Morocco doesn’t do food by halves. From rooftop tagines and candlelit riads to city dining and seafood straight from the Atlantic, every meal is jam-packed with fragrant spices and colourful ingredients. Whether you’re people-watching in Marrakech, wandering the medinas of Fez or breathing in the ocean air in Essaouira, these are Timbuktu’s pick of the country’s very best restaurants. Our advice? Come hungry…
Marrakesh
Al Fassia Guéliz
Run entirely by women since the 1980s, Al Fassia is totally authentic – and absolutely fabulous. The menu is a love letter to Moroccan classics, from couscous so light it floats to silky aubergine zaalouk and the famous slow-roasted mechoui lamb. The service is warm, the mood relaxed, and the food, frankly unbeatable.
Le Tanjia
Tucked into the Mellah, Marrakech’s historic Jewish Quarter near the Bahia Palace, Le Tanjia is all about the atmospheric, lantern-lit balconies overlooking the Koutoubia. Go for dinner and order the lamb with prunes and almonds, and then linger over mint tea as belly dancers swirl past. Then, when you’re ready for a nightcap, wander a few minutes up the road to Kabana Rooftop for a cocktail and one of the best views in the city.
Safran by KÔYA
In the heart of the medina, surrounded by scents of rosewater and orange blossom, Safran is one of Marrakesh’s ritziest and glitziest new offerings. The menu is a journey through the Mediterranean with a good dose of Moroccan flavours and delights – think classic briouates and slow-cooked tagines, alongside chermoula sea bream and fiery prawn saganaki. Live music keeps things buzzing late into the night and the cocktails are as elegant as those sipping them.
Comptoir Darna
Comptoir Darna is a Marrakech institution, and definitely more than just a place to refuel! Beneath the red lamps and velvet curtains, Gnaoua drummers set the sultry beats, whilst plates piled high with Moroccan favourites arrive in a glittering procession. Go for the pastilla, stay for the spectacle, and don’t expect to leave early…
Baromètre
For something completely different, step away from the medina into the sleek Gueliz district and pull up a stool at Baromètre, Morocco’s first ever craft-cocktail bar. Expect low lighting, creative mixology magic, and drinks infused with saffron and dates – the perfect pre- or post-dinner stop.
Essaouira
La Table by Madada
In a beautifully restored carob warehouse just off the medina, La Table by Madada is all exposed stone, soft lighting and the scent of grilled seafood. The oysters from nearby Oualidia are a must, as is the sea bream carpaccio — the perfect embodiment of Essaouira’s laidback, coastal atmosphere.
Umia, Essaouira
Tiny, owner-run and tucked into the old town, Umia is the sort of place you’d walk straight past, and then immediately regret it. There are only a handful of tables and the menu changes with the tides, but there’s a cult following for the house beef Wellington and sea bass with saffron.
Heure Bleue Palais
Heure Bleue Palais gives a serious does of old-school elegance, beautifully wrapped up in blue shutters, white linens and jasmine floating on the breeze. The restaurant is in the courtyard of the 19th-century palace hotel and offers Moroccan service at its finest and a menu that honours the classics with a contemporary twist.
Fez
Fez Café (Jardin des Biehn)
Set in the luscious, emerald courtyard of a former pasha’s palace, Fez Café is a little world of its own. Menu-wise, you’ll find Mediterranean-Moroccan plates that celebrate freshness and colour — the grilled fish and fragrant herb salads are standouts – and afterwards, wander through the orange trees with a cup of mint tea in hand.
The Ruined Garden
Hidden inside the crumbling walls of a centuries-old riad, The Ruined Garden is as romantic as its name suggests. The tiny tables are scattered beneath citrus trees adorned with glowing lanterns, and the menu gives traditional Fassi dishes a fresh, soulful spin. Try the seven-hour lamb mechoui or the pigeon b’stilla, if it makes an appearance.
Dar Roumana
Elegant, intimate, and very, very chic, Dar Roumana is where Moroccan ingredients meet French technique. The menu changes often, but you can always count on a seamless three-course feast served in the candlelit courtyard or under the stars on the roof terrace.
Le Dôme
Fez doesn’t have many proper bars, which makes Le Dôme a gem worth knowing about. Close to the medina, it’s moody, intimate and stocked with Moroccan wines you won’t find elsewhere. Perfect for an aperitif before dinner or a quiet nightcap away from the bustling city lights.
Casablanca
La Sqala
Inside a 17th-century fortress just next to the old port, La Sqala is a leafy treasure troves of fountains, mosaics and Moroccan comfort food. You’ll find locals lingering over breakfasts of msemen pancakes and orange juice, and in the evening, it’s all about grilled sardines and the city’s best pastilla.
Iloli
Casablanca’s sleekest fine-dining address, Iloli fuses Japanese creativity (and precision!) with Moroccan produce in a serene, minimalist setting. Every plate is a work of art and presented immaculately from the miso-marinated black cod to the jewel-like sushi. It’s a world away from the city’s bustle outside – and that’s exactly the point.
Tangier
Le Saveur de Poisson
Ask any Tangier local and they’ll point you straight to here – and in fact, you’ll smell Le Saveur before you see it, the tang of citrus, spice and freshly-grilled fish drifting down the street. There’s no menu, no reservations, and no fuss, just a generous, set-course seafood meal served with charm and house-made juice. Expect soup, grilled fish, nuts and fruit to finish, and change left from €20.
El Morocco Club
On the steps of the Kasbah, this glossy supper club blends old-school glamour with French-Moroccan cuisine. Come for cocktails in the piano bar, stay for the lobster ravioli or lamb tagine, and enjoy the 1960s film set vibes!
Oualidia
Ostrea II
Simple tables, sea spray, and oysters fresh from the lagoon below, Ostrea II is the epitome of Oualidia’s easy-going charm in one perfect meal. The grilled sole with garlic butter is heaven, and the view, especially at sunset, is a pretty spectacular accompaniment.
Rabat
Dinarjat
Down a quiet alley in the medina, Dinarjat is all flickering lanterns, tiled courtyards and heady scents wafting down the cobbles. Musicians play softly while polished waiters serve royal Fassi dishes like chicken with preserved lemon, lamb with dates and couscous laced with saffron. And we highly recommend arriving early for a drink in the riad’s exquisite salon.
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