square on the Boulevarde.

If you walk down the Boulevarde past the Syrian, it is in the small street one block before the Techno Park, on your right.

10 Le Coeur de Tanger – Tangier’s secret. It’s a tapas bar.

Yes, yes, there are tapas in Spain. But you get the food for free. Yes, I know that – but that is just snacks. Tangier’s secret is that here in the north of Morocco there are places where you buy your drinks and they bring the food for free – loads of it! And they keep on bringing it. I eat here often, sometimes just because I feel like a cold beer with my food.

I usually order 2 beers to ‘pay for the food’. I like Stork which I think has more flavour (4.8%). Speciale has a little bit stronger – 5.2% – and a bit like Heineken. And of course there are your usual range of drinks, all decently priced. They will start with salads – usually potato salad, beetroot salad and tomato and cucumber. Then the fish – many plates, many types, maybe calamari, or prawns/shrimp. Then there will be some grilled meat on skewers, and finally fruit. It varies a little, and you of course can drink as much as you like.

And all the food is free.

Le Petit Berlin is another place which does similar, and there are various pubs that also bring tapas, but these two bring the most food and are cheapest.

It is easy to find – above Café de Paris. From the medina you go across Grand Socco and keep on going, the street to the left of Cinema Rif. It’s about 2 blocks up to the next roundabout and fountain. Café de Paris is right on the corner (a café landmark). Go around it to the canons, turn around and the door is in front of you. Go up the stairs. There’s a part with views over the bay, but I go up and through to the balcony. It’s nice to sit outside to drink.

MY TOP 5 FAVOURITES FOR MOROCCAN FOOD:

I live here, so over time I look for a range of foods, and I seriously miss the Asian flavours and food I have cooked and eaten most of my life. But of course, especially new to Morocco, you want to try some local dishes.

1 Chez Hassan – near the medina and a good price. Besides its appealing red table covers, this has good Moroccan food. I’ve had the excellent seafood tajine, kebab sticks and salad, for under 100 dhs for the meal. My favourite tajine in Morocco is lamb and prune, and on Fridays the tradition is for couscous, which is everywhere.

This one is at the base of the Rue d’Italie hill, which is the street which runs along the outside of the old medina wall from Grand Socco (Cinema Rif) up the hill to the top to the Kasbah (old castle). Chez Hassan is at the base of the hill (so you are saved the climb), right after Abou Tayssir’s Syrian and café Colon, which are across from cinema Alcazar.

2 Bachir’s – for a variety of traditional dishes – including harrara soup, beans, bissara fava bean soup, tajine and couscous of course, and also lots of fish. Cheap and good. From the far end of the canons walk to the next traffic street going right, and 2 blocks down that street (away from the sea). It comes up on google maps.

3 Fresh Seafood restaurants near the harbour – how much more of an ad does such a location need for fish – a heap of seafood restaurants right where the fishing trawlers come in. Grab a big plate of mixed seafood, or anything else you’re inspired to. You can ask for it grilled rather than fried. Add some salads and other details and you’ve got yourself a banquet.

From the ferry terminal roundabout go to your right (away from the medina) along the big road that runs along the sea. In a couple of minutes you get to an area on your right with a heap of restaurants – looks like an industrial space through a wire fence and down some steps. They are all fresh seafood restaurants. Choose the busiest one – the locals already know which ones are best.

4 Coq d’Or – there are many of these chicken places. They offer a BBQ chicken portion dished up on rice with chips and bread. It’s pretty basic, pretty decent, and pretty cheap.

This one is past the cannons towards the Hotel Rembrandt. Keep an eye out on your left. There’s another I know is good right next door to Regine’s night club which is very close to Roxy Café. There are a couple on the main street of the medina.

5 Sandwich shops – These are everywhere. You can have fun finding your favourite. But the one I’ve found which I like best is near Grand Socco (where the fountain and Cinema Rif are). I get the “sandwich poulet” – chicken sandwich – for 25 dhs, but they start from about 8 dhs. The chicken one I like means marinated chicken freshly grilled while you wait, with salad including pickles, and hot chips (see – convenience – you don’t have to juggle the chips as an extra cos they put them right in the sandwich for you! Though you can ask to have them separate.) Sandwich means in a baguette or French stick. They discard the inside as being a waste – which always bemuses me. I’m more used to the fussy kid discarding the crusts.

And of course there are other options – taco means wrapped up in a flat bread with the end result toasted, shawarma includes meat off the kebab. You can even just get a plastic takeaway container filled with salads – including potato salad, beetroot, egg, olives and pickles, grated carrots, onions, lettuce….

So where is this place? At Grand Socco stand in front of Cinema Rif. Take the street on its left. There are 3 shops – 2 tiny ones, this one is the third one. It’s deeper and has a grill at the back, and is usually very crowded – do you need more proof! It’s called Annasr.

Another type of food place are the little ones which literally serve up a single dish, or a small number of standard ones. They are holes in the wall found all over the place, especially in markets. For water, there will be a cup next to a jug of water for anyone who wants a drink. Sometimes they will simply serve harira soup with bread and a plate of pickles. Others will have a small selection of fish etc to choose from. You will also see terracotta water tubs along the street, with one cup attached for anyone who is thirsty.

One of these has the best harira soup – so good, I go there just to have some. Harira is a tomato based vegetable soup. There is no fancy way to describe it, but it is an excellent soup. From Grand Socco, go into Rue d’Italie – the one through the arch. On your right a few shops down is a tiny one with an  orange front. It won’t open before midday, but is open late, past midnight. They also have decent sandwiches, but nothing beats the harira soup with fresh baguette bread. That will set you back a whole 6 dirhams – all of 60 cents.

I am maybe a little thin on the Moroccan places, but I eat good food at home. My flatmate cooks Levantine food - from Jordan, Syria and Egypt, and I cook Asian, from China, Japan and Thailand.

Enjoy your dinner!

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