233 Best Restaurants in Morocco

The tables at this Italian spot are tightly packed around the pool area and reservations are recommended as the evenings attract Instagram-obsessed diners. Tapas and predinner drinks can be enjoyed in the lush terrace bar, with jungle foliage in danger of dipping into your aperitif and background music courtesy of the resident pianist. Alcohol is served.

This great-value restaurant, with its carved-wood chairs, colorful banquettes, and bare stone walls, is one of the top choices in town for Moroccan dishes full of home-cooked flavor. House specialties include regional favorites such as bissara (fava bean soup) and hearty tagines, as well as plenty of options for vegetarians. If you're with a group, you can order lots of dishes and share them, family-style. 

This chic eatery, formerly Le P'tit Dôme (and still sometimes referred to as such), offers an impressive menu of Moroccan specialties and local seafood, with a large Moroccan and French wine list—champagne included—to boot. Sit on the terrace or in the black-and-white dining room. All bread is freshly baked on the premises.

This place prides itself on fine wines, treating customers to a fantastic range of options from France and beyond. There's a proper bistro ambience in the dining area, which offers reasonable prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner, while the mezzanine bar serves French-style tapas, including a very respectable cheese board.

This family-run and family-friendly eatery at the edge of Guéliz serves up tasty homemade French-style tarts and quiches, along with daily specials such as moussaka with salad. On Thursday the house special is English-style fish-and-chips, which are possibly the best in town. The French owners, Axel and Charlotte, are both delightful and you'll soon feel like part of the family. Fresh juices, and homemade cakes and desserts such as strawberry gâteau and lemon-meringue pie, are served in huge portions.

It's cash only and there's no alcohol.

Having hung up his sheshe (turban) after years of guiding tourists through the desert, Mustapha el Mekki has established one of the most popular eateries in Zagora. It serves regional specialties such as tagine de mariage (a slow-cooked casserole of beef with apricots, prunes, and almonds) and a Drâa Valley vegetable soup. There's a sidewalk terrace café and spacious, cool interior with Amazigh motifs carved into the walls. You can bring your own wine or beer. You can also combine lunch with a wander around the old Mellah of Amzerou.

To the south of the square, this is a top choice for catching the sunset, but you'll have to compete for elbow room with all the amateur photographers who throng the best spot. Service is slow and soft drinks overpriced—but that's not unexpected for this bird's-eye view. 

There's a bit of everything at this multilevel space, starting with a buzzy bar area on the ground floor that serves wine and tapas and is popular with the after-work crowd. Head upstairs for dinner at the restaurant, which has a French-inspired menu that's known for its market-fresh produce and excellent steaks. Later in the evening the music gets louder, with a DJ or live performers, and the atmosphere really gets going. There's a sports screen, too, for major events.

Le Loft is popular for its chic setting and bistro menu of steaks, giant Caesar salads, pasta dishes, and various vegetarian options. Bentwood chairs, cushioned booths, bare brick walls, suspended industrial lighting, and huge pop-art prints give a funky, modern vibe. The fixed-price two-course lunch menu is a good value at 150 DH.

With zellij walls, painted cedar ceilings, and white tile floors, this old palace serves up reliable Moroccan cuisine to mostly a non-Moroccan clientele. You can choose from the à la carte menu or one of the set menus, which begin at 280 DH. However, it's the views over Djemâa el Fna's nightly 'circus' that are the main draw; reserve in advance for a table on the top floor with a panoramic view of the square. Indoors there's a floor show with belly dancers thrown in (nightly around 9 pm). Service can be surly, and prices are rather high, but alcohol is served.

Often overlooked in favor of the smaller, lounge-style restaurants farther along the street, Le Mogadorien has a similar menu but a lot more style, with decor that reflects Essaouira's Amazigh, Arab, Jewish, and Christian heritage and gives you a choice of low-slung Moroccan salon seats or regular chairs and tables. Chef Najiba prepares a range of Moroccan classics and local seafood. The vegetarian tagine features no less than eight vegetables; ask for it with tfaya (caramelized onions and raisins) for an authentic twist.

Moroccan cooking comes with a twist at this French-run restaurant; for example, fish tagines are made with pears, apples, or prunes. The small tables are set around a large, starry lantern, and the deep-red walls, white muslin, and candles create a romantic atmosphere, although it's a little too dark for gazing into each other's eyes. There is a decent list of local wines.

If you're looking for genuine local food, Le Petit Beur (aka Dar Tagine) has it all: couscous, brochettes, tagines, and harira (a chickpea-based soup with vegetables and meat) served in a friendly, casual setting. The pretty tiled walls and painted ceilings add a further level of authenticity.

This sister-run restaurant serves up Moroccan classics like pastille, couscous, and tagine, plus plenty of grilled fish In the evenings, there's also live music. Whether you're traveling alone or with company, it's easy to feel comfortable in this cozy space and the friendly staff will make you feel right at home. 

Need a break from couscous? This chain of French restaurants provides some of the best traditional cuisine in town. Le Relais de Paris offers a prix-fixe and à la carte menu in a relaxing atmosphere overlooking Mt. Zerhoun and a lovely garden. Gastronomic delights on offer include classic steak frites, braised lamb, eggplant-and-goat-cheese lasagna, and addictive chocolate profiteroles.

