Marrakech is a place I’ve been longing to go to for sometime. I’m sure I’ll get there one day and when I do I’ll be trying out all these suggestions in this guest post from Katie from MasterChef Travel, who, like me, is obsessed with finding the best in local traditional cuisine. Read on to discover the best of Marrakech food.
Just a three-hour flight from the UK, Marrakech is an ideal destination for a spring short break. The sights and smells of the Djemaa el Fna square and the souks can be overwhelming. Traditional Moroccan cuisine reflects its colourful history drawing inspiration from many cultures. The results in a unique blend of Arab, Berber, Middle Eastern, Moorish, Iberian, Mediterranean, African and Jewish influences. To help you enjoy the best traditional Marrakech food on offer here are our top picks from this exciting city’s foodie hotspots.
Where to find the best traditional Marrakech food
BBQ on the square
The food on the makeshift stalls that set up on the Djemaa el Fna at dusk is much better than the cafes around the edge. Packed with locals and tourists alike, pull up a chair at the busiest – they have the freshest ingredients and cleanest oil – and take your pick of different grilled meats and vegetables. Sheep head, heart and steamed snails are popular choices among the Moroccans but kebabs, spicy Merguez sausages and grilled fish are also on offer.
Lamb mechoui
Behind the square, just as you reach the olive-sellers souk, look for the counters with sheep heads balanced on earthenware pots for a not-to-be-missed lunch. Skip the sheep heads and opt for the mechoui, which is lamb slow-roasted in hot ashes underground. Choose your preferred cut of the succulent lamb and devour with bread, olives and cumin salt. The crackling is like nothing you’ll have ever eaten before.
Dine at a riad
While the Djemaa el Fna food stalls are well worth checking out, the food in the cafes that overlook it is generally fairly mediocre. Go there for a drink to watch the sunset over the souk but another option when it comes to dining is to head back to your riad for a dinner cooked by the dadas – traditional Moroccan ladies who work in the kitchen. Their authentic dishes are far better than anything you’ll find in most restaurants, and the peaceful courtyards are more relaxing than the bustling medina.
Even if you aren’t staying in a riad, many welcome non-residents to dine there. Tuck into saffron flavoured chicken served with vermicelli with raisins, ground fried almonds, cinnamon and sprinkled with sugar glaze or a rustic Berber vegetarian tagine in the lovely courtyard setting of Dar Anika Kitchen.
Le Grand Café de la Poste
One restaurant that is an absolute must, both for the food but also for its atmosphere and sense of history is Le Grand Café de la Poste. In Guéliz, outside of the Medina Walls, this ever-popular eatery is part of Marrakech’s heritage. Built in the twenties as a cafe and post office, it’s seen a number of changes over the years but its appeal is timeless. Favoured among the French expat community, with its colonial art deco interior, once inside you could easily mistake it for a Parisian bistro.
Choose from either classic French favourites or traditional regional fare such as beef kefta or monkfish and prawns tagine. Perhaps this herb-crusted duck magret with porcini mushrooms stew, grilled endives and baby potatoes can tempt you!
Cooking lesson
Once you’ve eaten your way around Marrakech, why not learn how to recreate your favourite dishes for yourself. Most riads offer a cooking class with their dadas, but we recommend booking yourself in at Dar les Cigognes. Learn the art of rolling couscous, make waca pastry and tour the markets with the head chef. You’ll find fresh ingredients, learn how to use them and try them on the riad’s sunny rooftop during a long lunch.
Thinking of visiting Morocco for the first time? Check out these essential 10 tips for first-time travellers to Morocco.
When to visit Marrakech
For most, the best time of year to visit Marrakech is in the shoulder seasons, April to May and September to November. At these times the weather is neither too hot or too cold and you avoid the high prices and crowds of the summer or the chillier weather of the winter.
Whatever time of year you visit, when considering what to pack for your holiday in Marrakech, do remember that Morocco is a Muslim country and you should dress more modestly than you might at home.
Where to stay in Marrakech
Riad Dar Anika, is not only home to a fabulous restaurant serving exquisite traditional Marrakech food, but it’s also one of the top-rated places to stay in the city. It’s in a superb location inside the Medina just a few minutes walk from the major palaces and monuments and a ten-minute stroll from Djemaa el Fna square.
For a wider range of choices to suit every budget check out the top hotels on your favourite hotel site.
Agoda | Hotels Combined | Trip Advisor | Booking.com
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ive booked to go next june and i love my food. getting so excited after reading this.
Excellent! Have a really fabulous time.
Great Shot!
Have you ever heard about MADFOUNA? It is a special meal based in the south of Morocco. The locals in Rissani called it “Berber Pizza”.
When you do make it to Marrakech would love to take you on a food tour! My husband is a native Marrakechi and I’m American. We live in Marrakech and provide walking food tours with an insider experience – we only show you the food Moroccans would consider good enough to eat!
How amazing does that lamb dish sound?! I’ve never been to Morocco but feel like going just to try it 😀 I really like the idea of the niche food tours for those of us who have a passion for combining food and travel!
Food and travel… the perfect partnership! 🙂
So many great cuisine options here Kathryn but I have to admit that I am partial to some lamb, so the lamb mechoui would be first on my list of options to try. The Marrakech markets are clearly one of the most attractive aspects of visiting this part of the country. I would love to wander around, sampling the local cuisines and other local produce that is available. This is when you truly feel the heart of a destination, through the localities rather than the mainstream tourist attractions.
I could definitely go for that lamb dish and yes on the crackling please..it would be fun to take a cooking lesson here and do a tour with the chef. Wish I did that when I visited Marrakesh.
I really do love having cooking lessons when I travel, not just for the cooking itself but I find that you also get a real feel for the culture and learn so much more than you otherwise would. Hopefully you’ll get the chance to go back one day,
I’m getting hungry now so I’m glad my Chinese style lunch is arriving in less than 30 minutes. Let me tell you that I’ve never tried Marrakech food, but it looks and sounds delicious and pretty healthy. I wish I could try some croque monsieur, salad niçoise and some grilled fish. I am a big fan of grilled food and seafood!
Hi Agness, I hope you enjoyed your Chinese! I’m sure you would love Marrakesh and Morocco in general and not just for the delicious food 🙂
I’ve eaten some excellent food in Marrakech – Tasty Tagines and some mouthwatering vegetable dishes. The mint tea is good too – hope it’s not too long before you have a chance to sample it yourself.
Oh Marrakech is so worth a visit!! I’ve been there last April and I can indeed recommend the cooking class (we did it at La Maison Arabe), the BBQ at the main square and the dinner at your Riad! All wonderful. I myself am not really into sheap head… And unfortunately I don’t recommend the new town… It hasn’t got that much atmosphere… But wonderful post as it really takes me back to those perfect days in a magical city!!
I think I’m more likely to photograph the sheep’s head rather than eat it. I’ll try most things but I’m not keen on eating anything that’s looking at me!
I found that market so fascinating, and got lost more than once. I wasn’t brave enough to try anything off the street, but the food in our riad was nothing short of heavenly. I would look forward to getting back after a jam packed day just to put me feet up and smell the delicious fragrance coming out of the kitchen.
I don’t think it’s a real experiene unless you get at least a little lost 🙂