Dinner in Djemaa el-Fna and other Marrakesh, Morocco Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Dinner in Djemaa el-Fna

One of the highlights of my time in Marrakech was eating dinner in Djemaa el-Fna (the main square). Every evening around dusk the square starts to fill up with stall after stall of food vendors. It is quite a scene as the light fades and the smoke starts to rise up from the giant cauldrons of boiling oil that is used to cook much of the food on offer.

All of the stalls are numbered, and some are obviously focused towards tourists with menus in English and spruikers trying to get you to take a seat. These stalls tend to sell a large range of food, with it all out on display for you to see. Other stalls are packed with locals, and there is no menu - just a limited selection to choose from.

Usually I am dubious about eating at 'street stalls', assuming that I will get sick from whatever I eat. However, I had only read positive things about eating in Djemaa el-Fna so was keen to give it a try.

Alison and I took a wander past all of the food stalls, checking out what was on offer and which places looked too touristy for our liking. We decided to be a little adventurous and eat at Stall number 14, which seemed to only be frequented by locals. We were squeezed onto a small bench, sitting opposite (and very close) to some locals who looked at us a little strangely at first.

Favorite Dish: A hunk of bread was placed in front of us on a sheet of paper, then a small plate of mashed up roasted tomato and another plate of mashed deep-fried eggplant/aubergine. We used pieces of bread to eat, as there is no cutlery available (and it would be too dirty to want to use anyway!). The eggplant was absolutely delicious - the best thing I ate on our trip. We also ate some fried fish and some really delicious chips. When you finish eating they will give you a piece of paper to wipe your hands on.

We enjoyed the meal so much that we returned again the next night. We ate pretty much the same thing, as that was all Stall 14 had on offer, just a different type of fish this time. Each meal came to only about the equivalent of £5 pounds for two people.

It was a fabulous experience!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: In Djemaa el-Fna (the main square) - follow the smoke!

Restaurant Name: Riad L'Orangeraie

On our first night in Marrakech we had dinner at our hotel, Riad L'Orangeraie. We had to tell the Riad prior to our arrival in Marrakech that we would like dinner that evening.

There is no restaurant as such, you just choose where you would like to dine within the Riad grounds - be it in the courtyard by the pool, on the roof terrace, or in the lounge area, for example. We chose to eat sitting in the small seating area just off the courtyard, opposite our room.

The table was laid out for us with scattered rose petals, and a large bottle of water. We sat back and relaxed, waiting for our meal to arrive.

Favorite Dish: First up were the 'salads', which were not your traditional salads, but instead were three hot vegetable dishes, all really delicious. There was grilled capsicum/pepper rolled and stuffed with a fruit chutney; Broad beans in a tasty sauce; and char-grilled eggplant/aubergine with tomato and cheese.

Next up was a Chicken Tajine and a big plate of couscous, though we were already nearly full from the salads and couldn't eat it all. We had purchased some wine duty free, so enjoyed a glass with our meal.

There was also dessert - orange slices served with cinnamon and dates. I wasn't a big fan of this, but Alison though it was great.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0)61 23 87 89
Address: 61, rue Sidi El Yamani, Mouassin, Marrakech Medina
Directions: Located in the Mouassin district of the Medina. About 5 minutes walk from Djemaa el-Fna, close to the Mouassine Fountain and one of the entries to the souqs
Website: http://www.riadorangeraie.com/index-gb.htm
Other Contact: info@riadorangeraie.com

Restaurant Name: Cafe Arabe

After a couple of nights of eating dinner in Djemaa el-Fna we decided that we wanted a meal where we could sit comfortably and didn't have to use our hands to eat! We were also in need of an alcoholic drink after a busy day bargaining in the souqs, so we headed to Café Arabe - as it had a bar and was conveniently located close to our Riad.

Cafe Arabe is located in a beautifully restored Riad. It has a cosy bar area, a courtyard style restaurant with a comfy seating area to one side. They serve a mix of Italian and Moroccan cuisine. The staff were very friendly and professional, and the restaurant was nice and busy.

Favorite Dish: We started with a drink, taking a seat in the moodily lit cushioned alcove off the restaurant. Alison sampled one of the local beers called Casablanca, while I stuck to an imported beer.

