in English: Tips Marrakech/Marrakesh 10 small great restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh with a nice city walk (2,5km/2 miles)

Tips by World City Guide: Helma Matthijssen (from Holland – The Netherlands)

Of course, your dream city break or city trip to Marrakech / Marrakesh also has to include ‘a restaurant to remember’. In culinary and international Marrakech / Marrakesh, there is plenty of choice. To upgrade your personal visit into the vibrant city of Marrakech / Marrakesh, with its cuisine traditionally full of fresh ingredients and natural spices, Helma is happy to share her personal favourites.

These 10 small but great restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh are all in the same old part of town. Within walking distance of each other. In the district of Rue Riad Zitoun this stroll of 2.5 km / 2 miles takes you for a walk through ancient times in the medina, the old city centre of Marrakech. Most of the discoveries are on a rooftop terrace or in the courtyard of a riad. A ‘riad’ is a traditional Moroccan house. The word comes from the Arabic “ryad”, meaning garden. These historic town houses are built around a central courtyard or garden and often have a beautiful roof terrace as well.

In Marrakech’s / Marrakesh’ medina, you still find many stately mansions and small palaces. Almost everywhere well hidden from the outside world. In the Riad Zitoun area of the old town, therefore, you never know what is hidden behind a door or gate (Bab). Behind each small door there can be a beautiful little paradise, in the atmosphere from the fairy tales of 1001 nights. Especially in the old city quarter of Riad Zitoun, with its many hidden alleys and quiet walking streets, there are many beautiful places to be discovered.

This top 10 of the nicest small great restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakech is therefore at the same time a wonderful walk through one of the most beautiful old quarters of Marrakech’s medina. The restaurants are alle great in atmosphere, tasting and quality and still small enough for a personal service to make you discover the taste of Moroccan hospitality at the same time. For all restaurants good to know; if you are more then 10 persons, try to make a reservation and discuss your menu in advance. Moroccan cuisine is full with delicious slow food. If your cook has a little more time the result will be even more fine. All restaurants and their exact location can be find on Google maps as well.

10 small great restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh with a nice walk

This 10 best restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh walk actually starts at No 09 out of our list of favourites. It is the cosy Café Mazel on the cute and little square with the official name Place des Ferblantiers. In ancient time this small square was the souk for the tinsmith handicraft workers. Now it is made open and from this square you can enter into the Jewish part of town. The practical name all locals are using for the tinsmith square is therefore. place Mellah, which means Jewish square. In fact the word mellah means “salt”, referring to the times when salt was worth as much as gold, and the Jewish were grade in trading for this, at that time, luxury item. From the terrace of Café Mazel you have a look on the small entrance to this Jewish quarter. Place Mellah itself is a nice small square and more quiet than the always busy and buzzling central square Jemaa el Fna. Therefore, alone this square Mellah itself is a nice place to visit during your stay in Marrakech / Marrakesh as well.

EXTRA for best restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh walk – historical monuments in the Kasbah district

If preferred the walk can also be started from the old city gates Bab Rob and Bab Agnaou. Early in the morning, preferably before 08h30, it is still relatively quiet over there and you can take a nice picture of the ancient gate that gives access to the famous Kasbah district, with its royal and many other palaces. The perhaps even more famous ;historical monument; the Saadian tombs, open at 09h00.

With a bit of luck, you can get in quickly before the buses arrive, with the large groups of tourists, who like to visit this medieval garden with its well decorated mausoleums. Inside the garden there is always a queue for taking a picture of the 3 most beautiful, decorated tombs of the most important sultan, his father and his mother. Therefore, the earlier you get there, the shorter the queue. For more details on the story behind the Saadian Tombs read the story of Abdelmalik Terkemani on his facebook page Maroc histoire et culture.

