Taros — Restaurant in Essaouira

Worst staff other than the girl in the reception every staff on the rooftop that we asked to help us was either , had an attitude, or unhelpful. The day we went was firt of the first islamic month , and based on what the receptionist said no alcohol for maroccans , for me taros is a place in Morocco it should be for Moroccans and then for foreigners if Moroccans can’t drink on this day you shouldn’t even be open ! So i get on the rooftop we were looking for a place to sit , the place was so full when asking the staff one of them told us you can’t sit here it’s for food services, which i didn’t understand since we were planning to order food ,and then he pointed at a place where we can sit we went there and was too full i asked a staff if all tables were full and he answered rudely “you can see it yourself” finally we found a place that was not what we wanted but we sat there anyway when we wanted to order a man came to us not wearing anything that indicates that he works there and after he talked so nicely to the foreigners beside us ,when he came to us a friend of mine had a friend that was not Moroccan and they told that man that the foreigner friend would order for both of them and this man with all the audacity changed the way he talks his body language to aggressive and told them almost shouted “Moroccans will not be drinking today! “ we did not like that and we told him to learn how to talk when we said that, he faced some other crew members that were behind him and laughed after we talked to him,and then proceeded to tell that he was only doing his job and i kept arguing with this person about the fact that his job is about offering services with hospitality it’s about saying the information with well manners and because he didn’t like what i told him, and because i didn’t let him give excuses for being rude ,he ended his talk with “well y’all are not drinking “ it wasn’t in english so the attitude was you’re not drinking what are you gonna do about that “ maghatchrboch ylh “ and that’s when we decided to exit this horrible place we were there for fun but instead had to argue with someone that doesn’t know what his job is , i can understand that the other staff had a full day , but this guy did this after being so generous with foreigners while he’s moroccan , discrimination at its finest. Idk if this guy was some kind of manager because of the way he was wearing normal clothes but still doesn’t make it any less...

Unfair Discrimination and Disheartening Treatment

I am compelled to share my unfortunate experience at Taros in Essaouira, Morocco, which regrettably leaves a sour taste from an establishment that promises so much more.

I initially arrived at Taros wearing shorts, eager to enjoy their reputed ambiance and offerings, only to be denied entry on the pretext of a dress code. I understood the establishment's right to enforce a dress code, even though I found it odd for a casual place in a coastal town. So, I dutifully changed into long pants and returned, expecting a pleasant evening.

However, what I discovered upon re-entry not only marred my evening but has since overshadowed my perspective of this establishment. I observed numerous foreigners, just like myself, comfortably lounging in their shorts. This blatant inconsistency in enforcing the so-called 'dress code' left me feeling discriminated against and entirely unwelcome.

What was supposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable evening became a painful encounter with exclusionary practices. It is deeply troubling to witness such a double standard, especially in a place that prides itself on its hospitality.

It's important to respect local customs and practices. However, it's equally essential that these customs be applied consistently, regardless of one's origin. No one should feel singled out or inferior based on their attire or nationality.

Taros needs to understand that true hospitality transcends cultures and nationalities. It should not be selective or discriminatory. It is my hope that Taros can rise above such petty bias and truly welcome all patrons equally.

Sadly, my experience was not reflective of the warmth and acceptance that Essaouira is renowned for. For any future patrons reading this review, I hope my experience serves as a reminder that everyone deserves fair treatment, regardless of where we come from or what we wear. It's 2023, and it's high time we do...

This rooftop bar is hard to find, small door entrance without many signs and a long staircase to get up to the seating areas. The bouncers seemed nice enough, we said hello when we entered the building. We only visited during the daytime (apparently, according to reviews, you can be charged by bouncers for entry on the door, so I assume this only applied in the evening).

Once you reach the top of the stairs, you find multiple levels of outdoor seating, some interesting decor and multiple bars.

The servers are fairly attentive. If you stand up or catch their eye, they will come and serve you. Some of the servers seemed lovely and happy to help. Some of them were a little dismissive, and they seemed like they were too busy to help or smile. This may have been due to the fact we are English tourists who don't speak French or Arabic, so those who were willing to serve us may have been the only English speaking there.

We didn't eat there due to some poor reviews. We mainly drank beers, with a few cocktails, which were very hit or miss. Some clearly made by a different bar person were lovely and the others honestly quite poor. No consistency.

The atmosphere both times we visited was quite poor. I don't know how to explain it, but it felt a little unwelcoming, maybe the guests themselves to fault for this rather than the establishment itself. Plenty of people were rather unfriendly and when politely smiled at simply looked away with a scowl. I dress very modestly in other countries and respect the culture here, so I am unsure on why we may have been treated any different.

The prices were to be expected, a little higher than some other places we have visited, I think around 100-130DH for a cocktail and 50-75DH for a beer. However, I would happily pay a little more and visit somewhere with a better atmosphere, friendlier staff and a...