The three areas to eat around the tombs
The Kasbah has no big shopping street. The places to eat are in three spots, all within walking distance of the Saadian Tombs.
- Rue de la Kasbah and its side alleys. This is the street that leads to the tombs' entrance, along the mosque. It has cafés, small tagine restaurants and a few riad-restaurants hidden behind discreet doors. Dining rooms are often upstairs, with a terrace.
- Around Bab Agnaou. On the ramparts side, a few terraces and snack bars take advantage of the passing groups. The location is convenient, but the menus here are often the most standardized.
- The Place des Ferblantiers, about ten minutes on foot towards the El Badi Palace: a square lined with lantern workshops and terraces. It is the best option if you want to stay on the route of the monuments. See the page on the Place des Ferblantiers.
For a proper sit-down meal in a calm setting, the Kasbah is more restful than the terraces of Jemaa el-Fna, but the choice is narrower.
What you eat here
The cuisine is that of all Marrakech, served à la carte or as a set menu:
- tagines (chicken with olives and preserved lemon, lamb with prunes, vegetables);
- couscous, traditionally served on Friday at midday, sometimes to order in small restaurants;
- a variety of Moroccan salads as starters, and harira in the cooler season;
- freshly squeezed orange juice and mint tea, everywhere.
Our guide to what to eat in Marrakech covers the dishes worth trying.
When to have lunch
The tombs open at 9am and close at 5pm; the queue in front of the Hall of the Twelve Columns grows around 10:30am. The simplest plan is to visit at opening, then have lunch a little before or after the midday peak, when terraces are less full. Organized groups fill the dining rooms mostly around 1pm: at that hour, a table may mean a wait.
How to spot a good place
A few simple signs are worth more than a list of addresses:
- a readable menu, in Arabic or in French with prices displayed, rather than a menu without prices;
- Moroccan customers at lunchtime, a sign of a kitchen that cooks regularly;
- a visible kitchen, or a dish of the day on a slate;
- no tout at the door: a good restaurant does not need to stop passers-by.
A few established places in the area, mentioned without any guarantee about menu or prices: Café Clock (derb Chtouka), a cultural café with a rooftop terrace and a menu of salads, sandwiches and Moroccan dishes; and, on the Place des Ferblantiers, the terraces facing the lantern workshops. Always check opening times before you go: several places in the Kasbah close on Monday or between services.
Pitfalls to avoid
- "The restaurant is over there, it's open": a passer-by leads you to a place that pays him a commission, sometimes more expensive than average. Choose for yourself.
- A menu without prices, or a "tourist" menu whose price changes at the end of the meal: ask the price before ordering, dish by dish.
- Little extras: bread, olives or nibbles put on the table are sometimes charged. Ask whether they are included, or politely decline.
- Carriages and taxis at the square that offer to "take you to the best restaurant": same commissions.
- Bottled water: it must arrive sealed, with the cap intact. Our article on scams to avoid in Marrakech covers the other scenarios.
A break without a full lunch
If you would rather snack, the Kasbah's cafés serve msemen, a pastry or mint tea at modest prices. Our guide to cafés and pastries in Marrakech has more ideas. Carry water: from May to September the afternoon can exceed 35 °C and the palace courtyards offer little shade.
Continuing the walk
After lunch, reach the El Badi Palace in ten minutes, then the Mellah and the Bahia: the full route is in our Kasbah and Mellah walk. To place the district, see the page on the Kasbah of Marrakech.