Opposite the Kasbah Mosque at Café Zitoun Kasbah you can have a real nice coffee. There is a beautiful old olive tree in their small garden. From here just right next to the Kasbah Mosque you will find the hidden entrance to these Saadian Tombs. And behind the Kasbah Mosque you can still find the huge area with the ruins of the palace El Badii. The whole area was part of the former very important ‘incomparable’ palace for which the Alhambra was the example. has its own protection wall, which makes ‘the palace look like a castle. Nowadays this old medieval wall is full with picturesque stork nests. In this ‘incomparable’ Palais El Badii there is an old tower you may climb up. This will give you a nice view over the huge area of this former palace itself and over the Jewish quarter. If your read the story about the history of the Saadian Tombs you can learn more about how huge this Badi Palace has been. For visiting ‘hotspots in Marrakech / Marrakesh this old palace is within our Top 10 of tips for visiting. As are the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace and the Koranic school Madrassa Ben Youssef. For more tips check out our webpage ‘Marrakech Tips’ – ‘What to do in Marrakech’.

History from Holland – stroopwafels – Wafflez by Sophie

And as a nice and sweet surprise from Holland you’ll also pass by Wafflez by Sophie. At this small shop you can enjoy a fresh baked warm ‘stroopwafel’ and a cosy chat with Sophie. Sophie’s takeaway sweet cookies are handmade with natural ingredients; simple, easy and delicious. A perfect match with the Moroccan cuisine which is also full of fresh ingredients and surprisingly nice combinations to care for your tongue. In the same street as Sophie you also can find two traditional Moroccan bathhouses, so called Hammams. Their entrance doors can be recognised by their special tiles. As can Wafflez by Sophie be recognized by the blue Dutch tiles from Delft. Delfts blauw is a famous handicraft similar to the many beautiful handicrafts Morocco has to offer.

Nice idea from Holland: discover Marrakech / Marrakesh by bicycle.

Another nice idea from Holland is to discover Marrakech / Marrakesh by bike. With a 3-hour bike tour there is a local guide (English-speaking or Dutch, French, Spanish, Arabic, Berber) who will take you along the highlights of Marrakech; both in the new and the old city. With good bikes, nice places to stop for pictures and interesting stories. There are also children’s bikes. Or for those who don’t dare to bike; you can also hop on the back of a famous Dutch DOPPIO bike: the two-seater SMART e-bike.

This 2.5 km city walk through the Riad Zitoun district is a good idea to do (the day) after the bike ride.

Best luxury hammam in Marrakech: Le Bain de Kasbah
And nice to know in advance: our favourite luxury hammam is just a 5-minute walk from the splendid Jewish square. Reservation is highly recommended. Have a look at their website Le Bain de Kasbah or when you are in a hurry check the availability directly with Mr. Adil on WhatsApp: M.00212668130577.
In this luxury hammam Le Bain de Kasbah you can have a hammam visit with scrub and 1-hour relaxing massage for 550 dirhams Pack le Bain de Kasbah). With a strong massage the price will be 700 dirhams (Pack Energy Sources). For children < 9 years they have a special 1h15 package with 30 minutes of hammam with chocolate scrub and caramel wrap for 450 dirhams.

At the top restaurant Riad Les Oliviers & Spa, they have a rooftop pool. In addition, they have for extra possibilities for relaxation a hammam & spa as well (in their basement). For the different options see their Hammam & Spa MENU a la carte.

Some Marrakech/ Marrakesh history during your walk along 10 nice restaurants

Saadian Tombs:

The small garden hidden next to the Kasbah Mosque contains the tomb of Muhammad al-Sheikh, who was the founder of the Saadian dynasty, as well as the one of his wife, Lalla Mas’uda. This influential couple had several children, among them Ahmad al-Mansur, a powerful ruler of Morocco in the 16th century.  The Saadian Tombs are an important part of Moroccan history and serve as a reminder of the influence that the Saadian dynasty had in this region. It’s certainly worth visiting if you have the opportunity!

El Badi Palace:

Behind the Kasbah Mosque you find the big ruins of the El Badi Palace. Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur, the victor, defeated the Portuguese and built the grand El Badi palace with as many rooms as the solar year has days. The Alhambra was the example and it took 25 years and the best Moroccan workers and handicraft specialists to finish the brilliance of this incomparable palace with a surface of > 15.000 M2 (< 1,5 ha).

