Eat
There are many choices of different cuisine available. Many of the luxury hotels offer a good selection of both Moroccan and Continental Fare, though at prices much higher than what you will find elsewhere. There are also many restaurants along the Ave Mohamed VI (the beachfront) where one can enjoy a nice meal with a glass of wine on the beachfront.
In the evening, go to the plaza next to CTM bus station. There are several cafes and restaurants facing the plaza. The price and services are good because of the keen competition. Just wandering around in the medina will bring you across numerous Moroccan restaurants offering similar dishes, quality, and prices (main dish around 7 dollars), so you can basically just choose one at random and probably be satisfied.
There is also some fresh off-the-boat seafood restaurants for locals in the port. If you speak some French/Arabic and have a sense of adventure it's highly recommended. After the port entrance, keep to the waterside for a couple of minutes then go down the street with the bank on the corner. It's then along the docks towards the farthest point out behind the row of white warehouses. All outdoor basic seating outdoor seating and be prepared to be the only foreigner! No menus or prices but it's amazingly cheap and authentic. Huge platter of prawns, calamari and enough fish to feed a small army.
Some of the popular restaurants and places to eat in Tangier are as follows:
- Cafe Restaurant El Teatro - located near Teatro Cervantes at rue salah eddine al ayoubi 108, a wonderfully decorated place with the best value for money food and drinks.
- Cafe A L'Anglaise ( International Organic cuisine ) - located in the heart of the Kasbah, excellent cuisine
- El Minzah Hotel (Moroccan) - located near the French Consulate at top of Boulevard Mohamed V, very expensive
- Otori Sushi (Japanese) - located near the Grande Poste, Avenue de la Resistance
- San Remo (Italian) - located near the town center
- Pagoda (Chinese) - located near the town center
- Continental Hotel (continental)
- Marhaba (Moroccan)
- Le Salon Bleu (Moroccan) - opposite kasbah museum, stunning views
- Restaurant Al Andalous (Moroccan Deli & Fish Bar) opposite the Al Andalous Mosque, Lalla Chafia.
- McDonald's located in the Dawliz complex and on the beachfront
- Pizza Hut located near the beachfront
- Oslo (Pizzas and snacks) located on the Boulevard and on the beachfront
- Restaurant Populaire (Moroccan)
- Brahim Abdelmalek (Fast food) - a fabulous and cheap sandwich of kefta, egg, fries on a baguette. It's located on Rue Mexique, just a block away from Terrasse des Paresseux
- Many cafes also serve snacks and many bars on the beachfront serve tapas
- Saveurs de poissons - Chez Poppeye, Escalier Waller, 2 (Close to rue de la Liberté and hôtel El-Minzah, GPS +35.78258°,-5.81247°), +212 5 39 33 63 26. Excellent seafood and fish restaurant. Fruit juice is also a specialty.
- Chez Mao, Complexe le Printemps (along the beach, just past the McDonald's on Ave. Mohamed VI, GPS +35.774807°, -5.784179°), 05 39 94 64 89. Vietnamese & Thai, with good options for vegetarians. The service is quite good.
Street Food
You may quickly bore of tagines and street food is a great option for snacking throughout the day. Yogurt mixtures can be particularly creative, such as avocado and almonds, or fruit mixtures. Tiny stalls in the souk sell cooked vegetables like eggplant, with rice, and other tasty treats. In the early evening, you may find squares of chickpea cakes sprinkled with salt and paprika.
Breakfast
In the morning a "locals" cafe will give you a cafe au lait. Usually, there is a bread vendor at the cafe (by the port or the medina) who will serve you bread with cheese and honey for another 5D. It's perfectly okay to buy your bread/breakfast elsewhere and eat it outside at the cafe. If the bread guy is next to the cafe the waiter will often collect.
Vegetarians
- Cafe A L'Anglaise: This charming sidewalk café is reminiscent of dining at a friend’s home. The owner gives each customer special attention by greeting them personally before preparing their meal. She also happens to be an interior designer, so the atmosphere inside is very welcoming and pleasing to the eye. Some walls act as a gallery and feature art from local Moroccan artists. Enjoy fresh juices, crispy, flavorful chicken dishes, and traditional couscous.
Price: Low Opening Hours: 10:00 am-10:30 pm Thursday-Tuesday Vegetarians will find plenty to eat in Tangier and Morocco in general, but vegetarian tagines can become boring after a couple of days and often contain lamb stock. Street food is a lot more creative and fun. If you've brought a camping stove, shop at the souk and make your own. Or you can opt for Pizza, Japanese, Chinese or Indian all of which are available in Tangier.
Drink
There are many places in Tangier to drink - people have their own favorite haunts. Much depends on the current owner who tends to give the place a certain ambiance. Favorite bars/discos with foreign (and local) clientele include Casa Pepe, Sable D'or, Morocco Palace, Marco Polo (popular with truck drivers) and hotel bars such as Ramada and El Minzah.
You could opt for a coffee instead - there is no shortage of cafes; some of which are the best in the country. Some have amazing views (cafe Hafa), some good coffee, some are popular (cafe Tropicana, cafe Celine Dion), some with music (cafe in the Dawliz complex), some have good cakes (cafe Oslo), some are places to relax after a hard day shopping (cafe Madam Porte, cafe Vienna), and some are just plain sleazy - the choice is yours.
Fresh fruit juices are sold by street vendors during the summer months. The cafes also serve fresh juices and often have what is called a panache - a mix of fruit juices often with milk, apple, and almond - try it - it's delicious.
- Cafe El-Hafa, (Near avenue Hadj Mohamed Tazi, GPS +35.79133°,-5.82175°). Nice view on the Straits of Gibraltar. Drink tea while looking at boats passing by. Hard to find but worth it.