Cafe Mabrouk
off djemaa el-fna serves the same standard fare as everywhere else in a little courtyard or terrace.
Chez Chegrouni
Near the main entrance to the market. maybe the best cheap restaurant in the square. their vegetarian couscous dh 30 is supposedly the only true vegetarian couscous in town; it's also bland but they give you plenty of it. prices go up if you sit on the terrace. usually packed full of good-time tourists.
Cafe Arabe
is in the medina. They have a Moroccan and an Italian cook, so there are two menus to choose from. There is beautiful seating on three floors including the downstairs courtyard which is lovely for lunch. The top floor terrace has fantastic views over the medina and is great at sunset. You can lounge on their sofas whilst sipping a cocktail and watching the sun go down over the medina.
Earth Cafe
Situated in the medina is vegetarian-friendly. number 2, derb zawak, riad zitoun kedim, â+212 6054 4992, +212 6128 9402. also available are vegan alternatives and plenty of options for fruit and vegetable-based drinks.
Le Marrakchi
Is opposite the market and adjacent to the newspaper stand. with two main courses and wine running at around dh 300, this is one of the poshest restaurants in the square. the food is not necessarily better than elsewhere, but it is one of the few restaurants that serves alcohol. it also has a completely enclosed upstairs terrace, which is ideal for views of the square when the weather is bad.
Cafe Alhamra
Pl. djemaa el-fna, opposite cafã© de france. â+212 6504 7411. on the edge of the square, it serves up salads, pizza, and pasta as well as a tagine of the day. their rooftop is a good place to have a late night coffee and pastry while watching the events in the square below.
Chez El Bahia
Is 50m away from djemaa el-fna on rue riad zitoune the street that starts at wafa restaurant. it has excellent and well priced food in a quiet place. try the chicken and olives tajine as well as the prune, almonds, and mutton tajine for about dh 45 each. also try the moroccan salad while they cook the rest of the food.
Delhi Place Indian restaurant
Serves Indian cuisine and is decorated in the Indian style.
how to eat (well) in the djemaa el-fna
If you want to eat well in Marrakech, do what the locals do and eat at the food stalls in the square. It is a common misconception that these stalls are here for the tourists. Actually, they have been in existence long before Marrakech became a tourist destination. All of the stalls can be regarded as perfectly safe to eat at. They are strictly licensed and controlled by the government, especially now as it is a popular destination for tourists.
Some tips:
Prices tend to vary a little. Depending upon how hungry you are, you can pay anything from Dh 10 for a bread filled with freshly grilled sausages or perhaps a bowl of harira soup to Dh 100 for a full three course meal with salad, bread, starter, main course, and tea.
Try harira great soup, of lamb/beef, red lentils and vegetables and the fried aubergines. Don't be afraid-try the lamb head: it's really tasty. The "bull stew" beef stew should also be given a chance in the same stalls.
Don't miss the tea! There is a row of tea sellers along the front of the food stalls who each sell tea for Dh 1.5 each Dh 3 seemed the going rate as of 7/2011. Most of the tea at these stalls is actually ginseng tea with cinnamon and ginger... most delicious and welcoming. They also have cake, made of basically the same spices, which can be a bit overpowering.
All food stalls at Djemaa El Fna display the price on the menus, making it less likely you'll be overcharged, but many will bring starters to you without asking, then charge for them at the end.
Drinks are rarely on the menu so it is better to ask the price of them before ordering, as they can often be comparatively high. On the other hand some stalls offer free mint tea to encourage you to choose them.
Early mornings, look for people frying riifa in the covered part opposite the Koutoubia. Riifa is dough stretched and flattened and folded over, then cooked in a frying pan, and is best described as a Moroccan version of a pancake or crepe.