With its more than 365 large rooms, at that time built with the most beautiful materials and decorated with woodcarvings, tile mosaics and marble, the grandeur enormously. This grandeur was so much that it was especially by jealousy that the next generation of sultans insisted to destroy it when building their new royal capital, the imperial city of Meknes. The Badi Place was stripped and all the valuable materials went to Meknes. With transportation by camel caravan. In Meknes the next generation with Sultan Moulay Ismael built their new royal city which should beat The Versailles.
Even though the Badi palace now has been stripped from  most valuable materials, you can still experience the grandeur of the place. The towers and the medieval wall are nowadays inhabited by picturesque storks with their large nests. There is a beautiful viewpoint and the underground passages are still partly intact. It is also fun to visit with children. And nice to know; the Arabic name for stork is Klak Klak. A visit to the Saadian tombs and the El Badi palace are a nice in variety and easy to combine within this city walk.

In most of all other museums and palaces, you can fully enjoy Moroccan architecture characterised by lots of woodcarvings, tile mosaics and calligraphy. There is a lot of choice between the Palais Bahia, the Koranic school Madrassa Ben Youssef, the secret garden Jardin Secret, the Dar si Said Palace and the palace where you will find Musee de Marrakech. There are almost too many options worthwhile your visit. So do not get ‘stressed’; it is your holiday and just note that almost everyone who visits Marrakech once, will come back again, like Winston Churchill did. So you don’t have to visit everything during your first visit.

Marrakech’s Riad Zitoun Kedim and Jdid district: a top neighbourhood for cosy restaurants and a wonderful stroll.

If you know that Zitoun means olive in Arabic and if you know that Kedim means old and Jdid means new, think back to the days of yore and imagine yourself back in time when this urban paradise was still a big olive grove with the street of the olive grove old – Rue Riad Zitoun Kedim – and the street of the olive grove new – Rue Riad Zitoun Jedid.

During this period, the magnificent Bahia Palace was also built. This was built purposefully hidden and concealed among the trees. Helma’s all-time favourite restaurant is therefore on the rooftop terrace of Riad Les Oliviers. It is definitely a hidden gem. In terms of atmosphere and also delicacy. They also run cooking workshops there.

The whole Riad Zitoun’s neighbourhood is also a lovely area to just stroll around. Lovely shops and delicious restaurants. And always plenty of snacks around as well, including the nice briouat, delicious savoury stuffed triangular flapjacks, and all kinds of healthy fruit juices made from orange and other fresh fruit, such as pomegranate. At the end of the walking tour you will find the Kosy Bar with rooftop terrace and a view on Place Mellah and the Badii Castle. This restaurant deserves it’s name and for those who love to drink wine and beer they are licensed. This is true as well for Restaurant Riad Les Oliviers (No. 01), Rooftop Restaurant Dardar (No. 07), Rooftop Restaurant Kulchizine (No. 08) and Rooftop restaurant KosyBar (No 10). For the other restaurant be prepared for drinking the nicest fruit juices and smoothies. And good to know alcohol is not so cheap in Morocco. Also the license for restaurants to serve is not cheap. And you will never find an open terrace serving alcohol directly visible from the street. As an effect of this rule the Rooftop Bars where invented. For those in love with nice rooftop cocktails the Mabrouka Rooftop & Sky Bar in the Passage Prince Moulay Rachid is worth a sunset visit as well.

10 best restaurants walk in Marrakech/Marrakesh – Riad Zitoun district.

This walk along the 10 best great small restaurants in Marrakech/Marrakesh is at the same time a real nice walking connection between the always busy and buzzing Jemaa el Fna square and the much quieter Jewish square of the Mellah district. As the Mellah square is so close to the El Badi palace and the Kasbah district with the Saadian tombs these monuments can be included in your walk for a visit. So you can enjoy this walk along our top 10 of best great small restaurants in Marrakech / Marrakesh as long as you like.
Morocco is famous for slow food. And in Morocco lunch is still a very important moment for the day. Lunch hour can be as late as 14h30 and the menu’s are comparable as for dinner. To enjoy your slow food the most you should definitely take time for it to taste and enjoy. The same advise counts for a nice visit to a Moroccan hammam for relaxation. Make your Marrakech – Marrakesh visit as busy and delicious for your tongue and body as you like. And take your time to enjoy! Remember this Moroccan Berber proverb: those who are in a hurry they have already died.

