Le Corail Vegan Food — Restaurant in Essaouira

Extremely tiny vegetarian/vegan restaurant with two small tables inside and a few outside. The restaurant definitely is a renovated house and the kitchen is literally a house’s kitchen with one guy cooking. It gives it a personalized, homey feel. He also gave some seasoned olives and sliced bananas for free as a starter.

Spring rolls - large and thin crispy spring rolls that are more of a wrap than what you expect of a spring roll. We got the chickpea/spinach/mushroom ones and they were savory and not too oily.

Falafels - not like the average falafel ball, it was made of a more potato-like texture of the filling with lentils and a slight crispy exterior. I would call it a potato bhaju rather than a falafel. Not as dry as typical falafels. Very tasty.

Veggie burger - the drizzle was way too salty (like “extra sodium” soy sauce) and the burger was really just a potato patty with pasta on the side (no bread). Exterior was mushy as well. Not a fan. The “falafel” was executed a lot better.

Tagine - the tagine was also a bit over salted but still quite delicious. We got the lentils and mushroom tagine. I prefer vegetable tagine over this type but that’s an ingredients choice, not a cooking issue.

The owner obviously puts their own spin on classic regional dishes, resulting in mostly hits but maybe one miss. Ignoring the cheesy exterior, this is a GREAT restaurant for veg and non-veg eaters alike. Definitely ask for some harissa or hot sauce if you get the tagine, it elevates the flavor. I would recommend the spring rolls and...

A vegan restaurant, but not representative of Moroccan cuisine as they present and say. The owner is absolutely lovely, kind, warm, and welcoming, which made the experience feel very personal. However, the food itself was quite far from what is traditionally considered Moroccan. Dishes described as tajine or pastilla were more a mix of steamed vegetables with oil, lacking the depth, spices, and preparation that define Moroccan cooking.

As a passionate vegan who’s been traveling through Morocco for over a decade, I deeply value both plant-based food and the rich culinary heritage of this country. It’s disappointing when a place, despite good intentions, feels more like a tourist trap rather than a celebration of authentic flavors and ingredients as they promote.

This is also one of the more expensive restaurants in Essaouira, which makes it harder to overlook the simplicity of the meals. I truly support vegan initiatives, especially in regions where they are still growing, but it’s important that they honor local traditions and offer value to both tourists and locals alike.

With some adjustments and more attention to Moroccan culinary authenticity, this place has real potential.

I think that the most honest way is remove the traditional experience of Moroccan food and just saying vegan spot...

FOOD POISONING ALERT! We had previously visited another vegan restaurant beside this one the night before which was great. During our meal we noticed that this restaurant seemed busy so we thought we would try it. Big mistake! Received a free sliced banana for starter which was the best part of the meal. The orange juice I got was not fresh and clearly came from a carton. My girlfriend got a ginger orange and cinnamon juice which was also awful. For our main course I got a burger with potato, soja and spinach. It wasn’t a burger. Just fried mashed potato served with a spoon full of rice. The rice was good but that’s about it for that dish. My girlfriend got a aubergine, artichoke and mushroom tajine. It didn’t come with any liquid or flavour. I’m not too familiar with Moroccan cuisine but it was the 3rd tajine we got here and by far the driest and most expensive. To top it all off my girlfriend got terrible food poising which presented with vomiting shortly after the meal. I’m amazed that a vegan restaurant managed to give us food poisoning, I’m putting it down to poor hygiene as I can’t imagine any cross contamination can happen in a vegan restaurant. Worst food experience we had in Morocco, please avoid.

Flavour 1/10 Food...