After our drink we moved to our table and ordered some food, sticking to the Moroccan options on the menu. We ordered two dishes to share - a Tajine, with Kefta (a type of sausage), egg and tomato sauce, and the Pigeon Pastilla. Both meals were delicious, especially the pigeon, but it was very rich.

With the meal we had a half-bottle of Moroccan Cabernet Sauvignon, which reminded me of an Italian style wine. Alison somehow managed to fit in some dessert - she had the Strawberries with chantilly cream.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0)24 42 97 28
Address: 184 Rue el Mouassine, Medina, Marrakech
Directions: In the Mouassin district of the Medina. About 8 minutes walk from Djemaa el-Fna, close to the Mouassine Fountain.
Website: http://www.cafearabe.com/
Other Contact: info@cafearabe.com

Restaurant Name: Local Lunch Haunts just off Djemaa el-Fna

On our last full day in Marrakech we were wandering around Djemaa el-Fna looking for somewhere to have lunch. There are plenty of restaurants surrounding the square, but none of them took our fancy. They all seemed to be filled with tourists, and all of the prime people-watching seats had been taken.

Alison suggested that we explore some of the small, permanent food stalls located along one side of the square. We discovered a narrow covered alley of small shops serving up meat and tajines to mainly hungry locals.

The food at each shop looked great (and fairly similar), so we chose which shop we wanted to eat in mainly based on the fact that the owners were not harassing us, but instead gave us friendly encouragement – handing us a hunk of lamb to taste (pulled of the bone with filthy fingers) which was tasty and sealed the deal.

We scurried up the narrow stairs to the tiny mezzanine level of the restaurant. The ceilings were very low and the walls were lined with a mix-match of beautiful coloured tiles.

Favorite Dish: To eat we had a serving of the aforementioned lamb and also a tajine with potatoes and some un-identified meat which we assumed was lamb (and were too scared to assume otherwise!) – anyway, whatever it was it was delicious.

After we had eaten Alison asked if she could take a photo of the owners and the food at the front of the restaurant. They were pleased to pose, but insisted that I get in the photo too, and look as though I was working with them stirring a big pot of food. Funny.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: Hidden right off Djemaa el-Fna, near Cafe Argana

Restaurant Name: Cafe des Espices

It was our first morning in Marrakech, and after exploring Djemaa el-Fna and amazing over the goods on offer in the medicine sellers & healers souq we were in need of a calming drink.

We stumbled across lovely Place Rabha Kdima, and decided that Cafe des Espices looked like the perfect place to take a break. This small, three level, open-fronted café sits in the middle of the square, making it the perfect place for people watching. The roof terrace offers great views across the Medina.

Favorite Dish: We chose a small sunny table at the front of the café and ordered some drinks – Alison had an espresso and I ordered a soothing mint tea. If you need something to eat you can choose one of their sandwiches, salads or perhaps an omelette

It was a lovely place to relax for a while and watch the market activity in front of us.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 024 391 770
Address: 75 Rahba Lakdima, Medina, Marrakech
Directions: On Place Rabha Kdima, in the Medina souqs

Restaurant Name: Marrakech Museum Café

After a few hours of exploring the souqs we found ourselves at the Musee de Marrakech. We liked the look of the small museum cafe so decided to have lunch there.

The cafe is located in the courtyard, just through the gate from Place Ben Youssef. There were tables and chairs scattered about in the centre of the courtyard making the most of the winter sun, plus some more seating inside the café.

Favorite Dish: We chose a sunny table and then ordered our lunch up at the cafe's counter. There wasn’t a huge amount to choose from – basically just sandwiches and salads on offer.

Alison and I both ordered a tuna & salad sandwich, which was served with a side of olives (which were really nice, and I don't usually like olives). The food was tasty and filling, and the café setting was lovely.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0)24 44 18 93
Address: Place Ben Youssef, Medina, Marrakech
Directions: In the entrance courtyard of the Musee de Marrakech
Website: http://www.museedemarrakech.ma/cafe_musee_de_marrakech.htm

Restaurant Name: La Maison Arabe Hotel – Morning Tea

A busy morning of sight-seeing meant a dire need for a mint tea. We walked by a posh Riad that I had read about and I remembered that they had a tea room inside that was open to the public.

