The best addresses in Essaouira, Morocco
The Moroccan beach city has a beautiful and picturesque center where you can shop extensively (the souk is also much more 'for dummies' than the souk of Marrakech, which is often experienced as intense). The city is considerably smaller and as a result there are considerably fewer tourists, so the chance of negotiating well, scoring the nicest things and lugging a very heavy suitcase home is also considerably greater...
The very best place to sleep in Essaouira, period. Two guesthouses, both within walking distance of the medina. Dar Beida (The White House) is a 200-year-old 'dar' with four bedrooms, 17th-century stone arches, mid-century furniture, and thick white walls that keep the interior cool—a design icon that has appeared in The New York Times, Elle Decoration, and The Guardian, and regularly serves as a backdrop for fashion shoots. Perfect for families or groups of friends. Dar Emma (The Little Hippie House) is smaller and more colorful: two bedrooms spread over four bright floors, a fireplace, a multi-level roof terrace, and two minutes from Place Moulay Hassan and the beach.
Even better: hostess Emma takes care of just about everything. Transfers, an organic welcome basket, a home-cooked Moroccan meal upon arrival, a private beach barbecue at Sidi Kaouki (camel optional), hammam, surf lessons, or horseback riding. Book at least three nights; anything less is a waste.
Ocean Vagabond is chillness itself, although you should adjust your expectations if you're coming here for the sunbeds. They aren't there anymore. Where you used to be able to sink horizontally into the sand for a whole afternoon, it is now simply: a table, a chair, and the ocean right in front of you. Less resort, more beach bar.
Not to worry. Because the rest is still right. Order something, grab your book, and stay seated until the light shifts. And yes: it is still loud and clear that alcohol is not a given in Morocco, but at Ocean Vagabond you won't notice a thing. A glass of wine with lunch: no problem.
The cuisine is Western, which wasn't exactly necessary for us, but hey, the chicken skewer was delicious (cultural barbarians, yeah right, this all turned out fine later). One tip: don't look to the left. There are some rowdy kids sitting there on their motorbikes trying to be really cool. Just look to the right, onto the beach: there are a bunch of cheerful camels parading around.
Do you want to lie down after all? Then walk on to Beach and Friends, further along the same bay. A double bed costs about 100 dirhams there, and a DJ often plays at sunset. You can also simply rent a bed in the northern part of the beach, towards the medina.
The Moulay Hassan Square is the central square of the city and it is not difficult to get there restaurant Taros to spot. The whitewashed building with Taros in blue cow letters absolutely invites you to make a stop. And while things are often disappointing once inside, that is not the case here. There are several terraces at the café, two of which offer beautiful views of the sea. Perfect sunset material. A drink or two, music in the background, put your legs up and relax for a while. That's exactly what Taros is good for. Please note: the food is not your thing! Don't worry, we have other places for that.
The rooftop overlooks the ocean, the city wall, and the rooftops of the medina. Come around an hour before sunset, order a spritz or the XXL sangrias to share, and wait for the light to change. Le Palazzo is one of the few places in the neighborhood that serves alcohol, so that saves you the trouble of searching. Open daily from 12:00 to 22:00.
And you don't even have to leave the building. Downstairs in the same 19th-century home sits the Fish Bar, where the menu revolves around fresh fish and seafood: citrus ceviche, sea bass with Essaouira spices, octopus with Mexican accents, red tuna. Chic, refined, under wide Moroccan arches. Less local and a bit priceier than the nameless little places in the medina, but the fish is excellent and the atmosphere is just right. Open only in the evenings from 19:30 PM to 22:00 PM, closed on Wednesdays; reservations recommended.
Vprimary schools in a side street at the city wall is this small cafe. Go sit outside to the bar, order a cappuccino with apple pie or for avocado toast on real good bread and look how the medina walks past. Inside stands one of the best book exchange cabinets of Essaouira. There are cats walking around. Many cats. Also great for breakfast or a simple lunch, the bissara is one of the cheapest and best things on the map.
Farm to tables, but for real. At Mimti (you might still know it as Azouka) virtually everything on your plate comes from their own farm outside the city. It is still called Azouka, so the name isn't gone, it has just moved to where it begins: in the ground.
Soufiane and Kaja run the place together on Place Al Khaima, right in the middle of the medina. The menu is short and changes every day: four starters, one main course. That's it. With sourdough focaccia, eggplant zaalouk, fig salad with cottage cheese, salted sardines straight from the harbor, and homemade fermented drinks, such as beer, hibiscus with cardamom, and pear with lavender. Moroccan at its core, with a Scandinavian twist you won't find anywhere else in town.
Everything is produced on a small scale, so: once it's gone, it's gone (sorry, not sorry). Good to know: lunch only, Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 15:00, and you cannot make reservations. Arrive on time, as the terrace is small and the news has already been finalized.
Essaouira, Marrakech for dummies. We love that, but if you still want Marrakech (combining is the best!), then grab all our Marrakech tips! Barts Boekje x Marrakech
Pay attention because you can easily walk past it: Triskala. An unremarkable place from the outside, but a great place inside with a hodgepodge of furniture. In the restaurant you can just sit at a table, but there are also cozy seats; We really liked the corner on a small landing. You just have to climb some crappy wooden stairs. Knee ear. On that landing you sink into the cushions and the waiters go to the most impossible lengths to get your food on the table. The kitchen is mainly vegetarian and there is a menu that changes regularly. Highly recommended for both lunch and dinner.
The best horse in the stable. And we really mean the very best horse in the stable. Because if you have one evening in Essaouira, and you are looking for one place you must visit, it is Adwak restaurant. We haven't had such a good meal in a long time. Adwak feels like you have ended up in a Moroccan living room. Small and cozy. There is only room for (did we count correctly?) 12 guests and there is always a line of hungry people at the door. And rightly so. The cuisine is Moroccan and there are plenty of tagines and couscous dishes on the menu. Tip: choose a tagine and couscous with the same main ingredient. We went for chicken. This way you can combine the two. Really. At. Tasty. A three-course meal will cost you about 10 euros, there is no wine so just buy a bottle of water from a good year, and you will have a great evening. Don't skip it!
