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Ways in

Morocco for food

This is for you if you plan your days around meals. Moroccan food changes from city to city, the best of it is cheap, and every meal starts or ends with mint tea. The short answer: Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira in 5 to 7 days, eating where the locals queue and saying yes to every glass of tea.

The trip shape

Fes → Marrakech → Essaouira · 5–7 days

Fly into Fes and out of Marrakech, or start in Marrakech and finish with fish by the sea.

What to eat where

CityTryWhat it is
MarrakechTanjiaMeat slow-cooked overnight in a clay urn, traditionally in the ashes of a hammam fire
MarrakechJemaa el-Fnaa stallsFood stalls, harira and fresh orange juice in the square at night
FesPastillaSweet and savoury pie in thin warqa pastry, traditionally with pigeon, now often chicken
FesJowhara and ma'qudaA milk pastilla served as dessert, and a potato fritter
Fes and TazaTaktoukaA cooked salad typical of Taza and Fes
EssaouiraGrilled sardinesFresh from the boats, grilled at the port stalls
MeknesOlives and mintMeknes is known for both
EverywhereCouscousOn UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2020, shared with Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia
EverywhereRfissaChicken, lentils and fenugreek with msemen or day-old bread, served at celebrations
Everywhere, in winterBissaraFava bean soup with olive oil, paprika and cumin

What food costs in Marrakech (2026)

  • Local breakfast: msemen with honey and mint tea15–25 MADOne source only
  • Fresh orange juice, Jemaa el-Fnaa stall4–10 MADStalls post their prices
  • Mint tea, local café, a pot5–10 MADTourist cafés ask up to 25
  • Tagine or couscous, local restaurant40–70 MADTourist restaurants charge 70–150
  • Jemaa el-Fnaa stall meal, per person30–80 MADCheck the posted price before you sit
  • Moroccan cooking class, per person280–490 MADAsk whether a market visit is included

Street food and the sardine grills

In Marrakech, eat a few streets away from Jemaa el-Fnaa and prices drop fast. In the square itself, the stalls are fun at night: check the posted price before you sit down and count your change.

In Essaouira, the port grills sell fish by the kilo. A plate of sardines with bread and salad is about 30–50 MAD (2026). Agree the price per fish and for the extras before anything goes on the grill.

Eating in Ramadan

During Ramadan, many local restaurants close in the day, while places for visitors usually stay open. At sunset the fast breaks with dates, water and harira soup, with chebakia (fried, honey-soaked pastry) and sellou on the table. The streets get busy just before iftar and come alive after it.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February, depending on the moon sighting in Morocco. Eating in public in the day is best avoided; buy water and snacks discreetly.

The cities on this route

MarrakechTanjia, the square and the souk spices.FesPastilla and the Fassi kitchen.EssaouiraSardines and the fish market.

What people ask

What is the national dish of Morocco?

Couscous is the one most people know, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2020.

How much is a tagine in Marrakech?

About 40–70 MAD in a local restaurant and 70–150 MAD in a tourist one (2026).

How much is food at Jemaa el-Fnaa?

About 30–80 MAD per person for a stall meal and 4–10 MAD for fresh orange juice (2026). Check the posted price before you sit down.

What is tanjia?

A Marrakech dish of meat slow-cooked overnight in a clay urn, traditionally in the ashes of a hammam fire.

Where can I take a cooking class?

Marrakech has many; a standard class costs about 280–490 MAD per person (2026).

Can I eat during Ramadan as a visitor?

Yes. Restaurants for visitors usually stay open in the day. Eat and drink discreetly in public.

What do Moroccans eat to break the fast?

Dates and water, then harira soup, with chebakia and sellou.

Is alcohol easy to find?

Pork and alcohol are uncommon in Moroccan food. Licensed hotels, bars and some restaurants sell alcohol.

How much is mint tea?

About 5–10 MAD a pot in a local café in Marrakech. See our mint tea index for other cities.

Next step

Food prices in MarrakechWhat a meal should cost, with sources.Spices and the soukFair prices for what you take home.Mint tea indexWhat a glass costs, city by city.Darija at the tableAsk for the bill, say it was good.Ramadan and halal travelFor Muslim travellers.
Sources · checked 2026-11-14
  1. Moroccan cuisine, Wikipedia
  2. Tangia, Wikipedia
  3. Pastilla, Wikipedia
  4. Rfissa, Wikipedia
  5. Bissara, Wikipedia
  6. UNESCO adds couscous to intangible heritage list, Al Jazeera (2020)
  7. Essaouira fish market and port, Nomado
  8. Where to eat in Essaouira, Nomado
  9. Marrakech food guide, Travell
  10. Where to eat in Marrakech, Nomado
  11. Marrakech budget ranges, Visiearth
  12. Marrakech cooking class, byFood
  13. Morocco travel costs, 22places
  14. Visiting Morocco during Ramadan, 22places (Jan 2026)
  15. Traveling to Morocco in Ramadan, Taste of Maroc
  16. Ramadan begins in Morocco, timeanddate (tentative 2027)
  17. Halal travel in Morocco, Journey Beyond Travel

Other ways in

Your first trip to MoroccoAl-Andalus in MoroccoFrom Spain to MoroccoMorocco for culture and historyMorocco for nature and adventureThe desert in MoroccoMorocco for Muslim travellersMorocco for the 2030 World CupMorocco with childrenMorocco as a woman travelling aloneMorocco on a budgetA honeymoon in MoroccoMorocco on screen: the film locationsA month or a winter in Morocco

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