The Best of Marrakech Food: A Culinary Adventure

Step into Marrakech and your senses awaken to a food-lover's paradise. The city pulses with culinary traditions that tell the story of Morocco's rich heritage. Berber, Arab, Andalusian, Jewish, and Mediterranean influences collide in every bite, creating an explosive tapestry of flavours unique to this ancient city. Spices reign supreme here, from savoury cumin to golden saffron and the sweet warmth of cinnamon. Local chefs masterfully blend these treasures to create ras el hanout –a symphony of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, allspice, ginger, and black pepper that transforms everyday dishes like chicken and couscous into unforgettable feasts. Wander through bustling markets where stalls are piled high with olives, preserved lemons, dried fruits, nuts and fresh herbs. In kitchens across the city, tagines bubble slowly while meat sizzles over open flames, both traditional Moroccan cooking techniques that have been passed down through the generations. Read on for an introduction to the delectable world of Marrakech food.

Many typical Moroccan dishes are served on communal plates, tying in with the country’s Islamic tradition of hospitality and sharing. When visiting Marrakech residents, you’ll often be welcomed with food and the ubiquitous mint tea. For a host to create a tasty meal from scratch is considered the ultimate sign of respect, and sharing food with strangers is a ritual that expresses generosity and fosters social bonds.

Here’s a selection of 10 must-try dishes when you're in Marrakech; as much of the city’s food is produced relatively locally, the local diet is seasonal, making good use of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as they are harvested throughout the year. The habitual accompaniment to any meal is khobz, a round flatbread that’s used to scoop up food from a communal dish; break off a bite-sized piece of bread and hold it between the thumb and first two fingers on your right hand – never use your left hand when eating from a shared dish.

1. Tagine

A slow-cooked stew of meat, vegetables and spices, customarily served in a brightly painted, conical earthenware pot which allows flavours and sauces to steam and tenderise the ingredients. 

2. Couscous

A traditional Maghreb dish, couscous is steamed semolina typically served with vegetables like carrots, turnips, pumpkin or tomatoes, with meat sometimes added. Ginger and saffron are popular flavourings.

3. Pastilla/b’stilla

Andalusian in origin, this delicious pie is made with crispy layers of filo pastry filled with chicken/pigeon/quail/seafood, toasted almonds and ras el hanout, turmeric and ginger. It’s topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon. 

4. Kefte

Made with minced beef or lamb, kefte (kofte in other parts of the Arab world) meatballs are seasoned with parsley, mint, cumin and paprika. They can either be served in a tagine or grilled over an open flame and eaten on skewers. 

5. Bissara

A simple vegetarian/vegan breakfast dish or snack, bissara is a wholesome thick soup in which broad beans are simmered with onions, spices and garlic, and finished with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon. 

6. Msemen

A breakfast or tea-time treat, msemen are square Moroccan pancakes best eaten either piping hot off the grill, spread with honey and jam, or dipped into syrup made from butter and honey. They can be bought at all Marrakech bakeries as a takeaway snack. 

7. Rfissa

This is a comforting mix of shredded bread (use up stale loaves or msemen pancakes) and chicken served with lentils, onions and fenugreek; the dish is a popular choice for family celebrations. 

8. Méchoui

Another dish popular for festive occasions, méchoui sees a whole, slow-roasted whole lamb or sheep cooked until tender in a large clay oven and seasoned with spices and herbs.

9. Harira

Harira is a comforting tomato soup traditionally eaten at breakfast, often during Ramadan as it is regarded as a symbol of Muslim unity during the biggest Islamic festival of the year.

10. Chebakia

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll adore these honey-drenched, flower-shaped sesame biscuits spiced up with hints of anise and saffron. They are also often served alongside harira during Ramadan. 

You’ll find a lot of meat – mostly beef, lamb, chicken and fish – is used in Marrakech cuisine. However, that is counterbalanced by the cornucopia of fresh fruit and vegetables produced all year round near the city, thanks to the hours of sunshine and warm temperatures. The meat in all the savoury dishes mentioned above can be substituted with vegetables, pulses or grains.

Mint tea and fresh orange juice are usually served with Marrakech food, but if you fancy a glass of wine or a beer, it's best to head for licensed bars, restaurants or hotels. Morocco is a conservative Muslim nation and although drinking alcohol is not banned – in fact the country produces its own beer and wine – it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Always remember to respect local customs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when local people fast during the day.

To experience the best street food in Marrakech, your number-one stop should be the plethora of stalls on Djemma el-Fna, the gently chaotic, sprawling main square in the Medina. Packed full of colour and theatre by day, at nightfall it becomes a buzzing culinary hub where locals and visitors alike graze on anything from harira soup to grilled meats, tagine or couscous, as well as a selection of hot and cold salads, chebakia biscuits and freshly squeezed juices.

Méchoui Alley on the northern fringe of Djemma el-Fna is lined with family-owned restaurants specialising in lamb méchoui and tagines. For a less boisterous dining experience, head for the Mellah – the old Jewish quarter in the Medina – where there are a bunch of no-frills cafés with rickety plastic tables offering up Berber tagines, as well as shops selling sweet pastries and meringues. Souk Talaa is another sure-fire bet for street-food stalls selling kefte kebabs with flatbreads.

To make the most of your time in the Medina, which can be a little intimidating on first visit, book a local guide to lead you on a deep dive into little-known corners of the souks and the best food stalls on Djemme el-Fna.

Authentic Moroccan home-cooking can sometimes be hard to find in Marrakech, so if you’re seeking genuine gourmet experiences, book a cooking class with a local chef. Other possible options for your interactive food journey include tutorials in the aromatic art of spice blending (you get to take home your very own ras el hanout), and visits to Berber villages outside the city to share a meal. A very important part of Moroccan culture is the ritual of sharing mint tea; to partake in a tea ceremony is to immerse yourself deep in the country’s heritage.

The atmospheric Medina is liberally packed with well-priced food stalls and cafés, while at the other end of the scale there are beautifully decorated riad hotels like Marrakech Riads Angsana Heritage Collection, where you can dine on Marrakech food at romantic Si Said courtyard restaurant. Like any city, Marrakech is made up of distinct neighbourhoods each with its own vibe. The elegant district of Guéliz is home to exceptional restaurants found on its lively boulevards, including Al Fassia, serving a fine-dining take on local dishes, or hip Café du Livre and its Moroccan meze menus. Up-and-coming Hivernage also offers Marrakech cuisine reimagined at luxe L’Orangerie, overseen by Chef Ahmed Eddefaa.

Looking forward to sampling the Red City’s signature dishes? You’ll be looking for somewhere to stay.