bars · Marrakech
The best nights in Marrakech start at these addresses — award-winning cocktail rooms, beloved locals' haunts and views worth ordering a second round for. All rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Medina (La Mamounia) · $$
La Mamounia's jazz-age bar honors its most loyal guest with leather club chairs, black lacquer, and nightly piano. Cocktails are impeccable and priced like the palace around them.
Insider tip: Dress smart and come after 9pm when the pianist is playing.
Gueliz · $$
A 1925 colonial post-office building turned brasserie-bar, with rattan chairs, ceiling fans, and a long aperitif hour. It is where Gueliz meets for a gin fizz before dinner.
Insider tip: Sit on the wraparound terrace between 6pm and 8pm rather than booking the formal dining room.
Hivernage · $$
A two-storey Hivernage institution where dinner escalates into belly-dance cabaret late each evening. The ground-floor bar and garden pour some of the city's most reliable cocktails.
Insider tip: Book a dinner table around 9:30pm so you are seated when the show begins.
Medina (Rahba Kedima) · $
The rooftop cafe that made the spice square a destination, pouring fresh orange juice, mint tea, and spiced coffee above the carpet sellers. No alcohol here; the intoxicant is the view.
Insider tip: Claim the top terrace an hour before sunset and order the cinnamon-spiced coffee.
Medina (opposite Koutoubia) · $$
A plant-filled rooftop facing the Koutoubia minaret head-on, with cocktails, Moroccan-Asian plates, and DJs from sundown. It is the medina's liveliest licensed roof.
Insider tip: Reserve a front-rail table before sunset; the Koutoubia lights up just after dusk.
Medina (Bab el Ksour) · $$
Candy-striped daybeds and a head-on Koutoubia view made this boutique-riad roof the city's favorite sundowner. Spritzes and mezze arrive as the swifts start circling the minaret.
Insider tip: Arrive by 5:30pm in high season to secure a daybed for sunset.
March–May & September–November
Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
Arabic (Darija) and French; English common in tourism
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Three days covers the medina, the major palaces and gardens, and a hammam; add a fourth for an Atlas Mountains or Agafay Desert trip. Riad life rewards slow mornings, so resist over-scheduling.