Travel tips
Where to Eat in Essaouira
Essaouira is the coast at its most relaxed: a fortified port town of white-and-blue houses, wheeling gulls and a fishing fleet that lands the day's catch onto the quay each afternoon. The eating here is unhurried and salt-fresh, wrapped around the port grills, the argan groves inland, and a compact medina that — unlike Fes or Marrakech — you can walk without getting lost.
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- Travel tips
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- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- The port's grilled-fish stalls let you pick your fish from the catch and eat it minutes later.
- Essaouira sits in argan country — look for amlou and argan oil at the source.
- The medina is small and walkable, so eating out is low-stress here.
- For the full seafood picture, pair this with our Essaouira seafood guide.
The port grills
The signature Essaouira meal happens at the port, where a row of blue stalls displays the morning's catch on ice — sardines, sea bream, sole, prawns, calamari, spider crab, sometimes small lobster. You choose by pointing, it is weighed, grilled over charcoal and served with bread, salad and lemon. Agree the price by weight before it goes on the fire and you eat some of the freshest seafood in Morocco for very little.
Nearby, the working fish auction (the halle aux poissons) is worth a look for the theatre of the trade, even if you buy nothing.
Argan country on the plate
Essaouira is the gateway to Morocco's argan forests, and the region's specialty ingredients turn up on local tables. Amlou — the almond, argan-oil and honey spread often called 'Berber Nutella' — is a breakfast staple, and cold-pressed argan oil is drizzled over bread and couscous.
- Amlou: nutty almond-and-argan spread for bread; see our argan oil guide.
- Culinary argan oil: darker and nuttier than the cosmetic kind; buy from women's cooperatives.
- Honey and almonds: the region's other pantry staples.
Eating in the medina
Away from the port, the medina around Place Moulay Hassan and the Skala has cafés, cook-shops and rooftop restaurants. Because the town is small and laid out on a grid inside its ramparts, you can wander and choose on instinct without the navigation stress of larger medinas. Look for the plain places busy with locals at lunch, and rooftops for sunset with mint tea.
How to plan it
Do the port grills for lunch when the fish is freshest, buy amlou and argan oil to take home, and keep an evening for a medina rooftop. Essaouira's calm makes it one of the easiest places in Morocco to eat well on instinct. For the deeper seafood detail, see our dedicated Essaouira seafood guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the must-do food experience in Essaouira?
The port grills. You pick your fish from the day's catch laid out on ice, it is weighed and grilled over charcoal in front of you, and served with bread and salad. Agree the price by weight first, and you get some of the freshest, cheapest seafood in Morocco.
What is amlou and where do I try it?
Amlou is a spread of ground almonds, argan oil and honey, sometimes called 'Berber Nutella', eaten on bread at breakfast. Essaouira sits in argan country, so it is a regional staple — look for it at breakfast tables and buy jars from women's argan cooperatives.
Is Essaouira easy to eat around compared to Marrakech?
Much easier. The medina is small, walled and laid out on a fairly regular grid, so you can wander and choose without getting lost. The pace is calmer than Marrakech, which makes eating out low-stress.
Is the port seafood safe to eat?
Generally yes, because the turnover is fast and the fish is landed the same day. Choose a busy stall, make sure the fish looks bright and smells clean, and eat it hot off the grill. See our street-food safety guide for the general rules.