With a 2.5 km circular walk you can walk within about 30 minutes to pass by Helma’s top 10 of best restaurants in Marrakech. And for the patient reader she will add No. 11 and No. 12 as two additional hidden options soon. This walking tour can easily take half a day or more. In the small streets you will also find plenty of choice for other delicious (Moroccan) snacks and juices. Including the authentic Dutch snack called stroopwafel. You will find Wafflez by Sophie in the Rue Riad Zitoun Kedim, less than 5 minutes / 50 meters from Jemaa el Fna square. It is just before the Henna Art Cafe on your right.

If you join our 3-hour bike tour of Marrakech’s highlights before your walk, you will pass by this cosy little Jewish square – place Mellah – and also by the big square Jemaa el Fna. To start your orientation. The Bahia Palace is located between the Jewish square and Riad Les Oliviers and Spa. The Jewish square itself is much quieter than the hustle and bustle of Jemaa el Fna. The Kasbah district is located right behind the place Mellah. With the ruins of the Badi palace, the Saadian tombs and the beautiful old gate Bab Agnaou.

For a delicious coffee stop near the Saadian tombs you will find the nice Cafe Zitoun Kasbah just opposite the Kasbah mosque with a very old olive tree in their garden. To stay in the zitoun and kasbah atmosphere. You’ll find the details of this part of the walking tour at the bottom of this page.

Start of the 10 best small restaurants in Marrakech/Marrakesh walk: Café Mazel – place Mellah

It is advised to start the walking tour from the Jewish Square. Café Mazel at this square is our number 09 in top 10 of great small restaurants. At the cosy terrace of Café Mazel they serve different coffees as well as refreshing juice drinks. For lunch and dinner, they serve delicious falafel sandwiches. For the history walk you can even start earlier to make a visit to the Saadian tombs or the El Badi palace. And if you have enough time the hidden gem of the Bahia palace is also highly recommended for visiting Marrakech/Marrakesh.
Our favourite morning starts as early as 08h30 with a picture of the Bab Agnaou gate. Followed by a delicious coffee at Cafe Zitoun Kasbah. If you’ll visit the Saadian tombs at 08h45 you’ll be out there by 09h30. In less than 15 minutes you can walk inside (or outside in 30 minutes passing by the local vegetable market) to the El Badi palace. There you can look around until 11h00 or 11h30. Then it’s time for a delicious juice at Café Mazel on the Jewish square. The orangeade and citronade with orange blossom added is a top hit and a delicious refreshment drink. From 12h00 to 14h00 you will have time to admire the tile-mosaics, woodcarvings and calligraphy in the Bahia Palace. After this you can take Moroccan time for lunch and spend the whole rest of the afternoon at our hidden gem; the rooftop Restaurant of Riad les Oliviers & Spa. Feel free to bring your swimming wear to relax in or next to their rooftop pool after lunch. Lunch is still the most important meal of the day for many Moroccans. And the Salades fines Marocains with lots of vegetables is always a delicious start for a good and healthy lunch anywhere in Morocco.

On the beautiful rooftop terrace you will also find the small Riad Les Oliviers swimming pool and you can watch out over the medina. You can see the roofs that hide the Bahia Palace from here which makes you feel the antiquity of this part of town. The dwellings for the workers building the Bahia Palace during more than 25 years are still there. If you visit the Bahia Palace itself first, you will understand (while enjoying your delicious lunch) how special this place must have been in these ancient times.

Saadian Tombs, Tombeaux Saadien, Saadische graven:
The small garden hidden next to the Kasbah Mosque contains the tomb of Muhammad al-Sheikh, who was the founder of the Saadian dynasty, as well as his wife, Lalla Mas’uda. This influential couple had several children, including Ahmad al-Mansur, a powerful ruler of Morocco in the 16th century.  The Saadian Tombs are an incredible part of Moroccan history and serve as a reminder of the influence that the Saadian dynasty had in this region. It’s certainly worth visiting if you ever get the chance!

