233 Best Restaurants in Morocco

This upscale Spanish tapas restaurant is a favorite among residents and always abuzz with diners and drinkers---which makes it a great place to meet true Casablancans. Products are local and fish is supplied daily, with typical options including calamari and patatas bravas; for those missing pork, there’s even real chorizo and jamón, all accompanied by a selection of wines and beers. 

Perennially popular, this homey Italian spot has a good selection of salads, pasta, and pizzas at prices that make them a fabulous value. Alcohol is served, and at reasonable prices for this part of town. 

Open for lunch and dinner, this laid-back restaurant is difficult to find but well worth the search. Abdou himself, a rare and well-loved Tangier personality, serves up some of the freshest fish, simplest salads, and most perfect paella in the area. You can choose to sit indoors or at a table in the sandy maze of colorful and leafy outdoor spaces that lead out to a fine sandy beach sprinkled with tiny shells and beach umbrellas for hire. The best dishes here are the simply prepared fresh seafood plates. Take the first right about 30 feet after the rotary that puts you on Route de Rabat (N1) and at the near end of the Diplomatic Forest. If you see the Club de Tir, you've gone too far.

This small but clean café and guesthouse is next door to the Kasbah Telouet parking lot and Ahmed, the owner, is very knowledgeable of Glaoui history and can organize tours of the surrounding area. He is also happy to sit and chat as well as feed you well for around 70 DH.

If you do not wish to take a tour, politely make this known toward the beginning of your conversation.

Founded in 1928 as the town’s first store, gas station, post office, telephone booth, dance hall, and restaurant, Dimitri's is the fun and lively heart of Ouarzazate, and the food—mostly Moroccan, some pasta dishes—is invariably good. The owners are friendly and helpful, and the signed photographs of legendary movie stars on the walls are sometimes enhanced by real stars at the next table.

For sophisticated dining in Oukaïmeden, you’ll instantly appreciate Juju’s yesteryear feel, modeled after alpine-style accommodations. The restaurant has been operating for more than 60 years and serves distinctly French dishes such as cassoulet and tartiflette (a potato, cheese, and onion gratin), alongside some Moroccan choices like tagines. There’s a bar, too.

Slightly more elegant than its hole-in-the-wall branch in the souks, Chez Lamine has a reputation for the best mechoui (whole roasted lamb) in town and couscous on Friday. Its street-side tables in Guéliz are regularly filled with Moroccan families on Friday and weekends; there's also inside seating. Apart from mouthwatering tagines, try the restaurant's other specialty, tangia marrakchia (lamb cooked very slowly for hours in earthenware jars). No alcohol.

Although the row of severed lambs' heads out front may not be everyone's idea of culinary heaven, Marrakshis love Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha, and you'd be missing out not to try it. English TV chef Jamie Oliver chose this spit-and-sawdust street restaurant in a filming trip for a gutsy example of Moroccan roast lamb specialty, mechoui—it's served as a simple sandwich or as a laden plateful priced by weight.

This is a good, convivial place to enjoy a drink or a snack, with the added bonus of first-rate people-watching at the top of one of the medina’s busiest thoroughfares. Thami’s has expanded over the years from a single table and four chairs under the shade of a mulberry tree to a full-fledged restaurant. What hasn’t changed is the friendly service and the cheap and cheerful dishes on offer, from hearty bowls of harira to popular tagines. 

This spacious café has plenty of outdoor seating, as well as shaded areas that are peaceful for dining alone or in a large group. The extensive menu has everything from tajines and couscous to pastas and pizza. Some items are overpriced, but it's to be expected in an establishment like this that caters to tourists. The atmosphere and service is better than you'll find in the other cafés in this area.

Snazzy, jazzy, and a little razamatazzy, Le Comptoir is a fusion of bar, club, and restaurant that's been a nighttime draw for hip Marrakshis and visitors since the turn of the 21st century. The restaurant serves Moroccan, international, and Asian dishes; it's expensive, but the main attraction isn't the food, it's the trendy atmosphere and free entertainment---live musicians, belly-dance cabaret (starting at 10:30 pm), and an upstairs DJ spinning chilled-out world-music vibes until 3 am. There's a small dance floor for those who want to swirl to the tunes.

An airy 16th-century riad turned café turned library turned art gallery, Dar Cherifa is wonderful spot to take a break from shopping for a pot of mint tea. They also have occasional cultural evenings, including poetry readings, traditional music, and storytelling. 

They say the best Moroccan food is served at home, and Dar Hatim is the next-best thing. In the convivial, exquisitely tiled dining room of this family home-turned-restaurant, you can choose from three three-course set menus of traditional Moroccan dishes. Vegetarians can be catered to as well. It's tucked away in a corner of the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter of the medina, and they will escort you from your lodgings. 

You can dine on delicious adaptations of traditional dishes---such as tiny melt-in-the-mouth pastilla (sweet pigeon pie) filled with a vegetable puree---at this lovely restaurant with a reputation for nouvelle cuisine marocaine. Andalusian lutes and Gnaoua music accompany dinner, which is a fixed five-course tasting menu at 650 DH; lunch is à la carte, with a limited menu for children. Alcohol is served.

Come hungry for the five-course traditional Moroccan feast served at this restaurant located deep in the medina. Aperitifs are taken on the rooftop, which has stunning panoramic views of the Koutoubia Mosque, and then you can choose to dine beside the pool on the lanterned terrace, in a vaulted upstairs room, or in the lush, cushion-filled main salon. Dinner, including drinks, costs 700 DH and courteous, discreet waiters in white djellabas and red fezzes scurry about to fulfill your every need. This is an exotic experience in a magical setting.

