8 Best Restaurants in The Great Oasis Valleys, Morocco

You can't travel all the way to the desert and not try medfouna, a dish that's also known as "Berber pizza."  Although traditionally baked in the Sahara sands, medfouna (which is really more like a savory pie that's cut into slices) can now be found in cafés across this region. One of the most popular is Restaurant Nora, which caters to tourists and even offers a vegetarian version of its traditional dish. Everything is made fresh, so be prepared to wait for your order. It's worth it. 

Located at the edge of town as you arrive from the direction of Ouarzazate, this terrace café with easy parking outside is a good place to stop for lunch or a drink. It serves hearty tagines, brochettes, salads, and other snacks.

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.

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.

Upon entering, you’re greeted by a wall of lanterns reflected in a central pool, and meals are served in six intimate areas, each with a different decorative scheme (imagine an Amazigh salon or a patio with tables on terraces surrounded by water). The food is imaginative, mixing French-Moroccan influences. Fine cuisine and a magical setting combine to make dining at La Kasbah des Sables a special event.

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.

If you've got time to relax in Ouarzazate, there's no place better for people-watching than the terrace of Patisserie Habouss. Locals and visitors can be found indulging in its famous homemade cake or honey-soaked Moroccan pastries accompanied by cinnamon coffee or freshly squeezed fruit juice. As the sun sinks, witness the sleepy Place el Mouahidine transform into a busy evening marketplace. A small restaurant on the upper terrace of the café serves regional food at very reasonable prices.

If you're craving pizza, try this tourist-friendly spot just opposite the gas station as you enter Erfoud from the direction of Errachidia. It serves standard pies plus a local variation on the theme called madfouna tafilalt (aka Amazigh pizza), which is a baked flatbread stuffed with meat. Tagines and pastillas are also available. Dine in or take a seat on the terrace.