A weekend in Tangier
A chef's guide to a long weekend in Tangier
Tangier offers a distinctive blend of Moroccan charm and European elegance, setting it apart from my experiences in other Moroccan cities like Fez and Marrakech. I’ve heard lots about Tangier over the years from my parents who have visited our friends there many times. So armed with the recommendations, four aeroplane packed lunches and a half empty suitcase, I set out with my school friends to see what all the fuss was about.
La Di Dah
Our girls’ weekend began with a hiccup when the car broke down shortly after arriving in Tangier on Thursday evening. Pushing the vehicle around the airport car park wasn’t the relaxing start we’d envisioned. But the stress melted away as soon as we arrived at our airbnb La Di Dah.
Nestled in the heart of Tangier, La Di Dah is a masterpiece designed by an interior designer and photographer who happen to be good friends of my family. Despite having seen countless photos of the house before, I was blown away by its vibrant colours and patterns. I particularly loved the red candy-striped towels drying in the wind against the green-and-white tiled striped terrace. Low lighting cast a warm glow across each room, and we couldn’t wait to dive into bed.
A quest for savoury snacks
Our Tangier adventure truly began on Friday morning when the lovely housekeeper, Hassania, made us breakfast. Fresh orange juice, omelettes and yogurt laid out on the dining table was the perfect way to begin the holiday. We then ventured to Jasper Conran’s new hotel Villa Mabrouka less than a 5 minute walk away from the house. Here we indulged in a hammam, though not the best I’ve experienced, the soothing atmosphere set the perfect tone for our holiday.
By the time we had finished our drink on the terrace, it was 4pm. The morning had slipped into afternoon, and we hadn’t even done or eaten anything. We were keen to explore the area for lunch and what began as a simple quest for savoury snacks quickly morphed into a bit of a scavenger hunt through the streets of Tangier. Every bakery we went to served sticky sweet pastries, until we caught the attention of a friendly local gentleman who kindly guided us to a bakery just five minutes from our flat. We ended up bringing home a bit of everything. But I was particularly keen to try the Moroccan borek—a flaky cheese filled pastry that, while not quite on par with its Turkish counterpart, was still delicious.
Later that evening, we found ourselves back at Jasper Conran’s Hotel for dinner—perhaps a bit indulgent to return twice in one day, but let us assure you, the food was absolutely worth it. My friends are still raving about the grilled fish! As I’m not a fan of fish, I had the duck ragu with fresh egg parpadelle. The pièce de résistance was undoubtedly the dessert: a choux bun covered in warm chocolate. Our supper was perfectly complemented by the attentive service that made us feel truly pampered.
Roof tops and Syrian food
We started our Saturday with a stroll down the street, stopping for cash and a fresh pomegranate juice on our way to the market. We surprisingly kept our shopping restrained, with not a single one of us buying anything. After a couple of hours of exploring, we stopped for lunch at a nearby Syrian restaurant. Quite unassuming from the outside, with plastic chairs and tablecloths, it turned out to be one of my most memorable meals. The falafels and stuffed vine leaves were some of the best I’ve had, and we ended up getting another plate of falafel they were that good. It was very reasonably priced and would definitely recommend for a quick, easy and delicious lunch. I was told later by my parents that they usually get takeaway from there and eat it back at the house.
After a leisurely afternoon spent on the rooftop of La Di Dah, we headed to Dar Nour for sunset drinks. While the views are breath taking, I’d suggest going for the cocktails and scenery rather than the meal.
Chips, salad and a couple of glasses of Moroccan rose
Sunday was earmarked for a tanning day. So, we headed to the beach with the plan to have a late lunch at L'Ocean. Sadly, the restaurant was fully booked so we found ourselves driving along the coast a bit longer than intended, searching for a new lunch and sunbathing spot.
We settled with Chez Abdou, a laid-back eatery with hippy atmosphere. The owners kindly dragged some sunlounges out for us to lie on the beach. But we couldn’t help but notice that we were pretty much the only ones sunbathing. According to a friend, sunbathing is more common in the high season but towards the end of September the temperature drops slightly and there are less tourists. The restaurant itself has a very limited menu that consists grilled fish and paella. I did struggle slightly and ended up eating chips, salad and a couple of glasses of Moroccan rose.
For supper we made our way to El Moroccan Club, a delightful fusion of Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine. After my somewhat light lunch, I arrived absolutely starving, a couldn’t wait to sit down. I was toying between the a few options on the menu and ultimately opted for chicken with chermoula. I immediately had food envy as I spotted the saffron risotto I’d been eyeing up on the menu, at a neighbouring table. My lemon meringue tart for pudding, stole the show. Its cheesecake biscuit base was a surprise and will definitely be attempting to make it back home. I’ve been told that the restaurant and piano bar downstairs is the most fun on a Saturday, so I’d recommend booking that in advance.
Maison Maggie
As our girls’ getaway began to wind down, our Monday was to revolve around shopping. You can’t go to Morocco and come back empty handed. Our day kicked off at Café Tingis – my mum’s favourite people watching spot. After our coffees, the first stop was a textiles shop selling everything from rugs to tea towels. There, we struck up a friendship with a woman from Valencia, who led us upstairs to the textile factory—a definite must visit! It was amazing seeing how all the rugs are hand woven. I bought myself a red hemp rug while my friend went all out, coming home with three towels; four tea towels, and a rug.
After all the shopping, we read and soaked up the last of the sun on the roof of La di dah. And as the evening rolled in, we did some yoga on the terrace before getting ready to go for a sunset drink at Maison Maggie, the owner’s other Airbnb. After a couple of glasses of white wine, we headed back for Hassania’s homemade lamb tagine alongside fluffy cous cous and roasted vegetables. It was definitely the best tagine I had on this trip to Morocco. She even left us some traditional Moroccan pastries as a little petit fours. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to end a holiday.
Loaded to the brim
Tuesday morning was a bit of a snap back to reality with an early wake up to catch our flight. Loaded to the brim with yesterday’s shopping we headed for the check-in desk. It’s worth noting that Air Morocco are quite strict with the hand luggage weight limit on the return flight! I was almost charged £70 to get my vase and rug home. My suddenly good value items were becoming quite expensive. But a quick reshuffle of bits at the desk meant I wasn’t charged – thankfully! A weird airport recommendation is that the croissants at the café in the terminal are fantastic!
Takeaways
It’s difficult to do everything a city has to offer in just three days but I do have some recommendations to share of places I didn’t manage to visit. First up on my list is Chez Hassan, a local fresh fish street food / restaurant but a chef friend said it was the best food she’s had out there. The pizza restaurant Casa Italia also comes highly recommended. I probably wouldn’t go to the beach but instead a day by a pool would have been nice – there are a couple of hotels locally that offer use of the pool when dining. Or perhaps take a trip to Chefchaouen (The Blue City) for something a little more cultural.
Tangier’s ease is what initially attracted me to the city as a holiday destination. It’s compact, easy to navigate, just a 3-hour flight away and no time difference. It’s the perfect place for a weekend getaway that truly feels different, and it’s a place I’d like to return to again.