This stylish restaurant is a good bet for a special night out, with traditional Moroccan cuisine and live acoustic North African and Arabian music. Try the tanjia, a traditional, slow-cooked meat dish specific to Marrakesh. The three-tiered restaurant is centered on a rose-filled fountain of the inner patio where the musicians play from early evening. The covered terrace overlooking a busy souk is the perfect spot for lunch (order one of the Moroccan salads) or dinner and a glass of wine while marveling at the shimmying belly dancers. 

Compact and colorful, this convivial café-restaurant occupies a superb spot on one of the medina’s main streets. Try their take on Moroccan tabbouleh made with couscous or get a merguez (spicy sausage) pizza to go. Or grab one of the outdoor tables, perfect for people-watching over an avocado milk shake, caramel iced coffee, or homemade rosemary lemonade. 

At the edge of Agadir's trendy Marina district, Les Blancs is a shiny, white, modernist retreat serving colorful Spanish paellas, including black squid ink rice, green rice with veggies, and red king prawns. In addition to the contemporary indoor dining room, an informal bar-cum-restaurant with boardwalk-style flooring and huge windows overlooks the bay, as does the outdoor terrace with woven seagrass umbrellas. 

Hidden at the edge of the Harti Gardens, this French-owned restaurant is a great value, with an excellent fixed-price menu, as well as an à la carte menu and self-serve buffet. The buffet has lots of vegetarian choices, including tortillas, stuffed vine leaves, and pasta salads, but it does runs out quickly. Carnivores won't go hungry either with à la carte main dishes including steaks, seafood, roasted duck, and Thai wok variations. Entering the gateway to Les Jardins de Guéliz feels like discovering a secret garden—which, in effect, it is. Backing directly on to the El Harti Gardens, the wooden door in the external wall leads to a bright and colorful restaurant with a light, airy conservatory and pretty gardens—perfect for a family lunch. It's both pocket-friendly and child-friendly, with outdoor tables on a shaded terrace and a couple of turtles patrolling the grounds. Alcohol is served.

Helmed by Mexican-Canadian chef Clarisse Jolicœur, this restaurant offers gussied up versions of comfort food like lobster beignets and burrata-herb spaghetti. If you're craving tacos, try what's proudly touted on the menu as "Clarisse's famous shrimp tacos." They're the best in town. During the day, Les Jardins Du Lotus is laid-back and perfect for a leisurely lunch. By night, there's a DJ and a more festive crowd that's keen on sampling as many cocktails as tacos.

This top-of-the-line patisserie has a spectacular array of cakes, tarts, macarons, and cookies that you can take away in a box or enjoy on the spot. A pleasing array of chairs and couches inside and out makes this a very pleasant spot for coffee and a sweet treat. 

Cozy and chic, this café and restaurant offers a small seasonal menu of fresh local produce and seafood, and a few surprises such as a mille-feuille of eggplant and goat cheese. After your meal, try a spiced coffee or Amazigh tea.

Behind a small blue door in an unusually buttressed wall, this quaint restaurant welcomes diners with a fig tree–shaded courtyard (hence the name) and Moroccan dishes, including a goat tagine, spiced chicken, beef brochettes, couscous, and pastilla. The menu changes regularly, as everything is freshly made. This can take some time, so don't be in a hurry.

Homecooked Italian meets authentic Moroccan at this bright and breezy restaurant, with showstopping views over the medina and the Corniche from the three terraces, especially at sunset. Tuck into generous portions of freshly made pasta (the owner hails from Italy): perhaps gnocchi with pesto or tagliatelle with shrimps, and creative salads. And don’t miss the tiramisu.

After a morning pounding the medina alleyways, this cute and contemporary café on the Talaa Kbira is the perfect place to take a break with a fresh juice or mint tea, malawi (Moroccan pancakes), or a more substantial tagine. The chocolate mousse comes highly recommended.

Casablanca’s adored Thai restaurant is frequented by a rather affluent clientele. Set in a renovated villa, it’s booked up most nights thanks to its authentic Asian menu. There’s also a fabulous bar and a gorgeous garden, although sadly there are no tables outside. Occasionally, musicians are brought in for some live music, and it's worth checking Mai Thai's Facebook page for happy hour info.

This lovely, small café caters to vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners as well as meat-eaters, with options that range from Moroccan classics like harira soup and vegetarian couscous to fusion dishes such as a tabbouleh couscous or falafel sandwiches with taktouka, a cooked salad of tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, toasted paprika, and olive oil. Fill your stomach and then book in for a henna tattoo if it's on your Marrakesh wishlist—the henna here is 100% safe and organic. 

This Japanese franchise has restaurants in various Moroccan cities and is known throughout the country for its high-quality food. The Rabat branch is large and airy, with a relaxed vibe, a nonsmoking section, and a sushi conveyor belt with combos available. The selection of fish is always fresh, and the staff are helpful. Alcohol is available.

For a quick snack, head to this no-nonsense tapas bar near La Plaza Nuestra Señora de Africa. Try the insalata russo (a Spanish take on the Russian Salade Olivier), a Spanish tortilla (a mix between an omelet and potato pancake), or some Serrano ham with bread.

Tucked into a side street off the so-called Spice Square in the souks, Nomad has become a local favorite for modern Moroccan cuisine in a quirky outdoor setting, with cushioned benches and festoons of woven lanterns that light up in the evenings. The menu offers takes on traditional Moroccan dishes as well as lighter options such as a lentil salad with goat cheese and peppermint vinaigrette. The desserts are especially delicious.