Photo: Google Maps

Essaouira

Takeaways · Moroccan & Middle EasternWater Gardens

A Takeaways and Moroccan & Middle Eastern restaurant in Water Gardens that rates below most of Gibraltar, on 16 Tripadvisor reviews.

Gibraltar Index

3.8 / 5

Tripadvisor3.316

Google3.8137

A weighted blend of both, not an average. How this works

Ratings read 6 September 2026.

Our review

Essaouira is a small Moroccan takeaway and kebab shop on Waterport Wharf, just before Ocean Village. It was a Google-only listing until today; its Tripadvisor page was found and attached on 6 September 2026, so Tripadvisor now counts alongside Google. It stands at 3.3 from 16 Tripadvisor reviews and 3.8 from 137 on Google, for an Index of 3.80. The reviews were re-read on 6 September 2026; the newest Google review is from this month, while the Tripadvisor page has had nothing new since June 2022.

At its best it is more than a kebab shop. The older Tripadvisor reviews talk about a properly spiced lamb tajine with couscous, the best Moroccan mint tea in Gibraltar, cakes, and a chicken tikka and pinchitos meal for £7 that one yacht visitor called brilliant value. On Google the mixed kebabs, the garlic sauce, a falafel wrap and the mixed grills get warm mentions, and several reviewers find the prices cheaper than in Britain.

The problem is that the other half of the sample is angry. Rudeness across the counter is the recurring complaint over many years, from a 2019 account of prices higher than the board to a November 2025 reviewer told to shut up when asking how long the meat had been in the fridge, and a July 2026 one-star on service. Food complaints cluster on temperature and blandness: lukewarm deliveries, soggy chips, a Moroccan chicken special in March 2026 described as tasteless with old vegetables. Wrong or incomplete orders come up on both sites.

The picture may be shifting again. A Google reviewer on 4 September 2026 says the place has gone downhill, guesses at new owners, and reports feeling unwell after kebab bowls; the day after, someone left a one-word five-star. August 2026 brought two glowing reviews, one in French praising the staff. So the latest evidence is as split as the older evidence, and the Tripadvisor score, which is entirely pre-2023, should be read as history rather than the current state.

Come for a cheap Moroccan kebab or tajine near Ocean Village if you are prepared to gamble on the mood behind the counter; go elsewhere if you want a reliable welcome or consistent food. Nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here, and this write-up is drawn from the reviews.

Written from the Tripadvisor reviews and both platforms' scores on 6 September 2026, not from a meal we ate — nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here. We show the Google rating but have not yet read Google's reviews for the write-up. The recurring themes it draws on are below.

What reviewers consistently say

Our summary of recurring themes across the 31 most recent reviews, written in our own words and read on 6 September 2026. Recent reviews from both platforms are quoted, with attribution, further down.

A Moroccan takeaway near Ocean Village: tajine, mint tea, kebabs and mixed grills.
Prices are low and the food, when good, is called great value.
Rude counter service is the complaint that runs through both sites for years.
Lukewarm, bland or wrong orders are the other recurring gripe.
A September 2026 review suggests new owners and a further slide.

What it gets right

Cheap Moroccan food, tajine and mint tea praised
Mixed kebabs and garlic sauce liked

What it gets wrong

Service repeatedly described as rude
Inconsistent temperature and quality
Tripadvisor page is stale since 2022

How it compares

It holds 3.3 out of 5 on Tripadvisor from 16 reviews — well below the Gibraltar median of 4.1 across 106 restaurants with enough reviews to rank, and on only a handful of reviews, so treat it as indicative.

How the Gibraltar Index Score is built

It is not an average of the two. Each source is weighted by how many reviews it carries, then pulled toward the Gibraltar average so a high score from a handful of reviews cannot outrank a strong score from thousands. Essaouira scores 3.3 from 16 on Tripadvisor and 3.8 from 137 on Google, which the model blends to 3.8.

We read the 31 most recent Tripadvisor reviews and summarised what recurs, in our own words; the reviews we drew on are quoted below, attributed to their authors. The Tripadvisor and Google scores are each shown 1:1 as those platforms publish them; the Index Score is ours and the formula is above. Nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here, so nothing is a first-hand verdict.

Recent reviews

Shown from each platform, attributed to the reviewer. We don't edit them — read the full set at source.

Tripadvisor★★★☆☆3.3· 16

All on Tripadvisor →

2022-06-05
Repeatedly terrible
Absolutely dreadful. Time and time again it continues to disappoint. The food is disgusting but in comparison to the staff it’s great. The staff are rude, and will always seek an opportunity to rip you off. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.more →
jacki944 · via Tripadvisor
2021-12-26
Horrible
Very bad service. More than half an hour to serve a shaorma. The fees are overcharged. Never go back.more →
Chrisrayk · via Tripadvisor
2021-12-21
Small Moroccan restaurant and take away
Located just before Ocean Village this is a small business thay serves some great Moroccan food. Great price point. Efficient and friendly owners/ staff.more →
Kingpaul100 · via Tripadvisor
2020-03-03
Take away.
Exclent small Moracan restraunt/take away.Very clean,friendly staff and excelent food. Real chips for a change. Well worth stopping in for a snack, or ordering a delivery.more →
Go796460 · via Tripadvisor
2019-09-12
Be warned much better takeaways in same road.
Price: To start off with the advertised prices on the wall are FALSE and they charge more, meaning what I thought was going to be a good price was not and for better price I could have gotten better takeaway just 1 minute walk down the road. Speed: Yes it was quick mind you it was empty when I got there and chips were not the freshet I hamore →
TheLocalConnoisseur · via Tripadvisor

Google★★★★☆3.8· 137

All on Google →

2026-09-05
Nicemore →
Khalid · via Google
2026-09-04
Wow this place has gone downhill... New owners I assume. Our kebab bowls looked ok but came with borderline food poisoning - best to avoid.more →
Mark Wilson · via Google
2026-08-23
Très bonne expérience ! La nourriture est délicieuse et de qualité. Le personnel est très aimable, accueillant et attentionné. Je recommande vivement !more →
mariam barakat · via Google
2026-08-17
My Choice of The DAY 🌯 A Moroccan Speciality FALAFEL WRAP 😋 IT was MADE with dedication in FULL FLAVOUR creamy with FRESH ALL The VEGGIES 🍅🥒🥬 on Arrival 😃more →
Maximilian M. G. Van Horn ROGALA · via Google
2026-07-10
Awful service!!!! No level of Englishmore →
Liam Jenvey · via Google

Reviews are the opinions of their authors, reproduced from Tripadvisor and Google with attribution and a link to the original. Essaouira did not provide them and Gibraltar Index did not solicit or edit them.