Cheap Eats in Safi — Budget Seafood in the Sardine Capital

Safi's great budget dish is the grilled sardine. As Morocco's sardine capital, it serves them fresh off the boats at the port grills for next to nothing — a full plate of grilled sardines with bread and salad is one of the cheapest satisfying meals on the entire Moroccan coast. Beyond sardines, fried friture and the day's smaller fish are similarly cheap, making Safi a paradise for budget seafood-lovers.

The standard cheap Moroccan meals fill in the rest. Bissara and harira soups with bread cost around 10-15 MAD at medina stalls, sandwich counters stuff baguettes with grilled meat, fish or maakouda for 15-40 MAD, and small canteens serve a plate of the day for 30-45 MAD. Because Safi sees few tourists, prices everywhere are pitched at locals, so there is little of the mark-up found in the resort towns.

The markets are good for a cheap picnic — fresh bread, olives, dates and produce — and the abundance of fresh fish means even a modest budget eats seafood daily here. The city's pottery and Portuguese-era heritage give it plenty to see between meals, and its working-port character keeps the food honest and affordable throughout.

To eat cheaply and superbly, make the port sardine grills your base, fill in with soups, sandwiches and canteen plates, and use the markets for picnics. Follow the local crowds, agree prices before ordering, and Safi — off the tourist trail and rich in fresh fish — will feed you fresh seafood for the price of a snack.