Oscar D’or — Restaurant in Essaouira

Update … will leave original review below but went back again and had a totally different experience 😥

Hassled staff who were not welcoming or friendly (apart from one) and my partner’s meal arrived cold and inedible. We weren’t charged for it after pointing it out, but a real shame to have had such a completely contradictory second visit.

Original post read: Wonderful! This tiny restaurant in the heart of the medina is a little gem of a place. Fabulous decor and vibe. Lovely, lovely staff - so friendly and welcoming. The food was served in a timely way with a smile and was delicious. The only tiny disappointment was that my grilled fish was slightly overdone so was a little bit tough, but everything else was just perfect. We’re staying in Essaouira for a few more days and will definitely return. Thanks for a great...

I’m not quite sure why this place has such high ratings—perhaps they reflect a previous owner, as we were told the restaurant had only recently reopened. Unfortunately, our experience was quite underwhelming. The food lacked seasoning and felt very plain.

We ordered several dishes, including a couscous plate that was essentially a large heap of dry, unseasoned couscous with a few vegetables scattered on top. The tajine was similarly disappointing—the chicken was dry and the vegetables lacked depth of flavor.

We also ordered a starter, which never arrived. Even after reminding the staff, it was still never brought to the table.

Overall, we left feeling quite disappointed and wouldn’t return based on...

We were attracted by the 4.9 rating.

Both the food and the service left more to be desired. My companion and I ordered harira, which was full of flavor, and tajines (mixed seafood and chicken with green olives). The tajines lacked depth and flavor. It seemed like the sauces were served before they had time to develop.

We never received the complementary olives, and I had to ask for the complementary bread or we would’ve never received it.

Had the food been stellar, I would’ve been fine with subpar service. (I should note that the staff is very nice, but they are just very busy).

The ambiance inside is very cute, but the rest of the experience was...