My Top 10 Food Spots in Tangier
Tourists, visitors, and new Tangiawians are constantly asking me 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.
Note: while dhs for dirhams is the usual abbreviation, for exchange info Moroccan dirhams are abbreviated as “mad”s (love that!). Generally, 10 mads is about $1USD or €1, give or take.
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 - althoygh they have just expanded into the shop next door, and 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! It is run by Redwan from Syria and his lovely wife Asmae.
Recently they have also started a Syrian breakfast, 70dhs but a brunch banquet - including (anti-clockwise):
excellent home made jam
halva (a sesame sweet from the region - I love any version)
Syrian cheese - a little chewy but oh so tasty
olive oil, of course
the Syrian za’atar (a type of dukkah) - oregano, sesame, sumac - dip a torn off piece of your bread into the oil, then the za’atar
yoghurt
tomatoes and cucumber.
Then there is as much Lebanese bread as you want, an omelette, and best of all, eggplant/aubergine in a harissa and walnut sauce.
It's on Rue d’Italie, the street which runs along outside the medina wall from Grand Socco, up the huge hill to the kasbah (castle). It’s a tiny shop at the base of the hill, next to Café Colon and opposite Cine Alcazar.
2 The Other Syrian – down on the Boulevard (ie past Hotel Rembrandt, past La Grande Poste, and towards the UN Square or Techno Park).
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. I love the mixed dishes for a little bit of everything.
To get there, 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 Anji – Chinese restaurant.
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!) They also have sushi, but I’ve lived too long in Japan and prefer my own home made version - usually as a party.
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.
With things so often changing, while Anji was closed for renovations, a new place opened up, with originality calling itself Chinese Restaurant. They are all from Lanzhou in northern China, with their feature dish being the Lanzhou noodles for 50dhs. Otherwise their prices are similar to Anji.
From Grand Socco and Cinema Rif, follow the street up and straight across Boulevard past Cafe de Paris and its fountain. Walk until you reach the 5 way intersection on the corner of Hotel Chellah. Take the angled street that runs behind Chellah for 2 intersections. Just across the second intersection is Cafe Rania with yellow neon lighting. Right next to it is then Chinese Restaurant with green neon lighting. From Cafe de Paris it’s a 10 minute walk.
4 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.
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.
5 Sarayah Food – Indian restaurant. You can get a complete dinner set here, now for 120 dhs. Near Hotel Chelah (which has live music in the winter).
From Gran Cafe de Paris (opposite the French embassy), walk past the canons, follow the Boulevard to the McDonalds’ logo above Number One. Take the first street on your right, just around the bend in the road where the ATMs are. It’s there, almost on the corner.
There are now 2 new Indian restaurants in town. Indian Spice is a bit more expensive, but very nice, an extension of three restaurants in Malaga in Spain. Head the same way along the Boulevard from Cafe de Paris and past the canons. Just before the bend at Number One, turn right to go past McDonalds. Follow that street for 2 minutes. It is just past Cafe Roxie (on your right).
The third and newest is Biryani Village, with a chef from Pakistan and a little cheaper. Curries are about 80dhs, with an extra 15-25 dhs for rice or naan. Make your way to Cafe Roxie as for Indian Spice, but instead of following that street past Roxie on your right, turn left, back towards the Boulevard. You’ll pass it on your left, opposite the French school l’ecole Regnault.
6 Tom Yam – I have only been here once, but I enjoyed the food. It has been very recommended, and serves alcohol. Thai food, near the Techno Park or UN Square on the Boulevard.
If you walk down the Boulevard past the Syrian, it is in the small street one block before the Techno Park, on your right.
7 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’ (or more…). 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 Casablanca. Yes, Morocco has a beer and wine industry. The tapas are free with beer and wine. Try CP, or Terroir. For a basic wine, they are quite decent. If you’re a connoisseur, well… that is an entirely different situation.
The tapas are entirely different to what you’d find in Spain. 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. There may then be some grilled meat on skewers, and finally fruit. It varies a little, and you of course can drink as much as you like. The earlier the better the tapas. I usually plan to go before 7pm - though on occasion you can see me there from opening time at 1 or 2 pm…
And all the food is free.
There are various pubs that also bring tapas, such as London Pub, the Irish Pub, and Carrousel, which bring dishes more like mini tagines and beans. Fancier ones bring fewer tapas, but the quality is better. Au Pain Nu is one, and La Bodega.
It is easy to find Le Coeur de Tanger – 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). Follow it around the corner to the canons. Turn around - the door is in front of you. Go up the stairs. There’s a part with views over the bay, but for the best tapas, 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 Cine Alcazar.
2 Bachir’s – for a variety of traditional dishes – including harrara soup, beans, b’ssara 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 30 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 through the arched gate into Rue d’Italie. 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. They literally have space inside for four people!
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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