Food · Marrakech · Morocco
What to eat in Marrakech
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Marrakech, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Boris Macek, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Tagine, Tanjia marrakchia and Couscous. From late afternoon, rows of numbered grill stalls set up benches in the square, serving grilled meats, fried fish, sausages, salads and harira. When sharing from a communal dish, eat with your right hand and use bread to scoop.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Tagine
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Leave about 10% in restaurants and small tips for porters, riad staff, guides and…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Tagine
Slow-cooked stews named after the conical clay pot they are cooked in: chicken with preserved lemon and olives, beef with prunes and almonds, or lamb with artichokes and peas.
Where: Every restaurant and café; small places around the souks serve simple versions at lunchtime.
Dish
2.Tanjia marrakchia
Marrakech's own speciality: beef or lamb with preserved lemon, cumin and saffron sealed in a tall clay urn and slow-cooked for hours in the embers of a hammam furnace.
Where: Tanjia stalls in the souks near Jemaa el-Fnaa and some riad restaurants, which may ask you to order ahead.
Dish
3.Couscous
Steamed semolina topped with vegetables and meat in a light broth, traditionally the family lunch on Fridays after midday prayers.
Where: Restaurants and home-style cafés, especially on Fridays.
Dish
4.Harira
A tomato, lentil and chickpea soup with herbs and a little meat, eaten with dates to break the fast during Ramadan and served all year at cheap cafés.
Where: Food stalls in Jemaa el-Fnaa and small cafés in the medina.
Dish
5.Pastilla
A flaky pie of paper-thin warqa pastry layered with spiced pigeon or chicken, almonds and egg, dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar; seafood versions are also common.
Where: Riad restaurants and traditional dining rooms, often as a starter.
Dish
6.Mechoui
Whole lamb slow-roasted in an underground pit oven until it falls apart, sold by weight and eaten with bread, cumin and salt.
Where: The row of mechoui stalls off the north-east corner of Jemaa el-Fnaa, often called Mechoui Alley, at lunchtime.
Street food
7.Snail soup (Babbouche)
Small snails simmered in a broth spiced with aniseed, thyme and other herbs, sold by the bowl and believed locally to aid digestion.
Where: Snail carts in Jemaa el-Fnaa, especially in the cooler months.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
8.Msemen and baghrir
Msemen are square, layered pan-fried flatbreads, and baghrir are spongy semolina pancakes full of tiny holes; both are eaten with honey and butter or amlou.
Where: Riad breakfasts and street griddles in the medina in the morning.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Mint tea (Atay)
Green tea brewed with fresh mint and plenty of sugar, poured from a height to raise a foam and offered as a sign of hospitality in homes, shops and riads.
Where: Everywhere, from rooftop cafés to carpet shops; ask for it 'bla sukar' if you want it without sugar.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Fresh orange juice
Morocco grows abundant oranges, and a glass of freshly squeezed juice is one of the city's simplest pleasures.
Where: The numbered juice carts lining Jemaa el-Fnaa; ask for it squeezed in front of you, without added water or ice.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Moroccan pastries
Kaab el ghzal (gazelle horns) filled with almond paste and orange-flower water, honey-soaked chebakia and sesame-studded biscuits, best with mint tea.
Where: Pâtisseries in Gueliz and the medina, and stacked trays in the souks.
Snack · Vegetarian
12.Amlou
A thick spread of roasted almonds, argan oil and honey from the Souss region, eaten on bread or pancakes at breakfast.
Where: Riad breakfasts, argan shops and spice stalls in the souks.
Food experiences
Jemaa el-Fnaa food stalls
From late afternoon, rows of numbered grill stalls set up benches in the square, serving grilled meats, fried fish, sausages, salads and harira. Choose busy stalls with a high turnover.
Cooking class
Many riads and cooking schools run half-day classes that start with shopping in the market and end with a tagine, salads and bread you have made yourself.
Rooftop dinner
Rooftop restaurants around the medina serve tagines and couscous with views of the Koutoubia minaret lit up at night.
Street-food tour
Guided evening food walks through the medina introduce tanjia, mechoui, msemen and snail soup at stalls you might not try alone.
Quick bites and street food
- Snail soup — Snail carts in Jemaa el-Fnaa, especially in the cooler months.
- Msemen and baghrir — Riad breakfasts and street griddles in the medina in the morning.
- Amlou — Riad breakfasts, argan shops and spice stalls in the souks.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Msemen and baghrir, Mint tea, Fresh orange juice, Moroccan pastries and Amlou. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- When sharing from a communal dish, eat with your right hand and use bread to scoop.
- Alcohol is served mainly in hotels, licensed restaurants and bars in Gueliz and Hivernage, not in most medina cafés.
- During Ramadan many local cafés close by day; tourist restaurants stay open, and sunset iftar is a lively time to eat.
- Agree prices before ordering at stalls without menus, and check the bill for items you didn't order.
- If you have a sensitive stomach, stick to bottled water and freshly cooked or peeled food.
Tipping
Leave about 10% in restaurants and small tips for porters, riad staff, guides and drivers; keep small coins for musicians, parking attendants and toilet attendants.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salam alaikum | Hello (peace be upon you) |
| Shukran | Thank you |
| La, shukran | No, thank you |
| Bshhal? | How much? |
| Safi | OK / that's enough |
| Inshallah | God willing |
| Bslama | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Marrakech famous for?
Tagine, Tanjia marrakchia, Couscous and Harira. Slow-cooked stews named after the conical clay pot they are cooked in: chicken with preserved lemon and olives, beef with prunes and almonds, or lamb with artichokes and peas.
+Is Marrakech good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Msemen and baghrir, Mint tea and Fresh orange juice.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Marrakech?
Leave about 10% in restaurants and small tips for porters, riad staff, guides and drivers; keep small coins for musicians, parking attendants and toilet attendants.