City Guide #4: Tangier, Morocco (Pt. 2)
A culinary weekend guide
View from the rooftop deck at La Tangerina where we had breakfast each morning
Tangier is definitely the older brother whose gap year turned into a career as an aspiring writer. If you’re wondering, Marrakech is the younger sister who’s an influencer. This place used to be a hedonist’s paradise for artists and writers of all walks.
As always, be sure to add our Tangier x Superbloom map before you go and share any and all recommendations if you go so we can continue to update!
Stay here:
La Tangerina: I loooved this riad. Conveniently located just inside the front entrance of the Medina in Tangier this beautiful boutique hotel with ten rooms, a gorgeous rooftop overlooking the sea and an in house hammam was perfect for our three night stay. We stayed in Room #6 on the second floor. The open atrium is filled with songbirds chirping away outside of every room (never heard them at night). We had a beautiful balcony, sitting room and separate sleeping area in our room and the decor was airy and modern with some traditional touches. We were served a wonderful breakfast each morning on the rooftop patio and enjoyed many mint teas up there in the afternoons (and a couple of cold beers as well). On our last morning we treated ourselves to a couples hamman and massage in their private space. It was well priced and much needed after exploring Morocco on foot for the past six days. Quick warning that when booking you need to send the deposit in Euros to the hotels bank account - it’s very weird and seemed like a scam but I think they are just a bit behind on the technology front. The owners were lovely and the cost was very reasonable for our stay. We paid 150 euros per night in June 2024.
Explore here:
Cinema Rif: Highly recommend taking a walk around the Grand Socco outside of the Medina where Cinema Rif and other historical landmarks lie. The art house movie theatre opened in 1938 and now goes by the name Cinémathèque de Tanger (CDT) founded by artist Yto Barrada in 2006. CDT offers screenings of contemporary and classic films from over 20 countries, as well as workshops, masterclasses, a café, and an archive featuring the largest collection of Moroccan and North African films in the world. It’s a cool area to walk around with art deco architecture combined with more traditional elements. Many of the restaurants we visited were within walking distance to this area.
Eat here:
Abou Tayssir: When we first arrived in Tangier after four days straight of Moroccan food in Fes we were craving something a little bit different for lunch. This small Syrian cafe near our hotel fit the bill nicely. We had fresh falafel, tabbouleh and a selection of dips with fresh bread. It was one of the best meals we had on the trip.
Restaurant Saveur de Poisson: This was the only place we waited in line to eat at the whole trip, and for good reason. Another Anthony Bourdain rec with a family style set menu that hasn’t changed in decades, this place in an institution. The menu that starts with hot bread, olives, and spicy harissa, followed by sizzling fried octopus and squid, a delicious fish soup, and a platter of whole grilled fish. It ended with a fruit salad of fresh strawberries and raspberries topped with honey and a sweetened couscous granola. We were very full at the end of our lunch but extremely satisfied. Highly recommend braving the line at lunchtime. Be there before it opens at 1pm.
Drink here:
Number One: There aren’t many places outside of hotels and Riad’s where you can order alcohol. Number One is one of a handful of bars around the area that serve alcohol to both locals and tourists. The owner and operator has been doing this for a very long time and he was lovely to chat with. The quirky design, friendly regulars and free tapas we were served with our first drinks here in the early evening (before things got busy) brought us back two nights in a row. These are not fancy cocktails by any means but the ice cold bottles of Casablanca beer on a hot day were exactly what we needed.
Cafe Baba: This is one of those culty Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown spots that shouldn’t have been worth a shout but if you don’t mind the smell of smoke (cigarette and hashish) and you want somewhere to read a book in the sun in a relaxed setting with a glass of mint tea then go here for a few hours. It’s a well known spot for locals to bring hashish that’s been open for over 80 years. Apparently The Rolling Stones smoked here - some say that’s bullshit - but either way it’s worth a visit. And don’t just walk in, take pictures and leave like the fifty tourists I watched while reading my book one sunny afternoon. Sit, chat with the owner who is there every day and stay a while.
