4 Best Restaurants in Tangier Morocco: Authentic Moroccan Cuisine
In this blog, we present not three, but four of the best restaurants in Tangier, Morocco.
We’ll provide detailed insights on menus, prices, and locations, so you can avoid wasting time searching when you’re h-angry!
Just a heads up—if you’re looking for English, Italian, or fast-food restaurants in Tangier, this is not the blog for you. As travelers at heart, we aim to eat and cook local traditional dishes. These recommendations are perfect if you want to sample authentic Moroccan cuisine while in Tangier.
With that said, let’s get to it!
Why Our Opinion Matters
Before we get to the meat and potatoes, here’s a quick introduction and justification for why you should consider our recommendations. If you’re short on time, no hard feelings—feel free to skip to the part you came here for.
Our family of four lived in Tangier, Morocco, for ten weeks between March and June 2024. We enjoyed our fair share of delicious Moroccan cuisine at several Tangier restaurants during that time.
Initially, I set out to give you our top three places to eat in Tangier, but we couldn’t quite agree. So, you’re getting a bonus—today, we’re offering not three but four Tangier restaurant reviews!
These restaurants made it to our final list as they ticked all the boxes for:
- Delicious authentic Moroccan food
- Varied menu (essential when you have picky eaters in tow)
- Friendly service
- Great price (unbelievably cheap for a family of four!)
- Convenient location
In no particular order, here are our family’s favorite restaurants in Tangier, Morocco. Enjoy—and please let us know if you visit any of them in the comments!
Our Pick: The Four Best Restaurants in Tangier, Morocco
For each of the four Tangier restaurants, I have included the address (if available) and the Google Maps Plus Code. You can easily find the locations by pasting the Google Plus Code into the Google Maps search bar or clicking on the link.
Many restaurants in Tangier aren’t ideal for wheelchair or pram users as seating is often upstairs. One of our recommendations, Maison Grill Kasbah, is better than the others for people with limited mobility.
We found all these restaurants to be very affordable, especially compared to places in the UK, US, and Europe. The prices provided are the average cost per sitting for our family of four. Prices can change, so use these as ballpark figures.
I also list all the dishes we ordered from each restaurant during our visits to give you an idea of what is on offer.
1. Café Garden Beach, Cap Spartel
- Google Maps Plus Code: Q3M9+CVC, Tangier, Morocco
- Opening Hours: 07:00 – 23:00
- Wheelchair/Pram Accessible: No
- Dishes We Tried: Tajine Baysara (15 MAD), Salad (30 MAD), Chicken Skewers (7 MAD), 0.5 kg Meat Grill (70 MAD), Chicken Tajine (70 MAD), Grilled Fish (100 MAD), Calamari (70 MAD), Fries (15 MAD), Mint Tea (15 MAD)
- Average Price We Paid (Family of Four): 240 MAD + Tip ($24, £19, 22 EUR)
A Hidden Gem Near Cape Spartel
Three out of four of these restaurants in Tangier, Morocco are situated around the ancient Medina. Not this one though.
Located just a 10-minute walk from our apartment, Cafe Garden Beach quickly became one of our go-to spots. We visited between five and ten times in total. We felt like we’d discovered a hidden gem, perfect for anyone visiting Cap Spartel during their stay in Tangier.
This restaurant offers authentic Moroccan cuisine at great prices and is a favorite among the locals. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!
How to Find It
Set back from the main road, Cafe Garden Beach is easy to miss. As you walk down the coastal road from Cap Spartel Lighthouse toward Hercules Cave, you’ll come across a car park on the right-hand side.
Walk through the car park and you’ll find an archway next to a tourist information board. Pass through the archway and descend the steps to reach the kitchen and BBQ area.
From here, you can choose your ideal spot overlooking the ocean, and a friendly waiter will soon greet you with a menu. The seating area is terraced down the side of the cliff. We preferred to sit higher up to avoid the grill’s smoke.
Beautiful Beachside Setting
Just below the restaurant is Plage Bouhendia, a small rock and sand beach accessible via steps in front of the kitchen area. During one of our visits, we witnessed the sad sight of a washed-ashore dolphin.
If you’re planning on visiting some of Tangiers best beaches at Cap Spartel, check out our blog post here (opens in a new tab).
Delicious Menu
The menu at Cafe Garden Beach isn’t extensive—don’t expect couscous—but it offers something for everyone, including vegetarians, meat lovers, and fish enthusiasts. My favorite was the Tajine Baysara, a hearty vegetarian soup made from fava beans. It’s more filling than it looks, and you can order larger sharing portions. The fresh fish, caught nearby, and the tagines cooked over an outdoor fire are also must-tries.