El Badii, Paleis El Badi, Palais Badi

Behind the Kasbah Mosque you find the grand ruins of the El Badi Palace. Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur, the victor, defeated the Portuguese and built the grand El Badi palace with as many rooms as the solar year has days. With its more than 365 large rooms, decorated at the time with rich materials and handicrafts such as wood carvings, tile mosaics and marble, its grandeur was so enormous that it was completely stripped, mainly out of jealousy by the next generation of sultans. All valuable materials went to Meknes. There the next generation with Sultan Moulay Ismael built a new royal city that had to compete with the Versailles in Europe. Even though the most valuable materials in the Badi Palace have now disappeared, you can still experience the grandeur of the place. Nowadays the old towers and protection wal are idyllically inhabited by storks with their large nests. In one of the old towers there is a nice viewpoint, and the underground passages are partly intact to walk around. This makes it fun to visit with children. And nice to know; the Arabic name for stork is Klak Klak. A visit to the Saadian tombs and the El Badi palace is a nice variation and easy to combine with this city walk. In all other museums and palaces, you can fully enjoy the Moroccan architecture characterized by many wood carvings, tile mosaics and calligraphy. There is a lot of choice with Palais Bahia, the Koranic school Madrassa Ben Youssef, the secret garden Jardin Secret, the palace where the Musee de Marrakech is now and the Dar Si Said palace, now a museum of arts and crafts with mainly carpets. Important to know here; almost everyone who comes to Marrakech once comes back again. So, you don’t have to visit everything the first time.

The Riad Zitoun Kedim and Jdid district in Marrakech – top location for the nicest restaurant and nice walk.

If you know that Zitoun means olive in Arabic and if you know that Kedim means old and Jdid means new, think back to the days of yore and imagine yourself back in time when this city paradise was still a large olive tree garden with the street of the olive tree garden old – Rue Riad Zitoun Kedim – and the street of the olive tree garden new – Rue Riad Zitoun Jedid. The beautiful Bahia Palace was also built during that period. It was built hidden and hidden between the trees. Helma’s most favorite restaurant is located on the roof terrace of Riad Les Oliviers. It’s definitely a hidden gem. In terms of atmosphere and also in terms of delicacy. They also give cooking workshops there. The whole area of ​​Riad Zitoun’s is also a lovely area to just stroll around. Nice shops and delicious restaurants. And in between there are always plenty of snacks (including the briouat, delicious savory filled triangular turnovers) and all kinds of healthy fruit juices from orange and other fresh fruit such as pomegranate. This walk along the 10 nicest restaurants is a delicious and beautiful walking connection between the always busy square Jemaa el Fna and the much quieter Jewish square of the Mellah district with the El Badi palace and the Kasbah district with the Saadian tombs behind it. Our top 10 of the nicest restaurants in Marrakech can therefore also be followed as a walking route.

With a round walk of 2.5 km that you can walk in 30 minutes, you can walk past these surprising top 10 of the nicest restaurants in Marrakech in a fun way. And for the good reader we have even added a no. 11 and no. 12 as extra hidden options. During this walk, which you can easily take half a day or more, you will also pass plenty of other tasty (Moroccan) snacks and juices. Even a traditional Dutch snack with Dutch conviviality at Sophie’s with her syrup waffles baked on the spot: Wafflez by Sophie in the Rue Riad Zitoun Kedim – less than 5 minutes from the Jemaa el Fna square, in front of the Henna Art Cafe on your right. And if you take the fun 3-hour bike tour along the highlights of Marrakech, you will also pass that nice Jewish square – place Mellah and the Jemaa el Fna square to get your bearings. The Bahia Palace is located between the Jewish square and Riad Les Oliviers. The Jewish square itself is much quieter than the hustle and bustle of Jemaa el Fna square. The Kasbah district is located directly behind place Mellah. With the ruins of the Badi Palace, the Saadian tombs and the beautiful Bab Agnaou gateway. For a delicious coffee stop opposite the Saadian tombs is the beautiful Cafe Zitoun Kasbah with an old olive tree in the garden. To stay in the zitoun and kasbah atmosphere. Details of this walking section at the very bottom of the page.

