Restaurants

Morocco's northern Atlantic coast is the national center of seafood par excellence. Along the length of it the menus are remarkably similar: crevettes (prawns), friture de poisson (fried fish and octopus), calamar (squid), and various kinds of fish. Fruits de mer are always shellfish and prawns, not fish. In addition to seafood, Casablanca and Rabat offer many types of international cuisine—you'll find Italian and other Mediterranean restaurants, as well as Asian and even American eateries—and, of course, ones serving traditional Moroccan fare and French cuisine. Although it's tempting to think you can find good examples of the former anywhere, the best ones on this stretch of the coast are really limited to Casablanca and Rabat. (Locals eat Moroccan cuisine at home, so they tend to choose alternatives when dining out.) Vegetarians should note that Moroccan salads—cooked and raw, such as zallouk (eggplant puree) and felfla mataisha (grilled pepper and fresh tomato)—are truly delicious.