Umia

Great modern restaurant by the Medina wall. Friendly and professional service. The dishes are well presented with fresh ingredients. Kudos to the barman for making a classic cocktail that was not on the menu.

We were looking for a Moroccan fine-dining experience and came across Umia because of its highly positive reviews. We realised it’s not really Moroccan cuisine, it has more of a French “fine dining” vibe which could explain the pricing. However, it did not meet our expectations. The interior decor is stylish and well thought through, however the restaurant is too small for the amount of tables. This results in crammed seating and quite a high volume level. At first, we were sitting at a small table in the middle of the restaurant, directly in front of the bar, so that all the staff would constantly walk around us, making it difficult for us to settle in. The selection of dishes ranges from French to Italian to British (beef wellington in Essaouira?). We had tuna steak with ratatouille and squid-ink rice with rouget. Both came really quickly, the rice was lukewarm (the rice could have been served warmer), and the Rouget was well-cooked. Tuna and ratatouille were well made. However, for this pricing we expected something just a bit more refined and elaborate. The staff was attentive and when we realised that we were not super uncomfortable with our seating arrangement (in addition, one of the staff members was listening to his phone on a loudspeaker at the bar), they reseated us at a quieter table. The dessert (dark mousse au chocolate) was very rich but for 130 dh we would have expected something more than a “simple” mousse au chocolate and a “tuile”. Perhaps some sliced fruit, a “coulis” or spices, just to make it a bit more special, particularly for this price. Overall, we thought the food was nice but clearly overpriced, particularly given this seating arrangement. We would not come back.

If you feel like treating yourself with creative and great food then you should come here. Besides, the atmosphere is great. It is a stunningly designed restaurant. And our waiter tonight, Mohammed, was the absolute best. He made our evening so very connected and joyous.

This was by far the best dining experience we had throughout our entire two week trip to Morocco. The service was outstanding, we were beyond impressed and the food was delicious! They had some wonderful specials in addition to their already impressive menu and we tried a little bit of everything, one of our favorites was the octopus crudo. The atmosphere was what initially drew us in and it was so beautiful, the music was perfect and the lighting gave it the perfect ambiance for a romantic evening. We would highly recommend visiting Umia while you’re in Essouria and you won’t be disappointed!

Excellent experience at Umia last night. Food was incredible, the atmosphere was cosy warm and elegant. Muhammed served us and was extremely attentive, friendly and made us laugh. We stayed until they closed, we didn’t want to leave! It was a perfect way to end our stay in Essaouira. Will definitely be recommending this place to friends.

I ate my first beef wellington here and wow, it was so tasty! It blew my mind 🥰 The crumble dessert was so good too. The host was very welcoming and kind

My partner suggested that we try Umia, and it did not disappoint. This was the best meal I have ever had, the menu was incredible, the people are fantastic, and the atmosphere is lovely. GIVE UMIA A MICHELIN STAR!! You must try the pork. It’s a joke how good it is.

The staff where very friendly, I believe it was the owners that greeted us, they are very talkative and very nice people. The food was amazing and the decor was lovely Would highly recommend