The BEST cafes in Essaouira for a decent coffee and bite to eat (2025)

Map of the best Essaouira cafes

1. Maison Jadis

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@maisonjadis.ma

Situated just outside of Essaouira’s medina with views of the walls, Maison Jadis is halfway between a café/tea room and a second-hand shop. With decent coffee served from the central island, the surrounding café sparsely displays decorative items and books, as well as a wide range of second-hand clothes for men, women and children. You can even buy the antique chair that you’re sitting on.

Run by a lovely Moroccan lady, Leila, who is fluent in both French and English, Maison Jadis opened in early 2024 and is not yet on the tourist radar. So do pop in for a coffee, chat, and browse, as once word is out about this Essaouira café, it may be difficult to get a seat.

2. Hostel La Smala rooftop

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hostelsmala.com

The rooftop café at Hostel La Smala will always be a personal favourite of ours, if only for the incredible views over the Ramparts and beyond to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s also a good place for digital nomads in Morocco as the WIFI is good and there’s a designated workstation area on the main accommodation floor (this is a hostel first and foremost). Indeed, it’s one of our recommended Essaouira coworking spaces.

The coffee is excellent, especially with the view, and the superb restaurant specialises in light snacks, including burgers and stylish sandwiches, and mocktails. The avocado and poached egg on toast is divine.

This is a good spot for Game of Throne fans to come as the ramparts feature heaving in season 3 as the set for Astapor. Sit on the rooftop and see if you can recognise some of the scenes. We have a useful guide on Games of Thrones in Essaouira to help you.

As the rooftop Essaouira café is part of Hostel La Smala, the managers sometimes close it to non-guests in busy periods (especially during the high season month of August). Indeed, this is one of our recommended hostels in Essaouira.

3. Café L’Esprit

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@cafe_lesprit

Café L’Esprit isn’t an Essaouira café that you are likely to stumble upon (unless you’re following our self-guided Essaouira walking tour) as it’s hidden down a backstreet near the ramparts. But the word is out on this special place, so grab a pew if you spot one!

Run by a Moroccan-German couple, this tiny café is the perfect place to sit along one of Essaouira’s alleyways and watch the world go by. You’ll probably be accompanied by a cat or two. Although if you prefer a quieter spot, there is seating indoors.

They also serve very yummy cakes and cookies to accompany your caffeine fix.

4. Mandala Society

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mandalasociety.co

Mandala Society is quite the café institution along the main boulevard. Serving fair-trade, speciality grade coffee that originates for Honduras, as well as a range of teas, this Essaouira café also gets top marks as a prime people-watching spot. However, along with it’s excellent reputation, it’s prime location means that Mandala Society is a popular spot and often busy.

The meat-free menu is perfect for vegetarians and vegans visiting Essaouira. From the breakfast burger and vegan smoothie bowl to one of their specialty boards if you want a selection of everything, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy.

Do note that this is not a cafe to open your laptop and work. Indeed, the owners request that this is not used as a coworking cafe.

There is also a sister-café in Marrakesh also called Mandala Society, so make note if you’re heading that way on your Moroccan travels.

5. L’Atelier-Café Boutique

lateliercafeboutique.com
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L’Atelier is another Essaouira café that is much more than a place to sit down and sip coffee. Here they also sell home décor, including rugs, cushions, blanks, as well as crockery and funky handcrafts, although prices are rather on the expensive end of the scale.

There’s a beautifully calming vibe here and there’s no pressure to buy, whether you’re browsing the shop or sweets menu (we recommend sampling one of the giant chocolate cookies). It’s also a good place to open the laptop and catch up on emails or work, so Morocco digital nomads take note. This is also one of our recommended Essaouira coworking spaces.

6. Mega Loft

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@mega.loft

Spread over four floors, Mega Loft affords superb views over the medina from their rooftop and is open late for those that are looking for something low key, compared to Taros (the popular Essaouira nightclub).

Whilst alcohol is served here, it’s also an excellent spot for your mid-day caffeine fix with rooftop views. We also love the funky interior design here.

Head to one of the lower floors if you want a break from the sun and heat to enjoy your coffee.

7. Picknick Café Essaouira

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picknick-cafe-essaouira.business.site

Tucked down a side street along the main route from Bab Sbaa, Picknick Café is another Essaouira café that you wouldn’t know about unless someone told you about it.

Both the décor and menu are fresh and airy, and the coffee is excellent.

This is a good place to come if you’re waiting for a lift to Essaouira airport or if you’re meeting a tour guide, as they often ask to meet at Bab Sbaa.