As you know if you’ve read my Things to Do in Marrakech post, I have a lot of thoughts about Morocco. Which is why I promised a few more posts. So today I want to share with you all where to eat in Marrakech.
I was super excited when we went to Marrakech because I didn’t have a lot of experience with Moroccan food. Growing up in the States, there really weren’t any Moroccan restaurants that I ever experienced. I did some menu research before we left to get an idea of what we would be eating, and it all looked so delicious to me!
One of the most well-known dishes is the tajine – slow cooked stews of meat/fish/veggies, fruit, and spices named for the clay pot they are cooked in. Spices used in Moroccan cooking include cumin, paprika, cinnamon, tumeric and saffron. If that doesn’t sound delicious to you, you might want to pack some snacks. I had tajine for 90% of my meals, and when I tried something else it was always very similar (think the same vegetables from the tajine over couscous instead of with bread).
Jon and I tried out several restaurants, including the most well-known three – Le Jardin, Cafe des Epices, and Nomad, which are all owned by the same people. We also did a culinary biking tour, which took us to some very local (and potentially very sketchy) spots. I feel like we got a really good sense of the food, so I’m happy to share my thoughts on where to eat in Marrakech below.
I’d love to know if you had any of the same or different opinions! Food can always be so subjective and dependant on the situation. Let me know what you think below.
Xx, Kelsey
NOMAD – THE SUNSET SPOT
Nomad was the first restaurant that we tried our first night in Marrakech. I’d seen lots of pictures of this spot on Instagram (of course), so I booked us a reservation during sunest. I really wanted to see the sun go down from the rooftop terrace, and it did not disappoint. As the strings of lights began to turn on, multiple people stood up to capture a shot of the gorgeous sky – myself included.
As far as the food went, it was good but not fantastic. I had the Veggie Pastilla and Roasted Cauliflower, and Jon had the Nomad Couscous. Both were good. I have no complaints, but some of the restaurants we ate at later made Nomad seem unexciting. The one thing I did love was the Moroccan Affogato for dessert. I can’t believe I’ve never had espresso over ice cream, but that was a life-changing experience! I’m not sure if it was particularly good at Nomad because I have nothing to compare it to, but that was one of my favorite things I ate on the trip.
CAFE DES EPICES – THE BEST FOOD
I think Jon and I went to Cafe des Epices three times in total. The food was just THAT good and super affordable. Nomad is a little pricier, so if I were between the two, I’d go to Cafe des Epices. The view isn’t nearly as good, and the seats are a bit uncomfortable, but the food is amazing. I had the Vegetable Tajine every time we went and was never disappointed. I also had the Harira Soup a few times. It’s so tasty! I think Jon had the Chicken Tajine with Caramelized Pear each time. I haven’t been eating meat, but if Jon said it was really good, I’m sure it was.
The only downside to Cafe des Epices for me was the dessert. I couldn’t find anything I really liked. Jon enjoyed the Pistachio Brownie a lot. I tried the Bahaoua and Moroccan Pasteries. I enjoyed them but wasn’t as crazy about them as I was about the Affogatto at Nomad. Even so, this restaurants is my number one recommendation for where to eat in Marrakech, hands down.
LE JARDIN – BEST ATMOSPHERE
We visited Le Jardin twice, once for dinner and once for lunch. It can be a bit hard to find, since it’s just a door in the wall. We used offline Google maps and didn’t have any issue finding it, though. I want to preface this restaurant by telling you that Jon got salmonella when we got home, and we’re pretty sure that it was from here. The food was very good, but Jon made a comment about some of the chicken looking under cooked and ended up super sick when we got back.
The restaurant is set in a beautiful green courtyard with tons of trees and plants growing everywhere. You really do feel like you’re having lunch in a garden – because you are! For dinner we were sat right next to a cage with two parakeets in it. They were so funny jumping on their swing and fun to watch while we waited for our food. The atmosphere at dinner is very dark and romantic. We ate entirely by candlelight, which was nice except that made it really hard for Jon to tell if his food was under cooked until it was too late.
