Food · Casablanca · Morocco
What to eat in Casablanca
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Casablanca, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chah.salah, CC0
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Quick answer
Start with Grilled sardines, Oualidia oysters and Seafood pastilla. Pick fish and shellfish from the stalls at Marché Central or the port fish market and have them grilled at a nearby counter. Alcohol is available in many restaurants, bars and hotels in the centre, Gauthier and Ain Diab, but not in traditional cafés.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Grilled sardines
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Around 10% in restaurants, a few dirhams for café service, and small tips for porters…
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Grilled sardines
Fresh Atlantic sardines, often stuffed with chermoula of herbs, garlic and spices, grilled over charcoal and eaten with bread and tomato salad.
Where: Small grills around the port and Marché Central, and fish restaurants along the Corniche.
Dish
2.Oualidia oysters
Oysters farmed in the lagoon at Oualidia, south down the coast, are served raw with lemon at very reasonable prices.
Where: Seafood counters at Marché Central and Corniche fish restaurants.
Dish
3.Seafood pastilla
A savoury coastal take on pastilla: crisp warqa pastry filled with prawns, fish, squid and vermicelli in a spiced sauce.
Where: Moroccan restaurants in the centre, Habous and along the Corniche.
Dish
4.Couscous
Steamed semolina topped with seven vegetables and meat, served as the Friday family meal across Morocco.
Where: Restaurants and riads, with many local places serving it on Fridays.
Dish
5.Harira
A filling tomato, lentil and chickpea soup with fresh herbs, eaten year-round and as the dish that breaks the fast during Ramadan.
Where: Simple cafés and soup stalls, especially in the old medina and Habous.
Street food · Vegetarian
6.Maakouda
Spiced mashed-potato fritters, served hot in a half baguette with harissa or alongside tagines.
Where: Sandwich stalls around the old medina and in Maarif.
Street food
7.Snail soup (Babbouche)
Small snails simmered in a broth of herbs and spices such as thyme, aniseed and liquorice root, sold by the bowl in winter evenings and believed to aid digestion.
Where: Street carts in the old medina and around markets, mainly in the evenings.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
8.Msemen
Flaky square pancakes folded with butter, served warm with honey or stuffed with onions and spices.
Where: Breakfast stalls and cafés across the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Moroccan pastries
Cornes de gazelle (kaab el ghazal) filled with almond paste and orange-flower water, fekkas biscuits and honey-dipped chebakia.
Where: Long-established pastry shops in the Quartier Habous.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Mint tea (Atay)
Green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and sugar, poured from a height; Casablanca's pavement cafés serve it alongside espresso and nous-nous, a half-milk coffee.
Where: Pavement cafés on every boulevard.
Food experiences
Choose-your-fish lunch
Pick fish and shellfish from the stalls at Marché Central or the port fish market and have them grilled at a nearby counter.
Café culture
Casablanca's pavement cafés, with chairs facing the street, are where the city meets; order a nous-nous coffee and watch the boulevard.
Habous pastry stop
Sample cornes de gazelle and other almond pastries in the Quartier Habous, then wander the arcaded souqs.
Quick bites and street food
- Maakouda — Sandwich stalls around the old medina and in Maarif.
- Snail soup — Street carts in the old medina and around markets, mainly in the evenings.
- Msemen — Breakfast stalls and cafés across the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Maakouda, Msemen, Moroccan pastries and Mint tea. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Alcohol is available in many restaurants, bars and hotels in the centre, Gauthier and Ain Diab, but not in traditional cafés.
- Lunch is often the main meal, and dinner starts from about 8pm.
- During Ramadan, many cafés close in the daytime and the city comes alive after sunset.
- Fish restaurants price some seafood by weight; confirm the price before it is cooked.
- A tip of around 10% is appreciated in sit-down restaurants.
Tipping
Around 10% in restaurants, a few dirhams for café service, and small tips for porters, parking attendants and guides.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salam | Hello |
| Shukran / Merci | Thank you |
| La, shukran | No, thank you |
| Bshhal? | How much? |
| Bonjour | Good morning / hello (French) |
| Bslama | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Casablanca famous for?
Grilled sardines, Oualidia oysters, Seafood pastilla and Couscous. Fresh Atlantic sardines, often stuffed with chermoula of herbs, garlic and spices, grilled over charcoal and eaten with bread and tomato salad.
+Is Casablanca good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Maakouda, Msemen and Moroccan pastries.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Casablanca?
Around 10% in restaurants, a few dirhams for café service, and small tips for porters, parking attendants and guides.