Building up from the base of an old pisé (mud-built) home alongside the Kasbah Touarirt, this douyria, or "small house," marries tradition with contemporary flair. There are two Moroccan salon-style dining areas, with bold color schemes of lilac and lime, and the creative menu offers an interesting selection of starters and mains; if you're willing to go with something exotic, try goat cooked in argan oil and sesame, or camel tagine with figs and almonds. The small terrace has wonderful views toward the lake at Ouarzazate. Actor Sir Ben Kingsley is a fan, as the guestbook will testify. Alcohol is served.

Vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners may feel unloved in Marrakesh until they get to Earth Café, where they rule the roost. Generous portions are served all day at this wholesome little eatery that's tucked into a side alley near the main square. As you walk through to the seating areas out back you'll be tempted by the aromas swirling up from the open kitchen. Up the winding narrow stairs are cushioned seating alcoves with orange-painted walls and a balcony hung with tropical plants. A beetroot, ginger, and orange juice cocktail will perk you up, or try a satisfying flaky pastry stuffed with goat cheese, pumpkin, spinach, and apple. The only downside is that there isn't an open roof terrace, and as such it gets hot and rather claustrophobic. No alcohol is served, and it's cash only.

Dining under the stars in this Andalusian-style, gardenlike oasis is a delight, surrounded by citrus trees and next to a twinkling fountain, or eat inside the Art Deco–influenced dining room. The chefs take traditional recipes and give them a contemporary presentation, creating a three-course dinner using seasonal produce from the market, a five-course wine-tasting menu for groups, and a lighter tapas menu that can be eaten on the rooftop terrace. They also have an à la carte lunch menu: think Moroccan salads and tagines. 

Between Skhirat and Bouznika, this excellent place to eat, drink, and disconnect serves an excellent menu of mostly fish-based options, with salads and proper desserts thrown in. The location is fabulous—right on the beach, with two pools, and areas for eating and relaxing separated by rustic bamboo canes. There’s a beach volleyball area, a petanque ground and a surf school, too. The atmosphere is gentle; families, surfers, sporty types, and sun lovers will all be at home here. There are DJs and often live music as the sun sets. Alcohol is served. Note that while it's officially only open from April to November, groups can (and often do) reserve off-season.

Located within the Minzah Hotel, El Korsan serves traditional Moroccan cuisine in sumptuous style. Specialties include succulent mechoui (roasted lamb or mutton) and slow-cooked tagines, often served to a soundtrack of Andalusian music. The service is attentive, and the decor is classic Moroccan opulence.

Just when you thought you couldn't get Yorkshire pudding in Morocco, you come across this street-side bar, café, and restaurant. You can also get a full English breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs, and beans, and, of course, fish-and-chips. British soccer games and other major sports events are broadcast on 20 television screens; there are also pool tables and nightly karaoke. British and international beers are served in pints alongside a range of wines and spirits.

The sleek café-restaurant of renowned French pastry chef Eric Kayser serves up an array of French goodies such as baguettes, melt-in-your-mouth croissants, pain au chocolat, mille-feuille, and choux buns. Marvel at the elaborate displays, then grab a decadent cake and a coffee, relax, and people-watch.

In the heart of the medina, the open kitchen of this chilled café-restaurant creates Moroccan flavors and Mediterranean-inspired dishes that make the most of seasonal ingredients. Go for the tapas dishes, such as aubergine fritters, or a more substantial main, perhaps marinated lamb chops. There’s a spacious, plant-filled patio but try to bag a table on the roof terrace and don’t miss the lavender lemonade or refreshing iced mint tea.

The menu at the English-owned Gastro MK features exceptionally fine modern-Moroccan cuisine. The menu is a balance of Moroccan and European influences aiming to be light and subtle to tempt those who are "tagined out'"; dishes include cauliflower couscous with raisins and capers or a deconstructed tagine of beef fillet with herb mash and zucchini. A five-course tasting menu (650 DH per person) is available upon request. Complimentary canapés are served 30 minutes before dinner and after-dinner digestifs, cigars, or sheesha pipes can be requested. Arrive early for pre-dinner cocktails on the gorgeous terrace.

The Gastro MK is in such high demand that advance bookings and payment of a deposit are essential.

Come here for the best coffee and the best ice cream in town; its location on the main square is also great for people-watching. Pick a shady seat on the inside of the terrace under a parasol to avoid the passing street hawkers.

If you need a break from tagines, Golden China is just the place. The red-and-gold decor, dark wood furniture, and softly played Asian music sets the tone, while the authentic menu offers a wide variety of poultry, seafood, meat, vegetarian, and noodle dishes. Alcohol is available. 

Front-row seating can be had at the pavement tables of this café smack bang in the middle of the Petit Socco. It's a good place to catch your breath with a coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice as you watch an intriguing cast of characters wander past.

This fabled café has been gracing a corner of the buzzy Place de France since 1927, and its brown leather seats, wood paneling, and mirrors galore will make you feel like you're back in the 1950s with William Burroughs (he wrote here) or in The Bourne Ultimatum (a scene was filmed here). The terrace is the perfect place to watch the world go by over an orange juice or café au lait.

Since 1920 this Larache landmark has occupied a prime spot on the main square. Inside, it's all Art Deco splendor with towering columns, gilded chandeliers, and a grand piano; or you can grab a terrace table, perfect for people-watching over a breakfast of French or Moroccan pastries and perhaps a pizza in the evening.