Le Jardin is also really beautiful for lunchtime. There are little turtles wandering around, and you’ll get a better view of the plants. I ate both of the vegetarian meals and was satisfied by both, but not super impressed. This restaurant falls between Nomad and Cafe des Epices in price, and I recommend it for a romantic dinner. Just maybe get your phone flashlight out and make sure the meat is done before you eat 🙂
JARDIN MAJORELLE – BEST BREAKFAST
Most riads and hotels should serve breakfast, but to be honest ours wasn’t that good. We also didn’t stay in a high-end riad, so that may make a difference. The breakfast we enjoyed the most ended up being at Jardin Majorelle. We got there early to avoid the crowds, and figured we’d at least be able to grab a cup of coffee at the cafe. We were surprised to find that we could order a delicious breakfast too! They had the option to order a traditional Moroccan breakfast or the continental. We’d had a lot of Moroccan bread and jam by the last day, so we got the continental. It was great to have some fluffy eggs and toast, and they made such a mean Americano that we each got two. A definitely recommendation from me!
JEMAA EL-FNA – BEST FOR OJ
We walked through Jemaa el-Fna after dinner our first night and were totally stressed out by all of the guys trying to hassle us into eating at their stall. We were literally so full from Nomad and had guys shoving menus in our face and telling us we could still eat if we’d already eaten. It definitely put us off, so we didn’t eat here. We also were told by the guide on our culinary tour that they often used day or two day old food and heat it up for tourists. Whether this is true or not (he did take us to a few places that he claimed were the BEST in Marrakech and weren’t to us) I don’t know. But I know the hassle was way too much for us. How can you decide where to eat if you can’t even take two seconds to look at menus without getting pushed?
The thing that Jemaa el-Fna is good for, in my opinion, is the OJ. I was never a big orange juice drinker before this trip, but I’ve developed an addiction. A glass of fresh OJ only costs 4 dirham (about 40-50 cents) and is so refreshing in the heat. A lot of the vendors will pour you a glass from a pitcher unless you ask for it freshly squeezed. It’s definitely worth asking. We were taken to stall 34 on our culinary tour, so we continued to go there for the rest of the trip. The guy recognized us (probably because I was the greedy one guzzling down two OJs while we were there), so it was nice to have someone not hassle us.
CULINARY BIKE TOUR – FOR THE ADVENTUROUS
As I mentioned in my last post, Jon’s brother and sister-in-law bought us a culinary bike tour. It was a really amazing experience that allowed us to see both the local areas of Marrakech, as well as the Medina by bike. It was a little bit terrifying to bike through the streets and souks (even when we’ve been biking in the Netherlands for months). I definitely recommend this tour, but be prepared for it not to be easy. I wouldn’t suggest going if it’s your first time on a bike in ten years.
As far as the food on this tour, it was very good and also possibly sketchy. If you’re an adventurous eater (and got your Hep A vaccine), go for it. We went to some super local hole-in-the-wall places. We started with a traditional breakfast of bread and this mixture of hummus and olive oil. Of course with mint tea to wash it down. For lunch we had chicken tajine from this crowded spot in the Medina. It was full of locals taking large Tupperware home to serve their families. We had chicken, bread, and a plate of beans. While the food was good, it wasn’t as good as some of the food at the more touristy places like Cafe des Epices. This could just be our Western palettes talking, of course.
On our way back we made an extra stop to try some “surprise barbeque.” Sounds like a good idea, right? Our guide didn’t want to tell us what we were eating until after we tried it. Also a good idea, right? So we ate barbequed sardine balls. Surprisingly, I thought these were the best thing we ate on the tour. They’re a little weird to get used to, but with lots of garlic and some harissa, they’re pretty tasty. They were also the one thing we thought we’d get sick from. Thankfully we didn’t, but unfortunately it turned out to be the chicken at Le Jardin that did it.
ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE – MINT TEA
Moroccans are BIG into sugar, as evidenced by the orange juice and the mint tea. But it’s so good! We had mint tea after literally every single meal and then again before bed. They serve it in little tiny glasses and unless you ask for it without sugar, it comes LOADED. I’ve never really liked sugar in my tea, but I knew I needed to try it the traditional way while we were there. Man, is it good. I don’t even feel like I need to “recommend” this to anyone visiting because it’s nearly impossible not to end up drinking it.