Every time we ate at this restaurant, we were provided with complimentary chili-flavored olives and plenty of bread to accompany the meal. It was always very much appreciated!
Impressive Service
One particularly impressive aspect of our experience was the waitstaff’s ability to remember orders without writing anything down. No matter how long we spent dining or how many other guests they served, they always recalled our order when it was time to pay.
(Overly) Friendly Felines
One last thing to note is the presence of street cats. They may wander under your table looking for scraps, but they quickly get the message if you shoo them away.
2. Restaurant la Réception, Ancient Medina
- Address: 30 Rue Bouselham, Tanger 90000, Morocco
- Google Maps Plus Code: Q5PQ+34 Tangier, Morocco
- Opening Hours: 07:00 – 21:00, Closed on Fridays
- Wheelchair/Pram Accessible: No
- Dishes We Tried: Chicken Pastilla (39 MAD), Vegan Tagine (39 MAD), Burger (35 MAD), Mint Tea (15 MAD), Fresh Fruit (20 MAD), Moroccan Sweets (20 MAD)
- Average Price We Paid (Family of Four): 270 MAD + Tip ($27, £21, 25 EUR)
A Hidden Gem in the Medina
We were determined to visit this restaurant in Tangier during one of our trips to the ancient Medina. In all honesty, the raving reviews on Google led us here. We were also excited about the panoramic rooftop view—and trust us, it didn’t disappoint.
Finding the Location
The location of this restaurant isn’t entirely obvious. We walked past it twice before spotting the sign next to an open doorway.
You will need to walk up five levels to reach the rooftop terrace. Don’t make the mistake we did, though. The kitchen is on the second floor (you’ll pass it on the stairwell). Pop your head in and let them know you want to eat, and they’ll follow you up with a menu. We didn’t do this and ended up going all the way back downstairs.
Vegan-Friendly Options
This is one of the few restaurants in Tangier that offers vegan options. While I’m not a vegan, I do enjoy plant-based foods, so I took the opportunity to try it out for our vegan readers. I was torn between a vegan burger and a vegan tagine, but being in Morocco, the tagine won me over. The falafel balls cooked in tomato and onion sauce were so tasty and got my approval. I would order that dish again and highly recommend it to all our vegan and vegetarian readers.
Complimentary olives were also provided to tide us over while we waited for our meals.
Must-Try Dish: Chicken Pastilla
Another must-try food here, if you’re not on a plant-based diet, is the chicken pastilla. In this traditional Moroccan dish, a savory chicken filling is wrapped in delicate filo pastry and dusted with sugar. The sweet and savory tastes work well together—we’ve not found anything else like it outside Morocco.
3. Maison Grill Kasbah, Ancient Medina
- Address: 24 Rue de la Kasbah, Tanger 90030, Morocco
- Google Maps Plus Code: Q5PP+RC Tangier, Morocco
- Opening Hours: 11:30 – 23:00, Closed on Mondays
- Wheelchair/Pram Accessible: Yes
- Dishes We Tried: Caramelised Pumpkin with Honey (25 MAD), Cabbage with Grapes (20 MAD), Baqoula (20 MAD), Vegetarian Couscous (50 MAD), Vegetarian Tagine (50 MAD), Chicken Couscous (60 MAD), Chicken Skewers (50 MAD), Lemon Ginger Juice (30 MAD), Mint Red Fruit Juice (30 MAD), Mint Tea (15 MAD)
- Average Price We Paid (Family of Four): 535 MAD + Tip ($53, £42, 50 EUR)
Convenient Location and Accessible Seating
We visited this restaurant twice during our ten-week stay in Tangier, and we’ll definitely be back! Located not far from Grand Socco, you’ll need to walk uphill until you see the restaurant on your right. There is seating upstairs and downstairs (we tested both!) and outdoor seating across the road, which is great if you have limited mobility.
Multilingual Menus and Friendly Service
There are many plus points for this restaurant. They provide their menu in different languages, including English, Spanish, and French. The waiters were incredibly helpful and put us to shame with their multilingual abilities. They were happy to chat and recommend different dish combinations we wouldn’t have otherwise tried.
We were given a little dish of cooked lentils and some olives to eat while we waited for our meal. They went down very well with the hungry kids!
A Memorable Encounter with the Chef
On our second visit, we had the pleasure of meeting the chef—a lovely lady from Rabat. (If anyone knows her name, please let me know in the comments as I want to give her the credit she deserves.) The food was seriously delicious! The couscous is to die for, and the portions are huge.
