TOP COFFEE SPOTS IN MARRAKECH
COFFEE is key to the street culture here in Marrakech. But with so much choice, where do you start? Here are our top five spots for a coffee.
CHEZ BISMILAH
At his tiny coffee place just around the corner from Ben Youssef Medersa, owner Rahil lovingly makes each cup of coffee in the traditional Saharian way. Mixing ground coffee with spices and iced water, he then warms the coffee in small brass pots on hot sand. The gentle warming and even heat produces a dense, creamy cup of almost Turkish-like coffee that you can drink on the terrace above.
:: 193 Souk el Kebir. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm and Sat/Sun 9am-7pm.
NOUS NOUS
You won’t find menus filled with twenty different bean varieties or the choice between a drip, cold or French press in traditional Marrakech cafes. But that’s why we love them. Take a seat in any one of the city’s pavement cafes and you’ll be able to order just two types of coffee: espresso – or the mighty nous nous. Nous nous means ‘half half’ in Moroccan Arabic and the coffee is just that – half coffee, half milk, served in a glass with sugar on the side. Just sit back, enjoy and watch life unfold around you.
CAFE DE LA POSTE
Step back in time on the palm-lined terraces of Le Grand Café de la Poste. Housed in the former post office building constructed in the 1920s, Café de la Poste harks back to a bygone era with floors tiled in monochrome checks, fans whirring overhead and a palm-lined terrace. It’s best known for lunch and dinner but is also a great place to stop for a morning coffee before shopping in Gueliz.
:: Le Grand Café de la Poste, Angle Boulevard El Mansour Eddahbi et Rue el Imam Malik. Open daily 9am to midnight.
CAFE DE FRANCE
It’s an oldie – but a goodie. Cafe de France opened in 1912 and has survived for more than a century because of one important thing: the view. This isn’t the place for a matcha or oat milk latte. But grab a seat on one of the upper balconies overlooking Djemaa el Fna in late afternoon, order a regular coffee and wait for sunset. As the sky burns pink over the Atlas mountains, the square below bursts into life with food stalls, snake charmers and storytellers jostling for a piece of the action.
:: Cafe de France, Djemaa el Fna – Open every day early until late.
BACHA COFFEE
You might need to queue to get a coffee here – but it’s worth the wait. The former residence of Marrakech’s last pasha was reopened in 2017 as the home of the Museum of Cultural Confluences – which explores Morocco’s rich cultural heritage. Bacha Coffee, housed in the main courtyard, serves dozens of varieties of 100% Arabica coffee alongside other drinks and light meals all served against a stunning decorative backdrop. Think white-jacketed waiters, sumptuous traditional Moroccan design and a seriously elegant cup of coffee.
:: Dar El Bacha, Rte Sidi Abdelaziz. Open 10am-6pm daily (except Mondays).
