I have stayed several times with my in-laws in Essaouira so have learned some tricks on how to eat the best food cheaply (and stay well).

The best option is some form of self-catering to take advantage of the amazingly fresh fish, fruit and vegetables on sale in the local market in the medina. Shopping is a really fun, exciting experience and the locals will not rip you off.
The fishmongers will prepare the fish for a small fee.

Anything you cook from such brilliant ingredients, even if it is just salad and grilled fish, will taste brilliant.

The one and only off-license shuts at 8pm every day and is located just outside the medina at the north entrance.

For breakfast (if you don't mind the potential calories) everybody universally agrees the best is Patisserie Driss just at the rear corner of the main square. Get there before 11am for the best choice of French pastries, fresh orange juice and good coffee.

For snacks, the takeaway pizza stands near Driss are all good.

If you want a more elaborate, heavy, traditional Moroccan meal, visit one of the small restaurants in the 'dog leg' off the main square, near the carpet shops. All offer standard set menus with tagine, traditional Harira, etc. All are roughly the same standard and price (although I've recently heard bad things about Petit Pearl).

If you like fish don't miss the cafe at the back of the fish market. You buy your fish then pay them to cook it for you. If doesn't get fresher than that!

Avoid fish stalls around the port, well known to serve old manky fish to tourists and responsible for many a tummy upset.

Essaouira - medina

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This new restaurant serves delicious Moroccan food (by the cook formerly at Villa Maroc) in beautiful, simple surroundings. The chicken pastilla was by far the best we tasted anywhere on our trip - deliciously moist and worth going there just for this. This is a small restaurant which means we were able to pick and choose from all the various menus rather than feeling bound by one particular set menu. Very reasonable prices too. We got a table for two without reserving but as it becomes better known it may be preferable to book ahead, especially for larger parties. It's down a little street not far from Les Alizes (which was also an excellent restaurant choice).

6 Rue Med Diouri, Essaouira near the Musee L'Alliance Francaise. 024 78 58 54.

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Argan oil is highly prized, used both in cooking and cosmetics. Some funny legends about goats - do ask. Shops in Morocco are full of it, but stories abound about fake or diluted products. You can go directly to places where argan nuts are shelled and milled. The cooperatives - usually run by women - are everywhere on the road from Essaouira to Marrakech. On recommendation from my hotel I went quite far - to Cooperative Feminine Argan El Farah in Hanchan, a 25-minute drive from E'ra. Don't know if I needed to go that far, but they had a girl with passable English, which doesn't happen everywhere, so I could ask questions. This was the only place where I could take photos of people at work, more importantly, women at work (they're kind of invisible otherwise). Drivers at the grand-taxi station in E'ra were proposing to take me there for 450 dhrs (30 quid!), but I haggled it down to 150 round-trip and 30 mins waiting (walk away until you really get it your way is one technique). So I talked to the coop lady, took my photos and they gave me a taste of the oil for cooking and some wonderful paste made with argan oil, almonds and honey. Be prepared for a bit of shock when shopping begins. Even at producers level it ain't cheap at all - 250 ml bottle of oil - cooking or massage - is about 10 quid, the paste costs the same. I've reasoned myself with thoughts of the money going directly to the people who work and not to 100 re-sellers in the chain.

El Hanchan, on the main road from Essaouira to Marrakech or any coop closer to E'ra

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