Forget tagines and couscous. Morocco’s cafe culture is its best-kept culinary secret
The country’s deep, rich coffees, indulgent pastries and traditional bakes are a real treat, from Marrakech to Shepherd’s Bush
Moroccan restaurants are a mainstay of most major cities in the UK — colourful interiors, decorative lanterns and tea glasses and menus filled with tagines, couscous and grilled meats. On any visit to Morocco, however, the country’s cafe culture reveals itself as the defining feature of daily life.
From Marrakech to Fez, streets are lined with spots perfect for people watching over a mint tea or qahwa nus-nus, a small glass cup filled with equal proportions of steamed milk and deep, dark espresso. I’ve been a fan of this drink ever since my first sip more than 15 years ago. It’s a simple thing that, for some reason, even the most proficient UK baristas seem unable to replicate.
A legacy of the 40 years the nation spent under French colonial rule, patisserie has also become a cherished culinary art in Morocco. Most cafes offer a selection of flaky, buttery delights, including Paris-Brest, mille-feuille, croissants and madeleines. The baguettes tend to rival anything you can pick up in their native country too.
On a recent trip to Marrakech and Essaouira over the Easter holiday I enjoyed plenty of French petit déjeuners. The cafe complet set menu is offered widely, including freshly squeezed orange juice, a hot drink, savoury pastry, sweet pastry and baguette with rich, golden butter and jam.
Other establishments serve ftour beldi. The traditional Moroccan morning meal typically comprises boiled or fried eggs, honey, jam, butter, cured meats and a traditional flatbread pancake known as msemen.
For anyone yet to experience the joy of msemen, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. Made from wheat flour, water and yeast, the dough is laminated, spread with ghee and rolled out into thin sheets, then pan fried. Once eaten, its distinctive combination of crisp exterior and flaky inner layers is never forgotten.
It can often be found as a street food snack, topped with honey, Nutella, cream cheese or eaten plain. Most hotels across the country also have a msemen station at the breakfast buffet and, judging by the place where I stayed, they’re a hit with a truly global clientele.
Bacha Coffee, in the heart of Marrakech, has a vibe that’s half-museum and half-influencer cafe of dreams. Obviously, it’s incredibly popular with tourists. I, however, suggest you skip the two-hour wait for a seat and head to the upmarket neighbourhood of Gueliz and the 1920s colonial opulence of Le Grand Café de la Poste.
There’s nowhere better to experience the old-school charm than this stunning establishment, housed in the city’s former main post office. The building features monochrome tiled floors, old-fashioned overhead fans and a palm-lined terrace. Open from 9am to 1am, diners can visit for breakfast and brasserie lunches right through to midnight drinks. Prices are higher than elsewhere in the city, but still decent value compared to the UK, with a cappuccino coming in at 40 Moroccan dirhams (£3.20) and a nus-nus at 30 dirhams (£2.40). A decadent slice of chocolate lava cake with ice cream comes in at 105 dirhams (£8.40) and French toast with ice cream at 50 dirhams (£4).
For visitors seeking a more traditional feel, Dar Cherifa is a stunning riad (garden courtyard) located in the back alleys near Jemaa el-Fnaa square, with an unassuming facade that opens into the most majestic courtyard. Limewashed walls, intricately mosaiced archways, Islamic carvings and white linen-covered tables create the perfect space to catch some respite from the loud haggling in the souks with a coffee or some mint tea (35 dirhams/£2.80), warming harira soup (150 dirhams/£12) and fried borek (130 dirhams/£10.40). Sitting beneath the open sky with birds flying overhead, there’s no more idyllic way to while away a couple of hours.
Back in London and seeking to get another fix of my favourite Moroccan speciality, I was eager to check out the recently opened Msimen in west London. Serving up titular wraps including spicy chicken, merguez (both £8.95), haloumi (£7.95) and honey (£4.95). Whilst the msemen loses something by being pre-prepared the day prior, resulting in a less flaky and crisp experience, the concept is still a good one. Using it as a wrap offers a welcome alternative to the usual pita or tortilla and brings to mind 2025’s much-hyped paratha burger trend. The harissa mayo that accompanied the spicy chicken also provided a welcome kick.
For Moroccan tea and coffee, Maison Souss, has been a Shepherd’s Bush fixture for more than 30 years — way before the emergence of the Westfield shopping centre and the area’s skyrocketing gentrification. I have been visiting for at least 20 years, back when a cafe still doing business beyond 7pm was a rarity.
Open every day from 7am until midnight serving loyal members of the Moroccan community and anyone else who’s wise enough to stop by for an evening mille-feuille (£3.50) and cup of mint tea (£3) or a quick savoury pastry (£3-£5), it’s a place that represents all the things I love most about the city I call home: a friendly, family run spot with no frills, interesting customers from around the world and a cake display that leaves you salivating. While nus-nus is not formally on the menu, patrons in the know can still grab one for £3.20 and watch the world go by on the busy Uxbridge Road outside.
Not quite Marrakech, but it’s a pretty good substitute.
