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Your independent local guide to Essaouira

Essaouira Trips
Three women laughing as they cook vegetables together at a stove

Food & cooking

Moroccan cooking class with a souk shop

Shop the spice and fish market with a chef, then cook the tagine you just bought the ingredients for.

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From €45
per person
3 to 4 hours
Duration
L'Atelier Madada
Booked with

Who runs this

Run by L'Atelier Madada. Their own page: L'Atelier Madada.

We earn a small commission on some bookings. It never changes your price.

Duration
3 to 4 hours
Best for
Couples, rainy or very windy days, food-led travellers
Best season
All year
Where it starts
Inside the medina, near Avenue Mohammed Zerktouni

The good classes in Essaouira start in the market, not the kitchen. You walk the spice souk and the fish stalls with the chef, who shows you how to tell fresh sardines from yesterday’s and what ras el hanout should actually smell like — then you carry the bags back and cook.

A typical session produces a tagine or a fish chermoula, Moroccan salads and bread, and you eat what you made on a terrace afterwards. Three to four hours all in. Vegetarian and vegan versions are normal here rather than a grudging afterthought.

This is the activity that consistently gets the best reviews from people who did not think they wanted it. It is also the most useful souvenir: you go home able to make the food.

Why it is worth it

  • Guided shop through the spice souk and fish market
  • You cook it, then you eat it on a terrace
  • Vegetarian and vegan menus done properly
  • Small groups — usually under ten people

What's included

  • Chef and translator
  • All ingredients
  • The meal you cooked
  • Recipe cards to take home

Good to know

Book at least a day ahead — the good classes are capped and fill up. Mention allergies when you book, not on the day.

Common questions

How much is a cooking class in Essaouira?

From €45 for three to four hours, which includes the chef and a translator, every ingredient, the meal you cooked, and recipe cards to take home.

Do you need to book a cooking class in advance?

Yes, at least a day ahead. The good classes cap their numbers and fill up, especially in high season.

Can a cooking class cater for allergies or a vegetarian diet?

Yes, but say so when you book rather than on the day — the shopping is done in advance. Moroccan cooking is comfortable with vegetarian food, so it is rarely a problem.

What is there to do in Essaouira when it rains or the wind is up?

A cooking class is the obvious answer: three or four hours indoors, and you eat what you make at the end of it. The hammam is the other one.

More things to do

From

€45

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