Eat · Souks & Mouassine
Café des Épices
A rooftop-and-terrace café on Rahba Kedima square: go mid-morning or 16:00–18:00 as the rest stop inside the souks.
- Rooftop over Rahba Kedima
- Mint tea and salads
- Rest stop in the souks
- Order: Salads, tagines and tea
- Tables and stools
- Walk-in window: before 11:00
- Queue risk: 12:00–14:00
- Vegetarian options
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 11Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Taxis stop at a medina gate or square, not at the riad door
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- North Africa ↗Plan links between North African countries by air or by ferry via Europe; the only regularly usable land borders for visitors are Tunisia–Algeria and Morocco–Mauritania via Western Sahara.
- North Africa ↗Book Saharan nights (dunes, desert camps, oasis tours) between October and April; from May to September desert day temperatures regularly exceed 40 °C and many tours stop.
- Morocco ↗Check entry rules for your passport with the Moroccan consulate or official government sources before booking; visa exemptions depend on nationality.
- Morocco ↗The Moroccan dirham is a closed currency: you normally obtain it on arrival (ATMs, exchange desks) and change leftovers back before departure, keeping exchange receipts.
- Morocco ↗Do not bring a drone without prior authorisation: drones are routinely confiscated at customs.
- Morocco ↗During Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in the street in daylight; tourist restaurants and hotels still serve.
- Marrakech and the High Atlas ↗Dec–Feb: snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka pass and mountain roads for hours or days; ask your driver about the road before you leave.
- Marrakech ↗Taxis stop at a medina gate or square, not at the riad door: send your flight number and ask the riad to meet you at a named gate with a porter.
- Marrakech ↗Anyone who offers directions, says a road is closed or leads you to a shop or tannery expects payment: say no thanks and keep walking, or ask a shopkeeper.
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Map & directions
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Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Hours not published
Easiest walk-in
before 11:00
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Per person
MAD 10–202026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
Allergies and diets
- YesVegetarian · Easy: salads, vegetable tagines and eggs are on the menu. · say: “Bla lham, afak.”
- NoHalal · Meat in Morocco is normally halal; alcohol is not served (check). · say: “Halal?”
- AskGluten-free · Bread and couscous are staples; ask for grilled or salad options. · say: “Bla ghluten.”
Paying
- Prices are on the menu; ask before adding extras.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Not taken
- Note
- Walk-in.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
No shared language? Point at the dish or a photo of it. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| No, thank you | La, shukran | la shook-ran |
| How much is this? | Bsh-hal hada? | bish-hal ha-da |
| Too expensive | Ghali bzzaf | ga-lee bez-zaf |
| Without meat | Bla lham | bla lham |
| The bill, please | L-hsab, afak | el-h-sab a-fak |
| Hello | Salam / Bonjour | sa-lam / bon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Shukran | shook-ran |
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Tax and service: Check whether the bill includes them — Ask 'service compris?' before paying.
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
- Prices are on the menu; ask before adding extras.
At the table
- On the square, choose a stall with a numbered board and a visible price; agree before you sit.
- Do not accept a tout's help to 'find a good stall' on Jemaa el-Fnaa: it adds to the price.
- Bread and olives at the table are sometimes charged; ask 'kayn taman?' (is there a price?)
Paying, diet and allergies
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianyes
Easy: salads, vegetable tagines and eggs are on the menu.
Show: Bla lham, afak.
- Halalno
Meat in Morocco is normally halal; alcohol is not served (check).
Show: Halal?
- Gluten-freeask
Bread and couscous are staples; ask for grilled or salad options.
Show: Bla ghluten.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Tables and stools
- Kids
- kids' menu: no · stroller: poor · Plain dishes work for children; square-side tables are noisy
- Access
- step-free: partial · Ground floor tables on the square; terraces are up stairs
Hygiene
- Choose cooked dishes and peeled fruit if your stomach is sensitive on day one.
- Ask for bottled water; do not drink tap water or ice from unknown sources.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not taken — Walk-in.
- Capabilities
- food · seated_rest
- Diet
- vegetarian: yes · gluten free: unknown · halal: unknown
- Getting there
- Rahba Kedima square, next to the spice stalls · ~3 min walk
Cons
- Small tables fill at lunch.
- Terrace has little shade at noon.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Atay (mint tea) | Green tea with fresh mint and sugar, poured from height. | Say 'bla sukkar' for no sugar. |
| Salade marocaine | Cooked and raw salads: zaalouk, carrot, tomato. | A shared starter plate. |
| Tagine | Slow-cooked stew in a clay pot. | One per two people is a big lunch. |
| Jus d'orange | Fresh orange juice. | Squeezed to order. |
Price check
- locals pay
- Mint tea about MAD 10–20 at a local café (2026 estimate).
- tourist price
- Mint tea and coffee here run about MAD 25–40; main dishes MAD 80–160.
- rule
- Prices are on the menu; ask before adding extras.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tax and service | Check whether the bill includes them | Ask 'service compris?' before paying. |
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
What should I order?
Mint tea, a plate of salads or a tagine; go mid-morning or 16:00–18:00.Mint tea, a plate of salads or a tagine; go mid-morning or 4:00 PM–6:00 PM.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Do I need to book?
No. It is walk-in; lunch fills small tables.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
- Nomad1 min walkA rooftop restaurant on Rahba Kedima with modern Moroccan plates: go at 12:30 or book for sunset; a good pause in the souks.A rooftop restaurant on Rahba Kedima with modern Moroccan plates: go at 12:30 PM or book for sunset; a good pause in the souks.
- Mechoui alley (roast lamb stalls)2 min walkA row of stalls near Rahba Kedima that sell slow-roasted lamb by weight: go at lunch, ask the price per 100 g first.
- Jemaa el-Fnaa night food stalls7 min walkThe square's evening food stalls: go 18:00–20:30, pick a busy stall with a printed board and agree the price before you sit.The square's evening food stalls: go 6:00 PM–8:30 PM, pick a busy stall with a printed board and agree the price before you sit.
Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h).
All places to eat in Marrakech, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Marrakech in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Marrakech
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.