Coastal & seafood
Asilah Seafood: Eating Fish in the Whitewashed Art Town
Asilah is a small, ravishing Atlantic town south of Tangier — a whitewashed medina painted with murals, ringed by Portuguese ramparts, with a working fishing harbour at its edge. It is calmer and prettier than its big neighbour, and its seafood is exactly what you want on this coast: landed that day, grilled simply, eaten cheaply within sight of the sea. Here is how to make the most of it.
- Read
- 7 min
- Guide
- Coastal & seafood
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Asilah is a laid-back, artsy fishing town with fresh Atlantic seafood.
- The catch is landed at the harbour and cooked simply — grilled or fried.
- The whitewashed medina and ramparts make a lovely setting for a fish lunch.
- It is cheaper and calmer than nearby Tangier for eating fish.
A gentle coastal town to eat in
Asilah has become known for its arts festival and its beautifully painted medina, but at heart it remains a fishing town, and that keeps its seafood honest. Boats bring in the catch to the small harbour, and the restaurants and stalls nearby cook it fresh without fuss. The town's mellow, pretty character — blue-and-white lanes, sea ramparts, a relaxed pace — makes a fish lunch here feel like a small holiday, and it is markedly calmer and cheaper than Tangier up the coast.
This is not a place for elaborate cooking; it is a place for a plate of the day's fish, grilled over charcoal, eaten slowly by the sea. That simplicity is the whole appeal.
What to order
As at any Moroccan fishing town, the menu is really the day's catch. Let the ice trays lead.
- Grilled fish of the day: sea bream, sea bass or whatever came in, over charcoal with lemon.
- Sardines: cheap, fresh and superb from these Atlantic waters, grilled whole.
- Fried fish and calamari: the crisp platter, a coastal classic with harissa.
- Prawns and shellfish: quick on the grill, sold by weight alongside the fish.
- Fish tagine with chermoula: the sit-down cooked option, herby and slow.
Where to eat and how to buy well
The restaurants near the harbour and along the ramparts are the natural spots, cooking fresh fish with the sea in view, and the medina lanes hide smaller, cheaper places. As everywhere on the coast, buy whole fish by weight, confirm the price and rough weight before it is cooked, check for freshness — bright eyes, red gills, firm flesh — and favour a busy place with turnover. Asilah's smaller scale means less tourist pricing than Tangier, but the same care keeps the bill honest.
A day in Asilah pairs a walk through the painted medina with a leisurely seafood lunch by the ramparts — one of the loveliest simple pleasures on the northern coast. For more of the region's fish, the Tangier guide covers the bigger city nearby, and a coastal cooking class teaches the chermoula behind the grill.
Frequently asked questions
Is Asilah good for seafood?
Yes. Asilah is a working Atlantic fishing town, so its seafood is landed at the harbour daily and cooked fresh and simply — grilled or fried. The pretty whitewashed medina and sea ramparts make a lovely setting for a fish lunch, and it is calmer and cheaper than nearby Tangier.
What should I order in Asilah?
The grilled fish of the day — sea bream, sea bass or whatever came in — over charcoal with lemon, along with fresh grilled sardines, a fried fish and calamari platter, or a chermoula fish tagine. Let the day's catch and the ice trays guide you rather than a fixed menu.
Where should I eat fish in Asilah?
The restaurants near the harbour and along the ramparts cook fresh fish with the sea in view, while the medina lanes hide smaller, cheaper places. Buy whole fish by weight, confirm the price and rough weight before cooking, check for freshness, and favour a busy spot with good turnover.
Is Asilah cheaper than Tangier for seafood?
Generally yes. Asilah's smaller scale and calmer, less touristy feel mean less markup than the bigger city of Tangier up the coast. The fish is just as fresh, landed at the local harbour, and the relaxed setting makes it excellent value — though the usual care in buying by weight still keeps the bill honest.