Cantina

La Cantina

Scones seem such a quintessentially British/ English thing, I never thought for my final blog in 2015, I would be eating them in Africa. However while researching veggie food options for my holiday in Essaouria, Morocco I came across La Cantina. It’s a small café in the heart of the Medina (the old city) which serve along side savoury food, home made scones and cakes. So with the challenge of eating scones in a different continent I decided to visit them.

Rue Boutouil

The first challenge was finding the café. The Medina in Essaouria is quite small and compact but inside there is a charming maze of little streets and alleyways to navigate and even with my map I had not been able to pin point its location. However while I was on a private walking tour with licenced guide Chacha, (who I’d highly recommend if you’re ever visiting Essaouria), we turned into a cute, little street and the first thing that caught my attention was the water fountain, above, with its colourful tiles.

Rue Boutouil

As we turned into the street there’s a courtyard area where La Cantina and couple of other cafes are located. The photo above is a general photo of the street and La Cantina is just off the picture on the right hand side. So I made a note of it and decided to return later.

La Cantina

On the day I visited the café was very busy. Everyone was eating al fresco, as the temperature was in the delightful low 20s. As there was no outdoor seating available I took a table inside. The café is small and charming. Thankfully I didn’t have to navigate the ladder to get a table!

Service was very prompt and extremely friendly. I ordered the scones and asked them if they did different teas. They have several fruit herbal teas and from a very charming, hand written list I chose a pot of orange and pomegranate tea.

La Cantina

When I ordered I was unsure how they were going to be served so I was amazed that they arrived as a proper cream tea. On the plate were two large plain scones which were served warm, much to my delight. They were accompanied with dishes containing generous portions of strawberry jam and fresh cream. I know I am usually a stickler for clotted cream, but my sheer delight of eating scones in Morocco wasn’t diminished by this experience.

The scones were freshly made and extremely tasty. They had the perfect consistency of being firm on the outside with a fluffy soft interior. I was a bit in holiday mode so I forgot to make a note of how much it cost but it was about 30 dh (roughly about £2).

The café is very popular and has a lovely laid back and relaxed vibe. The staff, who where working in the open kitchen, were extremely busy but very good natured and made the place feel warm a welcoming. The restaurant owners are English, hence the appearance of tea and cakes on the menu. I’ve already fallen in love with Essaouria and already plotting my next visit and when I return I’ll definitely be back as I’m wanting to try their savoury, veggie food.

NB:  La Cantina is at 66 Rue Boutouil, which is in the Mellah (old Jewish quarter) near to Bab Doukala (one of the City gates). It’s open daily until about 7pm so perfect for lunch or afternoon tea.

Ratings:  Scones: 2,   Accompaniments: 2, Service: 2, Ambience: 3, Overall:  9/11

Until next time…

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