You really must try some of the sides, including the caramelized pumpkin with honey, cabbage with grapes, and baqoula. Our favorite drink was the mint and red fruit smoothie.
4. Restaurant Al Maimouni, Ancient Medina
- Google Maps Plus Code: Q5PR+6C Tangier, Morocco
- Wheelchair/Pram Accessible: No
- Dishes We Tried: Moroccan Soup (20 MAD), Traditional Chicken Pastilla, Vegetable Tagine (65 MAD), Lamb Tagine with Prunes (90 MAD), Lemon Tart (20 MAD), Mint Tea (15 MAD), Fresh Lemonade (20 MAD)
- Average Price We Paid (Family of Four): 420 MAD + Tip ($42, £33, 39 EUR)
Convenient Location Near the Port
Out of the four restaurants in Tangier, Morocco, this one is closest to the port—handy if you’re coming over for the day from Spain. However, this is not a good choice for people with limited mobility. This restaurant has the narrowest and steepest staircase I think I’ve climbed, but it’s well worth it once you reach the top.
Finding the Entrance
Follow Google Maps directions. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see steps leading up the old wall behind a public toilet block. Restaurant Al Maimouni is just opposite the steps. The kitchen is on the ground floor, and the steps up to the rooftop can be seen to your right when you go inside.
Rooftop Dining with a View
Restaurant Al Maimouni offers both indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to sit at one of the six tables on the roof terrace to enjoy unspoiled views of the port and ancient Medina. The sink on the rooftop was a nice touch for washing hands before and after the meal. Sometimes it’s the small things that are most appreciated, hey?
Delicious Food and Thoughtful Extras
The food here was very tasty, and the portion sizes were just right. The kids were particularly enamored with the lemon tart for dessert. As with other restaurants we visited in Tangier, we were given olives and bread on the house while we waited for our meal. We were also very thankful for the complimentary glass of mint tea after our meal and Moroccan sweets for the children to take away.
Check out the Tripsadvisor traveler reviews for this restaurant. We’re not alone in rating it highly!
Key Takeaways on the Best Restaurants in Tangier, Morocco
1. Authenticity Over Tourist Traps: When in Tangier, skip the familiar chains and immerse yourself in the rich culinary heritage of Morocco. Our handpicked restaurants offer authentic Moroccan cuisine.
2. Diverse Dining Experiences: Whether you prefer a casual beachside cafe or a rooftop view in the heart of the Medina, Tangier provides diverse dining settings.
3. Warm Hospitality: Experience genuine Moroccan hospitality at these restaurants. From their multilingual menus to delightful complimentary treats – these touches make every visit memorable.
4. Budget-Friendly Options: You can enjoy quality meals at reasonable prices at all four of these restaurants in Tangier, Morocco. They offer great value for families and travelers alike, allowing you to savor delicious local dishes without stretching your budget.
5. Share Your Experience: Whether you try the Tajine Baysara at Cafe Garden Beach or the couscous at Maison Grill Kasbah, please share your dining experiences in Tangier with us. Your feedback and experiences enrich our community and inspire future travelers.
How We Did It In Morocco
Frequently Asked Questions
Tangier is renowned for its rich Moroccan cuisine, featuring iconic dishes like hearty tagines, flavorful couscous, savory pastillas, tender meat skewers, aromatic harira soup, and hearty bissara (fava bean soup). These specialties highlight the vibrant flavors and spices that define Moroccan gastronomy.
Meal prices in Tangier can vary by restaurant. Generally, expect to pay around 15-20 MAD for harira or bissara, and between 40-90 MAD for a tagine or couscous dish, depending on whether it’s vegetarian or meat/fish-based.
Yes, alcohol is available in Tangier, with bars and some supermarkets selling it. However, many local restaurants do not serve alcohol. Imported alcoholic drinks can be expensive due to taxes, making local options more affordable. While tourists are permitted to drink alcohol in designated areas, it’s essential to respect local customs and cultural sensitivities regarding alcohol consumption.
Tipping in Morocco is not obligatory, but it is customary to round up the bill and leave a tip at restaurants and cafes. If you’re satisfied with the service provided by waitstaff, drivers, or other service providers, a small tip (typically 2-10 MAD) is a thoughtful way to show your appreciation.
1. When eating with your hands, use only the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand (using the entire hand symbolizes gluttony, and the left hand is considered unclean).
2. Avoid reaching across in front of others; instead, take food directly in front of you or politely ask someone to pass it to you.
