Quick answer
For seafood in Essaouira, prices range from 40-450 MAD per person, with the Port Fish Grill Stalls providing the best value. Essaouira's seafood scene is fueled by daily fresh catches from the Atlantic, making it a must-visit for seafood lovers, though caution is advised regarding tourist traps near the medina entrance.
- Best overall
- Port Fish Grill Stalls (Grillades du Port)
- Top pick
- Port Fish Grill Stalls (Grillades du Port)
Top verdicts
- Port Fish Grill Stalls (Grillades du Port): Agree on the price per kilo before they weigh anything — it's expected and not rude.
- The Loft: Reserve in season — it's small and books up by 8pm.
- Taros Café: Live music most evenings; ask for a rooftop table when you book.
Essaouira sits where the Atlantic never stops moving — constant wind, crashing surf, and one of Morocco's most active fishing ports. When boats come in daily loaded with sardines, sea bream, langoustines, and crab, the city's seafood scene is among the best-value in the entire Mediterranean/Atlantic region.
Area map
All 8 spots at a glance
| # | Name | Style | Price | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Fish Grill Stalls (Grillades du Port) | port-grill | mid | Outside Bab Sbaa, Essaouira Port |
| 2 | The Loft | medina-institution | mid | Essaouira Medina (near Skala) |
| 3 | Taros Café | rooftop-bar-+-restaurant | mid | Place Moulay Hassan, Essaouira |
| 4 | La Table by Madada | restaurant | mid | Rue Youssef el Fassi, Medina |
| 5 | Fish Burger | restaurant | mid | Near Skala Wall, Essaouira |
| 6 | Hidden Medina Fish Souk | local-secret | mid | Near Souk Jdid (Rue Souk Jedid area) |
| 7 | Umia | contemporary-moroccan | mid | Near the Skala de la Ville |
| 8 | Chalet de la Plage | beach-classic | mid | Essaouira Beach (Boulevard Mohammed V) |
1Port Fish Grill Stalls (Grillades du Port)
Port GrillQuick comparison
- Best for
- Charcoal-grilled fresh catch
- Strengths
- Known for Port Grill · Outside Bab Sbaa, Essaouira Port
- Price / value
- 80–150 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- A row of blue-painted grill stalls just outside Bab Sbaa where you pick your fish straight off the day's catch and watch it go on the charcoal. The defining Essaouira lunch experience.
- What to order
- Sardines and a portion of grilled prawns by weight, with bread, harissa, and the standard chopped tomato salad.
2The Loft
Medina InstitutionQuick comparison
- Best for
- Reliable medina seafood
- Strengths
- Known for Medina Institution · Essaouira Medina (near Skala)
- Price / value
- 100–180 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- A long-running medina restaurant near the Skala known for honest Moroccan seafood at fair medina prices, with a small upstairs dining room that locals fill nightly.
- What to order
- Grilled sea bream, the seafood pastilla, and a glass of Moroccan rosé.
3Taros Café
Rooftop Bar + RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Sunset rooftop dinner
- Strengths
- Known for Rooftop Bar + Restaurant · Place Moulay Hassan, Essaouira
- Price / value
- 120–200 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- An institution on Place Moulay Hassan with one of Essaouira's best rooftop terraces for sunset, plus a kitchen that takes its tagines and grilled fish more seriously than the location suggests.
- What to order
- Calamari to start, monkfish tagine to share, and arrive in time for the sunset call to prayer over the port.
4La Table by Madada
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A special-occasion seafood dinner
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Rue Youssef el Fassi, Medina
- Price / value
- 200–450 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- Essaouira's most polished sit-down seafood room, run out of the Madada cooking school. Plates lean French-Moroccan and the wine list is one of the deepest in town.
- What to order
- Whatever the chalkboard 'catch of the day' is, treated simply with olive oil, lemon, and chermoula.
5Fish Burger
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A cheap medina lunch
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Near Skala Wall, Essaouira
- Price / value
- 40–90 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- A tiny counter near the Skala wall doing fresh-catch fish sandwiches at street-stall prices — closer to a Moroccan chip shop than a restaurant, but the bread and the frying oil are honest.
- What to order
- The signature fish burger with chermoula sauce, plus a side of grilled sardines if they have them.
7Umia
Contemporary MoroccanQuick comparison
- Best for
- Modern Moroccan tasting menu
- Strengths
- Known for Contemporary Moroccan · Near the Skala de la Ville
- Price / value
- 150–350 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- A tightly-edited contemporary Moroccan restaurant near the Skala, run by a French-trained chef and known for plated tasting menus that draw on the Atlantic catch.
- What to order
- The set menu rather than à la carte — that's where the kitchen shows what it can do.
8Chalet de la Plage
Beach ClassicQuick comparison
- Best for
- Atlantic beachfront classic
- Strengths
- Known for Beach Classic · Essaouira Beach (Boulevard Mohammed V)
- Price / value
- 100–200 MAD/person
- Why it made the list
- Open since 1893, this beachfront classic on Boulevard Mohammed V is the oldest restaurant in Essaouira and one of the few in town with a proper Atlantic view from every table.
- What to order
- Sole meunière or the seafood platter, with a bottle of the house Moroccan white.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best seafood experience in Essaouira?
The most iconic experience is the Port Fish Grill Stalls outside Bab Sbaa — you pick your own fresh fish, prawns, and crab from the stalls, then pay a small grilling fee to have it cooked on the spot with bread and olives. For a sit-down restaurant, Chez Sam inside the port is the longtime local favorite. For upscale dining, La Table by Madada is the top pick.
How much does seafood cost in Essaouira?
At the port grill stalls, a full mixed seafood plate runs 80–150 MAD ($8–15 USD) per person. Sit-down restaurants like Chez Sam and The Loft range 120–200 MAD ($12–20 USD). Fresh oysters from port vendors cost just 5–15 MAD each (under $1.50). Upscale spots like La Table by Madada or Umia run 200–450 MAD ($20–45 USD) for a full meal.
Is the port seafood in Essaouira a tourist trap?
The port stalls nearest the main parking area by the medina entrance can be overpriced and pushy with tourists. The better approach: walk further into the port area past Bab Sbaa, where the grilling activity is more authentic and prices are fairer. Always agree on price before handing over your fish. Alternatively, use the hidden medina fish souk near Souk Jdid — same concept, fewer tourists, lower prices.
When is the best time to eat seafood at Essaouira port?
Lunch (12:00–15:00) is prime time at the port stalls — the catch is freshest and the atmosphere is most lively. Mornings are best for oysters straight from the boats. Dinner is better suited to restaurants like The Loft, Taros, or Umia in the medina. The port grill stalls typically close by late afternoon.
What seafood should I try in Essaouira?
Don't miss: sardines (the region's most famous fish — small, sweet, grilled whole), fresh oysters (shucked right at the port, among the cheapest in the world), langoustines and prawns (best at Chez Sam or La Table by Madada), whole grilled sea bream or bass, and octopus (grilled or in a tagine). The Essaouira coast is part of the Atlantic and the cold Canary Current brings exceptionally fresh, rich seafood.
Do restaurants in Essaouira serve alcohol?
Most restaurants in the medina are alcohol-free. Taros Café and La Table by Madada are exceptions and serve wine and cocktails. Chez Sam serves alcohol. The port grill stalls are strictly food-only. If wine with dinner matters to you, stick to Taros, Chez Sam, or La Table by Madada.