Start the walking route from the Jewish square: Place des Ferblantiers – Place Mellah. Café Mazel at number 08 is our number 09 out of 10 in our top 10 of nice restaurants. At Cafe Mazel you should taste the Falafel as their slogan is: In Falafel We Trust. Open from 10:00 am to 22:00 pm.  Or you can start even earlier to visit the Saadian tombs or the El Badi Palace. A visit to the beauty of the Bahia Palace is also recommended from the top 10 of our tips for visiting Marrakech. Our favourite morning starts already at 8:30 am. To take an early morning picture of the Bab Agnaou gate. Then we visit the Saadian Tombs. Try to be at the entrance no later than 8:45 am. They open at 09:00 am. If there are no waiting queues you do not need more than 30 minutes for the visit of this small garden next to the Kasbah Mosque. At 09h30 perfect time for a delicious coffee nous nous at Cafe Zitoun Kasbah. (opens at 09:00 am). From there within 15 minutes, you can walk to the entrance for the Badi Palace if you take the sort cut. You can also make it a walk of 30 minutes by taking the small street of Derb Demnat and Ksibat Nhass.  Here you will find a local vegetable and more open street market. In the middle of this Derb Demnat you will find the small mosque Qasiba Al Nahhas there you continue through the small road which s called Ksibat Nhass. For visiting the Badi Place you can count 1 hour or more. It is a huge area and the atmosphere of the former grandeur makes it a nice place for just sit and relax as well. After visiting the Badi Palace it is a nice moment for a stop for one of the delicious juices at Café Mazel on the Jewish square; the orangade and citronade with a hint of orange blossom is our favourite as a delicious refreshing drink. From 12:00 to 14:00 you can admire the architecture of the Bahia Palace with the various halls and gardens with mosaics, wood carvings and calligraphy. And then it is a perfect moment to have a delicious, healthy and relaxing lunch at our hidden gem; Riad les Oliviers. Feel free to bring your swimsuit and relax in or next to their rooftop pool after lunch. And good to know: Lunch is still the most important meal of the day for many Moroccans. The Salades fines Marocains / Assortiment des Salades Marocains – with lots of fresh vegetables – are always and everywhere in Morocco a delicious start to such a healthy lunch. When visiting the rooftop terrace at Riad Les Oliviers do not forget to have a look over the medina. Next to the small rooftop swimming pool you have a splendid view on the roofs that hide the Bahia Palace and the anciently history of the city can also still be found in the workers’ houses that partly still exist. Ask the manager of Riad Les Oliviers to point them out. It took more than 25 years to build the Bahia Palace.
If you visit the Bahia Palace itself, before visiting the rooftop terrace at Riad Les Oliviers, you will understand (while enjoying a delicious lunch) how special this place must have been at the time. 

Number 01 – Riad Les Oliviers – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

In our number 01 spot as the nicest restaurant in Marrakech, the Riad Les Oliviers restaurant is an absolute hidden gem. The road to it and then the entrance upon arrival is a gift in itself. An ideal place for an atmospheric lunch or dinner for two. And they also have room here for larger groups. From their beautiful roof terrace, you have a view of the history of Marrakech with the mystery of the centuries-old Bahia Palace. The cook is of great class. The choice is mainly Moroccan but also European. For those who like; they also serve wine and cocktails; with and without alcohol. The decoration, lighting and atmosphere make the place look like something out of a 1001 Nights fairy tale. Especially at nightfall. Book your table at the Riad Les Oliviers RESTAURANT directly through e-mail:  lesoliviersriad@gmail.com or by whatsapp M. 00212613197899 (Mrs. Mbarka)

 

Nummer 02 La Famille – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

We blijven in de wijk Riad Zitoun. In een verborgen oude tuin waar vroeger een tapijt ververij was zit nu het vegetarische restaurant La Famille. Ook hier geldt dat alleen de plek al een bezoekje waard is. En reserveren is hier dan ook absoluut een must. Het restaurant is gespecialiseerd in de lunch. Dat is in Marokko voor bijna iedereen ook nog steeds de hoofdmaaltijd van de dag. En dat wordt meer en meer ook in Nederland weer geaccepteerd als een hele gezonde keuze. Om juist ’s middags uitgebreid te eten en daar vooral ook de tijd voor te nemen. En dan is de prachtige verborgen tuin van La Famille een hele mooie plek. Maandag t/m zaterdag van 12h00 tot 16h00. Voor de avond liefhebbers op vrijdag en zaterdagavond kun je er ook terecht van 19h30 tot 22h00.
Senegalese dames die weten wat eenvoudig gezond en daarmee overheerlijk is. Het menu is er volledig vegetarisch en wisselt per dag met keuze uit 4 verschillende schotels. Onze tip als je met 3 of 4 personen bent of zelfs met zijn 2-en; bestel alle 4 schotels van de dag. En proef juist de variatie en de combinaties in de door de dames uitgekozen en met liefde gemaakte verse groenteschotels van die dag. Alle gerechten zijn namelijk verrukkelijk en van een zeer goed gekozen en gecombineerde smaak. Reserveer je tafel via T. (00212) 0524 38 52 95
Hun website laat nauwelijks zien hoe prachtig en sfeervol de werkelijkheid is van dit tuinjuweeltje.

