5 Best Restaurants in Ville Nouvelle, Tangier and the Mediterranean

At this iconic, cash-only restaurant, the menu and the price are fixed, so just sit down and prepare to enjoy four courses, designed to be shared by the table. The main event is always the catch of the day—perhaps St. Pierre, dorado, or sole. The dessert might be strawberries (in season) with almonds, smothered in local honey. You'll be served special fruit juice, infused with flowers, cloves, and other secret ingredients, and a souvenir earthenware dish is usually part of the price.

West of the Kasbah, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar and set up on seven levels plunging toward the sea, this laid-back cliff café opened in 1921 and soon became the favorite sunset-watching haunt of locals and bohemian visitors. Waiters impressively deliver 16 steaming cups of sweet tea at a time, along with bowls of bissara (traditional pea soup). 

This fabled café has been gracing a corner of the buzzy Place de France since 1927, and its brown leather seats, wood paneling, and mirrors galore will make you feel like you're back in the 1950s with William Burroughs (he wrote here) or in The Bourne Ultimatum (a scene was filmed here). The terrace is the perfect place to watch the world go by over an orange juice or café au lait.

Stop for lunch at this community center, whose name means "Our House," and you won't just enjoy a scrumptious home-style meal; you'll also be supporting local women and children in need. The traditional couscous served on Friday shouldn't be missed, especially when eaten in the sun-drenched, tiled patio. Don’t forget to check out the small on-site shop.

A visit to Villa Josephine—perched on a hilltop estate, a 15-minute drive west of the city—is like stepping back to the glamorous 1920s, when it was a summer retreat for the rich and famous. Dress to impress for cocktails in the wood-paneled library and bar before dining on a classic French menu—perhaps steak with béarnaise sauce—on the terrace or in the dining room lit by crystal candelabra. Give yourself time to explore the lovely garden and take in the showstopping views over Tangier.