Le Saveur du Poisson

Le Saveur du Poisson is one of the best-known seafood restaurants in Tangier, a small dining room reached by a staircase, the Escalier Waller, in the medina in northern Morocco. The restaurant is built around a single idea: there is no a la carte menu. Diners sit down to a fixed multi-course seafood meal at one price, which in practice runs to roughly 250-350 MAD per person (about $27-38). The cooking draws on the Atlantic and Mediterranean catch landed at nearby Tangier port, and the meal tends to open with a seafood soup before moving to fish baked in a clay dish, the emblematic main course that gives the place its reputation. Side dishes and salads arrive in sequence, and the pace is unhurried. The dining room is compact and informal, with a homely, slightly crowded feel; noise levels rise at peak lunch and dinner sittings because the room is small and tables are close together. There is no formal dress code, and smart-casual clothing is typical. Because the restaurant does not run a licensed wine programme in the manner of the larger kasbah venues, visitors should expect soft drinks, water and mint tea rather than an extensive beverage list. Reservations are recommended, and walk-ins are accepted when tables are free; the set menu is served in sittings, so arriving at a confirmed time matters. Booking a day or two ahead is sensible in high season and on weekends, when Tangier's day-trippers and cruise visitors fill the medina. Payment is cash only, so diners should bring dirhams, as card machines are not accepted. Because the menu is fixed, guests with shellfish or fish allergies, or those who avoid seafood, will find little alternative, and dietary requirements are best raised when booking. The medina location means the approach involves uneven steps and narrow lanes. For travellers exploring Tangier's old town, the restaurant pairs naturally with a walk through the nearby Petit Socco and kasbah, and it is a good choice for a long, leisurely seafood lunch in Morocco's northern gateway city.