La Maison Arabe started out as a fancy restaurant back in the 1940’s, and is today also a luxury hotel. The hotel runs cooking courses and also offers morning and afternoon tea to guests and passers-by.

We were seating in a lovely, cosy sitting room while our morning tea was prepared. It was so peaceful – a world away from the goings-on outside the Riad’s door.

Favorite Dish: I had a mint tea and Alison had an espresso. They also bought us out a plate of delicious looking and tasting biscuits/pastries, which were the perfect accompaniment.

This was a pretty expensive way to have morning tea by Moroccan standards, though still only a couple of pounds per person. Well worth it to have a look inside a luxury Riad.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0) 24 38 70 10
Address: 1 Derb Assehbe, Bab Doukkala. Marrakech Medina
Directions: Located in the Bab Doukkala district of the Medina
Website: http://www.lamaisonarabe.com/en/presentation.html
Other Contact: reservation@lamaisonarabe.com

Restaurant Name: Cafe Argana

Another day, another afternoon tea. This time we were in Djemaa el-Fna and wanted to relax for a while in one of the cafes on the square. We chose Cafe Argana as it has a terrace high above the square offering a great place for some photos of the activity below.

Cafe Argana is set over 3 levels. Downstairs you can have a snack or a drink. On the first floor is the restaurant, and the top floor is the place to go if you just want a drink.

Favorite Dish: We headed to the top floor and found it filled with locals having a tea and a chat with friends. Alison and I managed to get a table by the edge so we could look out over the square below, and relaxed with a rejuvenating mint tea.

Service was pretty non-existent and it was smoky even though there were large open windows, but if you are just after a quick drink then it is not a bad option.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: On the north side of Djemaa el-Fna

Restaurant Name: Nid'Cigogne

Lunch time one day found us close to the Saadian Tombs and all of the guidebooks recommended Nid'Cigogne. Ok, so that doesn't mean that it would be a good meal, but hey, it was close and we were hungry.

The thing that appealed to me about Nid'Cigogne was that you could apparently dine with a great view of some nesting storks - and the books were right. We sat up on the 3rd level of the restaurant and our table looked right across at a nest with two storks who put on quite a show for us during our meal with their dancing and beak-clacking performances.

So, the restaurant is split over 3 levels, and there are a couple of flights of stairs to access it from the street. We got a lack lustre welcome on arrival and very slow, disinterested service throughout the meal.

Favorite Dish: The menu consisted of light meals like sandwiches & salads, and some more traditional fare such as tajines and couscous.

We ordered a Beef Tajine and some Chicken & Vegetable Couscous to share. The couscous was ok, with some big pieces of vegetables on top, but the tajine wasn't very good.

Summing up, the food was disappointing, and expensive by Moroccan standards, but it was worth it for the storks!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0) 44 38 20 92
Address: 60 Place des Tombeaux Saadiens, Kasbah, Marrakech
Directions: In the Kasbah district of the Medina. Across the road from the Saadian Tombs.
Website: http://www.restaurant-nid-cigogne.abcsalles.ma/fiche.aspx?o=1&k=&n=11870&iddem=

Restaurant Name: Cafe Bougainvillea

Cafe Bougainvillea is a tourist friendly cafe that was located close to our Riad. After several hours of exploring the souqs we were in dire need of a nice cup of mint tea and an escape from the craziness, and this seemed like a good option.

The cafe is located down some stairs from the street, in a Riad. The main seating area is in the bright central courtyard, and there is another seating area off to the side with comfortable looking lounges for a relaxing evening meal.

Favorite Dish: The cafe serves up a range of food - from pizza to Moroccan classics. We just wanted to have some afternoon tea, so both ordered some Mint Tea and one serve of the Petit Fours to share. The tea was refreshing and the little biscuits/cakes were the perfect size snack.

Cafe Bougainvillea is an a good place to escape from the masses for a while, though may be a bit touristy for some people.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +212 (0) 24 44 11 11
Address: 33 Rue Mouassine, Medina, Marrakech
Directions: Located in the Mouassin district of the Medina - about 5 minutes walk from Djemaa el-Fna, just up the road from the Mouassine Fountain
Website: http://www.ilove-marrakesh.com/bougainvillea/index_en.html