Ayaso
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If you're looking for light, healthy meals or snacks Ayaso functions as both a restaurant and a specialty food store catering to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets. The fresh juices and smoothies are worth the stop alone.
9 Best Restaurants in Marrakesh, Morocco
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Marrakesh has arguably the largest selection of restaurants in Morocco, which serve equal parts Moroccan and international cuisine at varying price points. Restaurant dining, once reserved mainly for the wealthy or very special occasions, is now part of the norm for virtually all Marrakshis. Options vary from inexpensive snack bars, cafés, and fast-food restaurants to the more pricey French bistros, sushi bars, and sophisticated Moroccan fine-dining options. In restaurants where alcohol is served, meal prices tend to be high as licenses are expensive. Home entertaining, however, with lavish meals to impress visitors, is still very much part and parcel of the old Marrakshi way of life. To get an idea (albeit a rather expensive one) of traditional yet sumptuous Moroccan entertaining, treat yourself to an evening at one of Marrakesh’s popular riad gastronomique restaurants in the medina. Morocco is a Muslim country, so don't assume that all restaurants will serve alcohol. Licenses are expensive and, inside the medina especially, are very hard to come by.
You can also eat well at inexpensive sidewalk cafés in both the medina and Guéliz. Here, don't miss out on a famous local dish called tanjia, made popular by workers who slow-cook lamb or beef in an earthenware pot left in hot ashes for the whole day. Food is cooked and served from an outdoor street-kitchen with shared tables, but it's a hearty meal with locals for around 30 DH.
Most restaurants in Marrakesh tend to fall into two categories. They're either fashionable, flashy affairs, mostly in Guéliz and the outlying areas of Marrakesh, which serve à la carte European, Asian, and Moroccan cuisine, or they're more traditional places, often tucked inconspicuously into riads and old palaces in the medina. Both types can be fairly pricey, and, to avoid disappointment, are best booked in advance. They also tend to open quite late, usually not before 7:30 in Guéliz and 8 in the medina, although most people don't sit down to eat until 9 or 9:30. In recent years a third dining category, the dinner-cabaret, has become a popular format, attracting tourists, expats, and well-heeled Moroccans for their entertainment value, if not necessarily for their cuisine.
There's no set system for tipping. Your check will indicate that service has been included in the charge; if not, tip 10% or 15% for excellent service.
Azalai Urban Souk
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The shaded entryway of this pretty little restaurant gives way to a small dining area lovingly decorated with comfy seating areas and lots of plants. It's a local favorite, especially for brunch.
Bacha Coffee
$$ | Medina
The airy courtyard in the 1910 building that houses the Dar el Bacha Musée is all palm trees and colorful tiles: it's a perfect oases for a quick bite. There are over 100 types of coffee, from all over the world, and perfect pastries, as well as a selection of main dishes.
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Dar Cherifa
$$ | Medina
An airy 16th-century riad turned café turned library turned art gallery, Dar Cherifa is wonderfully airy spot to take a break from shopping for a pot of mint tea. They also have the occasional cultural evening, including poetry readings, traditional music, and storytelling.
L'Mida
$$
Just off the Rehba Kdima ("Spice Souk"), L'Mida is a pleasant spot serving a fresh, modern take on Moroccan flavors. There are plenty of meaty options, but vegetables get the royal treatment in dishes like a seven-vegetable vegan couscous and Amazigh gnocchi with chestnut butter and garlic confit.
La Famille
$$ | Medina
In a tiny garden, off one of the medina's main shopping streets, the French owner serves a constantly changing menu derived from fresh local ingredients; think enormous main-course salads or pizzettas topped with anything from carrots and apples to raspberries, mint, and beetroot. Homemade cakes, fresh-brewed coffee, and freshly squeezed juices are served through the afternoon.
Come early as the main dish of the day usually sells out.
Le Jardin
$$ | Medina
Building on the success of his Café des Épices, Moroccan entrepreneur Kamal Laftimi opened this laid-back spot in the heart of the souks. The menu features classic Moroccan dishes, but there are plenty of options for vegetarians and pescaterians, as well as delicious desserts. Head to the terrace for comfortable seating. No alcohol is served.
Panna Gelato Italiano
$ | Guéliz
This ice-cream parlor and café is at the very far end of Guéliz, but well worth the journey. The ice cream and sorbet (possibly the best in Morocco) are made with all-natural ingredients and no additives, and flavors vary every month. In summer choose from fig, banana, watermelon, peach, even ginger with lavender. In autumn you'll find spiced chocolate, orange with cinnamon, date, and saffron flavors. There's a comfortable indoors eating area and an outdoor terrace where you can scoop your whipped-cream-topped sundae on any Sunday.
Royal Mansour
$$$$ | Medina
The prestigious Royal Mansour hotel is home to four restaurants, each with a different vibe, but La Grande Table Marocaine, which serves classic Moroccan dishes with a modern twist, is the one worth a splurge. You can order à la carte but the prix-fixe menu with seasonal variations is the best bet. Alcohol is served and reservations are essential.
