Café Hafa

Why visit

Café Hafa opened in 1921 and has barely changed since: simple tables on terraces cut into the cliff, looking out over the strait. Over the decades it has been a favourite of writers and musicians, including Paul Bowles, and it is still where Tangier comes to talk, play cards and watch the sea.

What to order

Mint tea, of course, served sweet in glasses. Simple snacks are usually available too. Prices are modest, and it is best to carry cash.

Tips

• Late afternoon is the best time for the light over the water.
• Weekends are busy with local families. Weekday mornings are quieter.
• Walk from the Kasbah in about 15 to 20 minutes, or take a petit taxi.
• Nearby, on the clifftop at Marshan, are ancient rock-cut tombs often called the Phoenician tombs.