Nummer 03 Naranj – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

De Libanese keuken met veel mezzes en andere heerlijke hapjes en op hout gegrild vlees. Met schotels van linzen en kikkererwten (humus) ook volop keuze voor de vegetariers en ook heerlijk groente en fruit cocktails om te detoxen, Het uitgebreide en gevarieerde menu vind je ook op hun website

Nummer 04 Babouche – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Klein maar fijn. Dat is precies waar Café & Snack Babouche in de populaire straat Rue des Banques aan voldoet. Zelfs de zitplaatsen (ook buiten) zijn maar klein, maar ook leuk en authentiek Marokkaans. Net als de naam Babouche; de Marokkaanse slof / instapper waar alle Marokkanen zo graag op lopen en die je in duizenden variaties en kleuren overal te koop ziet. Ze zijn namelijk super praktisch om de msokee mee naar binnen te gaan waar je je schoenen moet uitdoen bij binnenkomst. Bij Babouche heb je de keuze uit verschillende Marokkaanse tajines (de stoofpotjes met het punthoofd deksel) en couscous. En ze hebben ook (sandwich) wraps, burgers (ook vegan) en heerlijke groente pizza’s en vruchtencocktails. De prijzen zijn ook klein en fijn en er is een dagmenu.

Nummer 05 Henna Art Cafe – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Zoals de naam Henna Art Café al zegt is dit meer dan alleen maar een restaurant. Je kunt hier ook biologisch verantwoorde henna tatoeage op je huid laten schilderen. op een heel wat aangenamere manier dan de opdringerige verkoopdames op het plein Jemaa el Fna. Het eten is er vegetarisch en met een leuke twist. Of zoals de eigenaren die ook het fameuze Riad El Fenn managen het verwoorden: “naast de Marokkaanse selectie van vegan, vegetarische en ook glutenvrije gerechten vermaken wij ons met fusion gerechten; een leuke mengeling van verschillende culturen. Onze burrito’s en enchilladas worden geserveerd op een populair Marokkaans brood dat een verrassende twist aan een tortilla geeft. Onze kip en couscous met pindasaus leent zich van een eeuwenoude Marokkaanse favoriet om hem te onderscheiden van zijn Aziatische tegenhanger. Lekker eten tegen eerlijke prijzen met soepen en salades vanaf 25 dirham en hoofdgerechten vanaf 40 dirham”.

Nummer 06 Jardins Dar Mimoun – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Nog zo’n verborgen parel; de paleistuin van Jardin Dar Mimoun. Overal is de combinatie van verschillende Marokkaanse salades altijd overheerlijk bij Dar Mimoun kunnen we het haast uitmuntend noemen. Met daarnaast een pastilla als hoofd in plaats van als bijgerecht heb je dan een heerlijke maaltijd. Pastilla is een Marokkaans gerecht dat je geproefd moet hebben. Een bijzondere combinatie van hartig en zoet met amandelspijs en poedersuiker. De echte pastilla is van duif. Voor wie dat niet aandurft is er ook kip of vis. Je kunt de pastilla ook delen als voorgerecht, het is best machtig, zodat je voldoende plaats over houdt voor het top hoofgerecht van Dar Mimoun: kip met tomatensaus met honing. Een zoet en zacht gerecht voor een zoet en zacht prijsje zoals het zelf heel sfeervol noemen. De gerechten zijn op en top Marokkaanse en de sfeer en inrichting van de tuin is ook op en top Marokkaans. Er zijn ook overdekte zitplaatsen. En met een groep kun je zelfs een deel van of de gehele tuin reserveren en er een Marokkaanse muziek optreden bij vragen. Voor reserveringen: T. 0524 44 34 38, restaurantdarmimoun@gmail.com of whatsapp M.00212661216821
Het restaurant is gelegen in een oase van rust in het drukke stadscentrum. Traditioneel, gezellig interieur met een al even traditionele keuken. Zeer lekker gegeten en gedronken. Het zijn mooie porties. Ook bij een plantaardig dieet, zijn er opties. De prijzen zijn zeer correct.

