Practical information checked on 29 October 2026. Opening hours, addresses, offers and prices of restaurants and experiences change: check them before you go or book.
In Tangier, the food looks towards two seas. Fish from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, morning bissara, historic cafés and pastries from neighbourhood bakeries tell the story of a city of passage, open to Europe. This guide does not list every Moroccan dish again: it helps you discover and eat in Tangier, meaning what to taste, where to look by area, how to approach street food and where to have tea.
For a broader overview of the dishes, see our article The 30 must-try Moroccan dishes and our guide to Moroccan gastronomy.
What to eat in Tangier: a selection for a first taste
Here are the most useful dishes to try on a first visit, with when they are usually eaten.
| Dish | What is it? | When to eat it |
|---|---|---|
| Bissara | Thick soup of broad beans and split peas, with cumin and olive oil | Breakfast |
| Fish and seafood | Catch of the day, fried calamari, fish soup, fish tajine | Lunch or dinner |
| Tajine | Dish slow-cooked in an earthenware pot, with kefta, prawns or vegetables | Lunch or dinner |
| Couscous | Semolina topped with vegetables and meat, traditionally served on Fridays | Lunch |
| Brochettes | Grilled meat skewers | Street food, dinner |
| Rghifa and round bread | Flaky pancake and khobz bread from the dairy cafés | Breakfast, snack |
| Pastries | Sweet or savoury pastries from neighbourhood bakeries | Break, tea |
| Mint tea | The sign of hospitality, sweet or unsweetened on request | Any time |
Dairy cafés. Melbanas, small neighbourhood dairies, serve breakfast and snacks: rghifa, khobz, fresh fruit juices and coffee with milk.
Where to eat in Tangier: by area
Rather than a list of restaurants, here is where to look depending on what you want.
The medina and the Petit Socco
In the medina, around the Petit Socco, cafés, small local restaurants and bakeries follow one another. Some guest houses in the Kasbah also serve dinner by reservation, often on a terrace facing the strait: ask the day before.
The Grand Socco and the city centre
The Grand Socco links the medina and the 20th-century city. Around it and along Boulevard Pasteur you will find Moroccan restaurants, historic cafés and international cuisine. The nearby market sells fresh fruit.
The Marshan and the Kasbah
On the heights west of the Kasbah, terrace cafés overlook the strait. The most famous, Café Hafa, has served mint tea for nearly a century on terraces stepped down towards the sea.
The bay and the seafront
Along Avenue Mohammed VI, restaurants and cafés face the beach: handy for a fish meal or a tea at sunset.
Street food in Tangier: how it works
Street food means brochettes, bissara, pancakes, pastries, juices and tea. A few simple tips, without being alarmist:
- Look at the turnover: a stand that cooks continuously is more reassuring.
- Choose busy places, especially those popular with locals.
- Check the cooking: meat and fish well cooked and served hot.
- Be careful with raw food if conditions seem uncertain.
- Drink bottled water if you have any doubt about the water.
- Carry tissues or hand gel to clean your hands.
Where to eat in Tangier, by what you want
This table is a guide by need, not a ranking.
| What you want | Area or type of experience |
|---|---|
| Moroccan breakfast | Dairy cafés, medina cafés |
| Traditional cuisine | Restaurants in the medina and the centre |
| Fish and seafood | Fish restaurants in the centre and on the bay |
| Tea with a view | Terrace cafés in the Marshan |
| A meal facing the sea | Bay and seafront |
| Dinner in a house | Kasbah guest houses, by reservation |
A culinary experience
To understand the city before sitting down to eat, a guided tour of the medina helps you spot the cafés, bakeries and neighbourhood markets. The offers available in Tangier are gathered on the Tangier page; check each listing to see whether a meal or tastings are included.
With children
Moroccan meals are shared: dishes for the table suit a group well. For children, choose mild dishes, brochettes, pancakes or pastries. Breakfast in the dairy cafés is often popular with younger ones.
Vegetarians and special diets
Moroccan cuisine offers good meat-free options: bissara, vegetable tajine, vegetable couscous, Moroccan salads (zaalouk, taktouka) and harira depending on the recipe. Note that a "vegetable" dish may be made with meat stock or animal fat. Tell the restaurant about your restrictions, ideally in simple words or with an allergy card.
Moroccan breakfast
A good start for a first morning: bissara, rghifa, msemen, fresh bread, olive oil, honey, olives, fresh cheese, mint tea and coffee. Many hotels and guest houses serve it on a terrace: check what is included when you book. See our guide on where to stay in Tangier and our selection of places to stay in Tangier.
Where to have mint tea?
In the cafés of the Petit Socco, in the Marshan's terrace cafés facing the strait, and in the tea rooms of the centre. Tea is served sweet: ask for it unsweetened if you prefer.
What budget for eating in Tangier?
Prices vary by place, produce and area: we do not publish rates. Think in three levels:
- Small budget: street food, dairy cafés, pastries.
- Mid-range budget: traditional restaurant or fish restaurant.
- Higher budget: fine-dining restaurant, dinner in a guest house.
In restaurants, check whether the menu shows prices and whether drinks are included.
A food day in Tangier
An example, to adapt to your tastes and timing:
- Breakfast: bissara or rghifa in a dairy café.
- A walk through the medina: the Petit Socco, the bakeries, the Grand Socco.
- Lunch: fish or kefta tajine in a restaurant in the centre.
- Mint tea on a Marshan terrace, facing the strait.
- A walk along the bay in the late afternoon.
- Dinner: in a Kasbah guest house, by reservation, or in a restaurant in the centre.
To place the areas, see our complete guide to Tangier.
FAQ — Food in Tangier
What to eat in Tangier?
Bissara in the morning, fish and seafood, tajines, pastries and mint tea.
Where to eat in Tangier?
In the medina and around the Petit Socco, at the Grand Socco and in the centre, in the Marshan for tea, or on the bay facing the sea.
Where to have breakfast in Tangier?
In the dairy cafés, which serve rghifa, bread, fruit juice and coffee, or in the medina cafés for a bissara.
Where to drink tea with a view in Tangier?
In the Marshan's terrace cafés, facing the Strait of Gibraltar.
Are there vegetarian options?
Yes, many Moroccan dishes can be made without meat. Tell the restaurant about your restrictions.
How much does a meal cost in Tangier?
It depends on the place and the type of cuisine. Check the prices on the menu.
Discovering Tangier through its food
Eating in Tangier is a way to understand the city: two seas, historic cafés and a medina open to the strait. All our ideas for visits are gathered on the Tangier page.
Opening hours, addresses, offers and prices may change. During Ramadan, restaurant hours and offerings change: check them before you go.
