Seafood & Mediterranean
Best Rooftop Restaurants in Tangier — Views Across the Strait
Tangier's hillside setting above the port gives its rooftops a rare view: the medina and harbour below, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the coast of Spain on the horizon. Combined with the city's cosmopolitan cooking, it makes for some of Morocco's most memorable rooftop meals.
- City
- Tangier
- Cuisine
- Seafood & Mediterranean
- Typical price
- 70-350 MAD
Tangier tumbles down a hillside to the sea, so its rooftops and terraces look out over the port, the medina and the Strait of Gibraltar to the lights of Spain across the water — on a clear day you can see the Andalusian coast, and at night its towns twinkle on the horizon. The kasbah, crowning the medina, holds the highest and most spectacular terraces, where restaurants and cafés command the full sweep of the strait.
The rooftop cooking mirrors Tangier's cosmopolitan character: fresh seafood, Mediterranean and Spanish-influenced plates, and elevated Moroccan dishes, served with that extraordinary view. Some terraces are attached to restored riads and kasbah houses, others to restaurants and hotels in the Ville Nouvelle and along the seafront. Watching the ferries and cargo ships cross the strait as the sun sets behind the hills is a defining Tangier experience.
Because Tangier is a licensed, worldly city, many rooftops serve wine and cocktails, so a proper sundowner with a view is easy to arrange here in a way it isn't in the drier medinas inland. The mix of Atlantic and Mediterranean light, the passing ships, and Spain on the horizon give the city's rooftops a distinctive, border-town romance.
Aim for sunset, request a table facing the strait, and bring a layer — the sea breeze cools the evening. Whether for a seafood dinner or just mint tea and the view, a Tangier rooftop delivers the drama of two seas and two continents meeting at your feet.
How to eat well
- 1
The kasbah has the highest, most spectacular terraces over the strait — head there for the best views.
- 2
Time it for sunset to watch the ferries cross and the lights of Spain appear on the horizon.
- 3
Tangier rooftops are often licensed — a good place for a sundowner cocktail with a view.
- 4
Request a table facing the strait and bring a layer for the sea breeze.
- 5
For the view alone, mint tea on a kasbah terrace is enough.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Spain from Tangier rooftops?
Yes — Tangier sits on the Strait of Gibraltar, and on a clear day its hillside rooftops and kasbah terraces look across to the coast of Spain, whose towns twinkle on the horizon at night.
Where are the best rooftops in Tangier?
The kasbah, crowning the medina, has the highest and most dramatic terraces over the strait, along with restored-riad rooftops and seafront and Ville Nouvelle restaurant terraces.
Do Tangier rooftops serve alcohol?
Many do — as a cosmopolitan, licensed city, Tangier has rooftop restaurants and bars serving wine and cocktails, making a sundowner with a strait view easy to arrange.