Best Seafood in Nador — Mediterranean Catch by the Marchica Lagoon

Nador's seafood is Mediterranean rather than Atlantic, and the difference shows on the plate. Boats work the lagoon of Marchica and the sea beyond the sandbar, landing sea bream, sea bass, red mullet, sardines, anchovies, calamari, prawns and shellfish. The catch is cooked simply and freshly: grilled whole over charcoal with salt, cumin and lemon, fried, or turned into fish tagine with chermoula and the vegetables of the fertile Rif hinterland.

The waterfront and the areas around the port and central market are where to eat, in unfussy restaurants where the fish is the point. A mixed fried plate (friture) of small fish and calamari is the good-value order, while grilled sardines and anchovies — a Mediterranean speciality — cost very little and are superb straight off the coals. Prawns sizzled in garlic and calamari in tomato sauce are reliable favourites, and in season the lagoon and coast yield shellfish worth seeking out.

Nador's proximity to the Spanish enclave of Melilla and its strong ties to the Riffian diaspora give the town a distinct northern character, and you will sometimes find Spanish-influenced touches alongside the Moroccan classics. But the core is honest Mediterranean fish cookery, locally priced because this is a working city rather than a resort. Look for busy tables with a Moroccan crowd for the freshest fish at the fairest prices.

To eat well, confirm the per-kilo price before your fish is weighed and grilled, choose the busiest spots for freshness, and do not skip the grilled sardines and anchovies. A seafront seafood lunch, with the lagoon shimmering beyond, is the classic Nador meal.