Best Grilled Sardines in Safi — Morocco's Sardine Capital

Safi built its modern fortunes on the sardine, and for much of the 20th century it was one of the largest sardine-fishing and canning ports in the world. That heritage lives on at the plate: grilled sardines are the city's signature dish, landed fresh from the Atlantic and cooked simply over charcoal. Fat, oily and full of flavour, they are eaten with bread, a chopped tomato-and-onion salad and a squeeze of lemon — cheap, satisfying and quintessentially Safi.

The best way to enjoy them is at the port and the grills near the fish market, where the catch is freshest and the sardines go straight from boat to charcoal. Often they are butterflied and stuffed with chermoula — the coriander-garlic-cumin-paprika marinade — pressed in pairs and grilled, a delicious local preparation. A plate of grilled sardines costs very little and makes a full, memorable meal, especially eaten near the water with the fishing boats in view.

Safi's whole seafood culture flows from its fishing port and its sardine heritage, but the humble sardine remains the star and the best-value choice. The city, also famous for its pottery and its Portuguese-era fortifications by the sea, is far less touristy than the coastal resorts, so its sardine grills are authentic and cheap, serving a mostly local crowd of fishermen and workers.

Head to the port grills, order the sardines fresh and simply grilled (or stuffed with chermoula), and keep it simple with salad, bread and lemon. In Morocco's sardine capital, grilled sardines are more than a meal — they are the taste of the city itself, and there is nowhere better to eat them.