Where to Eat in Marrakech
Last Updated: 2021-04-28
In all the years that I have accompanied other travelers to Morocco I have observed an invariable trend: everyone’s eyes are bigger than their stomachs. Morocco is such a complex experience that every traveler enjoys a slightly different aspect of it, but each and every traveler raves about the vast array of delicious Moroccan food.
Sorry, but if you travel to Morocco you’ll come back with a few extra pounds. And, sorry again, reading this entry will not help you, but at least that weight gain will come from the tastiest food with the best quality/price ratio.
Dear readers, today we’ll talk about where to eat in Marrakech. Let’s get started!
Traditional Food Restaurants
Being honest, selecting the best restaurants in Marrakech for traditional food is a task that seems endless to me, both due to the size of the city and its huge amount of great options. Instead I’ll provide you with some criteria and give you some examples so that it’s easy for you to find the one that best suits your needs.
The Stalls of the Jemaa El Fna Square
They are usually affordable, because of the amount of tourists and the large number of stalls to meet the demand: for 85 dirhams on average you will have a full meal.
The typical advice of the foodie traveler holds true: look out for stalls where the locals are and you won’t regret it. Just be sure to keep at eye on it from a distance and don’t approach it until you’re sure, since you’ll be surrounded by insistent commission-seekers on the hunt for a lost tourist.
It’s also a strategic place for a snack, since you’ll cross the square several times while exploring the city. You can for example have a juice in the middle of the morning or a bowl of escargot before dinner as an appetizer.
The Restaurants that Face the Square
These places are similar in quality to the stalls, although they offer a little more variety. They do however offer spectacular views of the square and the rest of the city. All this results in an increase in the price (on average 150 dirhams for a full meal).
There are choices available to suit any tastes, from cafes where you can have a coffee or juice (accompanied by a few pastries if you want) or restaurants, whether there is more traditional or European food. Here are some recommended options:
Café Argana
Jemaa El Fna Square (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 628-265479
A great place for a coffee or a refreshing drink
Chez Ben Driss
Jemaa El Fna Square (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 676-112902
Traditional food at a very good price, but with no view of the square
La Lune D’or
Circuit de la Palmeraie (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 31 6 5161 3557
Try a panini or a sandwich
Al Baraka
Jemaa El Fna Square (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5244-42341
Traditional food with a side of belly dancing. You can also enjoy an alcoholic drink here
Restaurants in the Medina, Away from the Square
As you move away from the main tourist center of the city, the options will diversify, and you can find everything from traditional restaurants where mainly locals go to places more geared to an international audience where you can have a drink and enjoy a musical show.
Some of my suggestions:
Zwin Zwin
Rue El Moustachfa, 10 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 638-959295
International and vegetarian food with a large terrace. Alcohol served
Al Bahja
Rue Bani Marine, 41 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5244-40343
Traditional food at a good price and no crowds. A full meal will set you back an average of only 45 dirhams
Le Tanjia
Place des Ferblantiers (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 638-959295
Traditional food in an old house enlivened with belly dancing. They also serve alcohol.
Beats Burguer
Souk Jeld, 35 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5243-91213
Ideal for those who want to take a break from Arab food
If you have several days and are looking for more alternatives, I recommend exploring the souks on your own. They tend to be restaurants geared to workers in the area, which means cheaper food, but without sacrificing quality.
Where’s the Best Fish
At this point, I’ll try to be more specific: if you want to eat the best fish possible, you have to get away from the medina and head to the Gueliz neighborhood. There you will find Snack El Bahriya. Select your main course from the display of fresh fish on ice and choose whether to have yours grilled or fried. Although I have never ordered it, their seafood paella looks good and sells out quickly. So, it’s probably a good choice.
As a guide, fish plus the usual starters (dishes with lentils, tomato salad, olives, etc.) will cost around 50 dirhams, perhaps up to 80 if you ask for premium quality.
Snack El Bahriya
Av. Moulay Rachid 75 Bis (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 626 415 081
Other Recommendations:
Snack Gran Atlas
Rue Ibnou Marine (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5244-40343
Located next to the Djemaa el Fna Square. Great variety of fresh fish at an average of 80 dirhams per person
La Perle Blanche
Rue Lalla Fatima Zahra, 247 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 6187-04386
Specialists in fried fish and potatoes at a very affordable price
Patron de La Mer
Rue Oued el Makhazine (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5243-59550
Ideal place to eat quality fish or seafood in a place with beautiful decoration, of course, at a medium-high price. Alcohol is served
Where to Have a Snack
Restaurants with views of Jemaa El Fna are probably the most recommended for tea. Being considerably more expensive than in other places (15 dirhams or so) it’s money well spent, because you’ll be able to spend part of the morning or afternoon talking with an unbeatable backdrop.
If you like smoothies, a friend told me about the best place in all of Marrakech the first time I traveled to the city, and I always go back each time I visit.
It’s located on “Derb Dabachi” street. If you enter the souks through an entrance with a plaque that reads “Souk El Kessabine” and you keep going straight you’ll find, after a couple of minutes, a place on your right where there’s always a long line of customers regardless of the time of day.
They cost 7 dirhams, and I always ask for an avocado smoothie topped with dates (they have several flavors to choose from and they mix them for you if you wish). After you taste it, you’ll never want a smoothie from anywhere else!
I also recommend the Café des Espices, an ideal place to rest after touring the medina. Try the coffee or freshly squeezed juice. You can have a meal, or just a snack or a sandwich:
Café des Espices
Derb Rahba Lakdima, 75 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5243-91770
If you want to try some nice pastries, one of my favorites is the Patisserie des Princes, with a varied selection not only of pastries, but also cakes and other types of desserts. You can also can a box home with you so you can keep on enjoying the flavor of Marrakech even after you get back from your trip.
Patisserie des Princes
Rue Bab Agnaou, 32 (location on Google maps)
Tel. +212 5244-43033
…Something Unique
To finish, I would like to recommend a series of different places throughout the city. These are options that you will appreciate if you have been in the city for several days and you want a little surprise.
The only downside, as usually happens with anything special, the prices are higher.
Henna Art Café
Derb Sqaya, 35 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 666-779304
Great variety of gluten-free and vegetarian food. Also, you can get a natural Henna tattoo before you leave
L’mida
Derb Nkhel Rahba Kdima, 78 bis (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5244-43662
Managed by a Moroccan chef trained in London who combines typical dishes with an original twist. The L’mida Burguer with Harira mayonnaise is highly recommended
Dar Moha
Rue Dar El Bacja, 81 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5243-86400
Chef Moha Fedal’s restaurant, where you can taste signature cuisine, always based on the full range of Moroccan cuisine. It’s also located in an old riad with a spectacular garden. Alcohol is served
La Pergola Jazz Bar
Rue Riad Zitoun El Kdim (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5244-29646
Located on the terrace of the Riad Monceau, it has a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes. In addition, alcohol is served and there is live Jazz on Wednesdays. It’s best to reserve a table in advance
La Famille
Rue Riad Zitoun Jdid, 42 (location on Google maps)
Tel: +212 5243-85295
Enjoy the exquisite, rustic decoration and live jazz. The menu is geared towards vegetarian cuisine
With this final recommendation, we reach the end. I think I’ve given you plenty of reasons to justify those extra pounds you’ll take back home. If there’s something worse than getting fat, it’s doing it without having enjoyed all the delicious cuisine that I’ve suggested. Much love to all and see you in the next article!
If you want to know more about the city, check out our Marrakesh guide.
