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Any foodie preparing to travel to Morocco’s ochre city of Marrakech should make sure to plan for a meal at the city’s best restaurants. Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most wonderful cities, with food just as exotic and delightful as the city’s Atlas Mountain landscapes and enchanted Arabian nights.
From open-air restaurants to fine dining establishments to Jemaa el-Fna stalls, culinary sites in Marrakech are where multiple cultures collide. The fusion of European and traditional Moroccan food is evident in Amazigh (Berber) cooking traditions and the newer Arabic, French, and Spanish flavors.
Moroccan cuisine is a combination of traditional and innovative dishes, flavorful seasoning, and rich, varied ingredients. From its most famous dishes, such as couscous, chicken bastilla, and vegetable tagine, to its most traditional dishes, such as rfissa and harrira, every bite will allow you to explore not just the flavors but also the culture and history of Morocco.
Restaurants in Marrakech offer you variations of Moroccan, French, and Spanish cuisine and a remarkable atmosphere that will make your dining experience in Morocco even more memorable. These are some of the best restaurants in Marrakech that you must visit during your travel to Morocco.
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Al-Fassia
Al-Fassia, which means “the woman from Fez,” opened in Marrakech in 1987. The restaurant idea came from Mohammed Chab and his late wife, Fatima Chab. Fatima also had the idea of employing women only and training them in cooking and service.
The restaurant is unique with its all-female team and classical Moroccan dishes. Fans know Al-Fassia for its fantastic Moroccan salads and variations of Moroccan tagines, couscous, and bastilla. It is also a great stop for sweet Moroccan pastries such as almond briwat.
The traditional restaurant is located in the modern district of Gueliz, but close to the medina. It has a warm, cozy atmosphere with its plush cushions and nude-colored walls. Al-Fassia ladies wear beautiful warm-colored traditional caftans that add more of a Moroccan touch to the restaurant.
Its sister restaurant, which offers the same menu, is located in Agdal. It has a different atmosphere with its beautiful orange tree-lined garden, and is also worth visiting if you travel to Rabat during your time in Morocco.
Read also: Moroccan Delicacies Everyone Should Try
NOMAD
With the help of designer Sebastien De Gzell, brothers Kamal and Oussama Laftimi have created the perfect fusion of a traditional and contemporary artistic restaurant with delightful delicacies and breathtaking views.
The Moroccan-French styled restaurant is located in Rahba Kedima. It is a beautiful, relaxing place where you can enjoy lunch or dinner. During your travel to Morocco, can sit down with friends and family either on their two-level terrace with a 360-degree view of the medina and the Atlas Mountains, or inside its cozy salon on the first floor.
The terrace offers a classy yet traditional Moroccan dining atmosphere with black and white tiles, colored tables, and vintage Moroccan blankets that cover the chairs. The menu combines traditional dishes and international delicacies with special twists. Two crowd favorites are the vegetarian version of bastilla or the spiced, tea-basted beef confit with aubergine and anchovy sauce.
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Le Trou au Mur
The owner of “Le Trou au Mur,” which is French for “the hole in the wall,” is English hotelier James Fix. He brings traditional Moroccan cuisine with a laid-back artistic environment to the fine dining scene in Marrakech.
Located in the oldest part of the medina, Le Trou au Mur is vast and chic. The floor is covered with black and white tiles. Its walls are white with unique zigzag designs and feature artwork from talented local creatives. Meanwhile, its chairs feature paintings of historical Moroccan figures. The restaurant also has a roof. You can enjoy your meal in the open air while basking in the sun and looking over the attractive medina.
The menu at Le Trou au Mur offers the most traditional Moroccan delicacies from family recipes that you might not find in other restaurants, even given Marrakech’s wide offerings. These include delights such as tihane, which is offal stuffed with ground beef, olives, and lemon. Tride, or shredded pancakes with lentils, chicken, and saffron, is always worth a taste. The restaurant also offers another side of the menu with modern dishes for those who would rather opt for a home-cooked burger.
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Le Tobsil
The Arabian-styled restaurant is owned by Christine Rio, who has turned an old palace in Marrakech’s medina into one of the city’s warmest, most romantic, and cozy restaurants where anyone would love to dine.
The antique palace’s rooms are open, creating a vast and comfortable space. The floor is covered with red Moroccan carpets. The lights are soft, adding to the cozy atmosphere, and the walls are decorated with beautiful paintings and artwork.
Le Tobsil’s menu is rich and varied. A five-course meal will come to your table by the angelic hands of chef Fatima Mountassamim. The meals consist of Moroccan salads; savory pastries such as bastilla made with pigeon, fish, or vegetables; tagines of roast lamb; fruit dishes; and dessert pastries. Traditional music also accompanies the meals.
Read also: 10 Most Delicious Moroccan Foods
L’ibzar
Assia Kabous is the Moroccan chef and owner of L’ibzar. A woman in a largely male-dominated industry, she has made the unique restaurant a place for Moroccans and tourists to enjoy local cuisine in an intimate, traditional-modern-blend atmosphere.
L’ibzar is classy and elegant with stylish furniture. Its walls are decorated with paintings and artwork that give it a relaxed, sophisticated, Moroccan ambiance. It is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner or a meal with friends and family.
The restaurant’s cuisine is rich with traditional Moroccan dishes and unique flavors. Here you can find the typical Moroccan tajines, or other special dishes such as chaaria medfouna, a spiced chicken buried in steamed vermicelli noodles.
L’ibzar also offers cooking classes. The chef herself gives lessons to food lovers on how to cook a traditional Moroccan dish while using senses of smell and touch.
Read also: The Tacos of Morocco: Food Without a Nation
Jemaa el-Fna stalls
We can’t talk about dining in Marrakech without mentioning the famous and massive open-air “restaurant” that is created at night by Jemaa el-Fna food stalls.
The over 50 food stalls in Jemaa el-Fna are all licensed to cook and sell a wide variety of foods, from grilled meat, fried fish, and snails to traditional Moroccan foods such as harrira, tajines, and couscous. Each stall has its own specialty.
There is no stall with the “best” dishes. Each is unique and has its own way of cooking and serving. However, the most recommended stalls by locals and visitors are stalls 1, 31, and 93 for grilled food, and stall 14 for seafood and fresh salads. You can also observe where the locals gravitate and make your choice based on their well-developed knowledge.
The process of walking around the stalls occurs under enchanting lights that make Jemaa el-Fna special. You can find the perfect stall for your taste while listening to musicians performing a variety of Moroccan music, such as Amazigh, Arabic, and gnaoua. This will make the eating experience even more delightful and exciting.
The exquisite red city of Marrakech is a travel destination for many visitors to Morocco. Known for its high Atlas Mountain views and radiant ancient medina, filled with antique palaces, souks, and Jemaa el-Fna performers, it is a favorite destination for tourists.
The enchanting city is also one of the best locations to experience the perfect Moroccan meal. However, choosing where to eat in a completely new environment can be a little challenging.
These restaurants in Marrakech are the place to be for traditional cuisine or fun fusion meals in a welcoming and warm Moroccan environment.
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