What to know before choosing
The Koutoubia Mosque is visited from the outside, with its free gardens. The area has no street canteens: it is restaurants and terraces, open mostly from noon until late. The evening stalls and mechoui counters are on Jemaa el-Fna square, described in our guide where to eat near Jemaa el-Fna. To place the area, see around the Koutoubia.
| Place | Style | Distance from the mosque |
|---|---|---|
| Kabana | Rooftop, Mediterranean cooking | Next door, Koutoubia square |
| Café des Épices | Café, 3 floors, terrace | Rahba Kedima, about a quarter of an hour on foot |
| La Terrasse des Épices | Terrace, Moroccan and Mediterranean | Souk Cherifia, about a quarter of an hour on foot |
| Café Clock | Café, Moroccan cooking | Kasbah, about fifteen minutes |
Times are walking estimates, to adapt to the pace of the medina.
Right opposite the minaret
Kabana is the area's landmark: a rooftop restaurant and bar at the medina entrance, Koutoubia square (Avenue Mohammed V). It faces the mosque and offers Mediterranean cooking with a sushi bar, plus a daytime brunch. Sources give opening from 11am to 1 or 2am; book at weekends, as the terrace fills before 1pm in season. You mostly pay for the view: check the menu before sitting down.
Toward the Rahba Kedima and the souks
North of Jemaa el-Fna, around the spice square (Rahba Kedima) and the souks, two places are often cited:
- Café des Épices: a three-floor café with a terrace, open roughly 9am to 11pm according to listings, no reservations. In the morning it is a good breakfast before the souks of Marrakech.
- La Terrasse des Épices: a rooftop terrace in Souk Cherifia serving Moroccan and Mediterranean cooking, with a view of the Koutoubia minaret; booking recommended.
On the Kasbah side
Café Clock, in the Kasbah district, is a café-restaurant open roughly 9am to 11pm according to listings, known for its camel burger and weekend music evenings. It is a pleasant stop if you continue to the Saadian Tombs: our guide where to eat near the Saadian Tombs details that area.
Traps to avoid
- Touts who pull you toward a terrace with a fake "tourist menu": a polite refusal is enough.
- Unposted prices: ask for the written price before ordering; see our scams to avoid in Marrakech.
- Extras you did not order: bread, olives and drinks put down unasked end up on the bill.
- The paid view: a tea on a terrace facing the mosque costs more than on a street further away.
- Water: see our guide to toilets and tap water in Marrakech.
Planning your meal
Visit the mosque and gardens in the morning, before the heat, then have lunch on a rooftop around 12:30. For a simpler meal, walk toward Jemaa el-Fna. The dishes to try are described in what to eat in Marrakech, and the budget in our trip budget for Marrakech.