Nummer 07 Dardar Rooftop – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

De dakterrassen van veel Riad’s bieden prachtig uitzicht. Zo ook die van Dardar, wat eigenlijk huishuis betekent. Het prachtige uitzicht bij zonsondergang leent zich uitermate goed voor de heerlijkste tapas en andere gerechten. Het volledige menu staat op hun website: Dardar Rooftop Restaurant. Bj zonsondergang is dit misschien wel de meest geliefde plek van Marrakech. Reserveren absoluut noodzakelijk. Ook op andere momenten van de dag en avond is het uitzicht prachtig. De menukaart is vol variatie met lekker veel verschillende tapas en veel verschillende cocktails (ook met alcohol) en fruitdrankjes. Daar alleen al van kun je een hele avond genieten. Voor je portemonnee is het wel goed om te weten dat alcohol in Marokko niet goedkoop is.

Nummer 08 Koulchi Zine Rooftop Restaurant – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Ook op het rooftop dakterras van Koulchi Zine (alles is lekker) kijk je je ogen uit. Van de verlichting, de sfeer en het koele briesje dat in de avond Marrakech verwent kun je hier alleen maar genieten. Vegans en vegetariers hebben hier ook volop keuzen. Klassieke Marokkaanse gerechten als couscous met tfaya (gekarameliseerde ui met rozijnen) en ook de in de houtkooltjes van de hammam langzaam gaar gestoofde vleesmelange uit de Tanjia kun je hier bestellen.

Nummer 09 Cafe Mazel – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Niet alleen om te eten ook als koffie of drankjestop niet te versmaden. Klassieker is haast hun orangade of lemonade als op en top verfirrsingsdrankje op een warme dag. Deze verfrissende cocktail met de bijzondere oranjebloesem uit Marrakech is een van de must have’s die je in Marrakech geproefd moet hebben. De cocktail is er ook in de gemengde variant (sinaasappel en limoen) of in een detox versie (met gember en munt).
Ook de broodjes Falafel zijn hier wonderbaarlijk en verraden waarom het café voor een naam uit het midden oosten heeft gekozen. Het grote café terras kijkt niet voor niks uit op de entree van de joodse wijk: Mellah. Dat deze naam verwijst naar zout alleen al is een prachtig verhaal uit de tijd dat zout misschien wel meer waard was dan goud.

Nummer 10 Kosy Bar – nicest small great restaurant in Marrakech / Marrakesh

Ook hier is het de eerste indruk vanaf het prachtige terras dat direct maakt dat je hier wel wilt aanschuiven voor een prachtige avond. Gelegen aan het ’s avonds zo heerlijk rustige joodse pleintje. Voor de liefhebbers is er een goed glas (ook Marokkanse) wijn.

Voor de extra wandelroute vanaf Bab Rob / Bab Agnaou eerst naar Les Tombeaux Saadien.
Daarvoor (of er na) koffie bij Cafe Zeitoun Kasbah en dan te voet naar het Paleis El Badii
Daar precies boven ligt het Joodse plein – place Mellah (officeel adres Place des Ferblantiers
met oa. het dakterras van de Kosybar (nr. 10 van leukste restaurants met ook alcohol vergunning) en het straatterras met uitzicht op de ingang van de Joodse wijk zelf: Café Mazel met lekkere broodjes falafel en overheerlijke verfrissingsdrankjes met oranjebloesem en bruiswater. Vraag naar de ORANGADE of LEMONADE of de mix. Ze hebben ook een detox versie met komkommer en gember.

Riad Les Oliviers ligt midden in de Rue de la Bahia (no. 45 en no. 47) juist ten noorden van het Bahia Paleis
Aanlooproute door de Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid die voor het Bahia paleis langs loopt.