Modern & café · Gueliz (new city)
Gueliz Modern Food & Café Tour
Cross out of the Medina into Gueliz and Marrakech changes register entirely: wide boulevards, Art Deco façades, specialty coffee, wine bars, patisseries and a young Moroccan chef scene reworking tradition. This tour trades souk grit for the city's contemporary side — third-wave espresso, French-Moroccan pastry, natural wine, and modern takes on tagine and street food from a generation cooking for locals as much as tourists.
- Duration
- 2–3 hours
- Best time
- Late afternoon into evening
- Pace
- Easy, flat pavements
- Area
- Gueliz (new city)
Overview
Gueliz is the ville nouvelle laid out in the French Protectorate era, and it has become the engine of modern Marrakech dining. Where the Medina preserves tradition, Gueliz experiments: specialty roasters pulling proper espresso, patissiers marrying French technique with orange-blossom and argan, and a rising cohort of Moroccan chefs plating contemporary versions of home cooking.
This is the tour for a change of pace — flat, walkable pavements, chairs and tables, cards accepted, and a more relaxed café culture. It also shows a truer picture of how younger, urban Moroccans eat and socialise, which is as much a part of Marrakech's food story as the night stalls.
What you'll taste
- Specialty coffee — Single-origin espresso and pour-over from a new wave of Marrakech roasters — a world away from the sugary nous-nous café standard.
- French-Moroccan patisserie — Éclairs and tarts perfumed with orange blossom, argan and almond — Parisian technique, Moroccan flavour.
- Modern Moroccan plates — Contemporary tagines, deconstructed street food and seasonal small plates from young chefs cooking for a local crowd.
- Natural & Moroccan wine — Bottles from the vineyards around Meknès and beyond, poured in Gueliz wine bars — Morocco has a real wine industry.
- Artisan ice cream & sorbet — Gelaterias doing figue de barbarie (prickly pear), date and orange-blossom scoops.
- Nous-nous & mint tea — The classic half-coffee-half-milk and the ever-present mint tea, done at pavement cafés for people-watching.
The route
- 1
A specialty roaster
Begin with a proper espresso or pour-over to see how far Marrakech coffee has come beyond the sweet café standard.
- 2
Marché Central area
Wander the new-city market and food shops for a Gueliz take on produce, cheese and deli goods.
- 3
A modern patisserie
French-Moroccan pastries — orange-blossom éclairs, argan tarts — eaten at the counter.
- 4
Contemporary Moroccan table
A small plate or modern tagine from a young-chef kitchen reinterpreting home cooking.
- 5
Wine or cocktail bar
A glass of Moroccan wine or a fig cocktail — Gueliz is where the city drinks openly.
- 6
Pavement café finish
Close with a nous-nous or mint tea watching the boulevard, the way locals spend an evening.
When to go & what it costs
Late afternoon into evening suits Gueliz — coffee and pastry earlier, plates and wine as the evening opens up. Unlike the Medina, the new city's café and bar culture runs comfortably late, and its flat pavements make for relaxed strolling. Weekends are lively with young Marrakchis out socialising.
Cost & cash: Pricier than the Medina — closer to European café prices — but cards are widely accepted here.
Insider tips
- This is where cards work and prices resemble Europe — a useful contrast to cash-only souk food.
- For coffee beyond the sweet standard, seek out the specialty roasters that have opened in recent years.
- Morocco makes real wine around Meknès; a Gueliz wine bar is the easy place to try it.
- Dress smart-casual — Gueliz skews more cosmopolitan than the Medina.
- Pair a Gueliz evening with a Medina day for the full range of how Marrakech eats.
Etiquette & how to eat like a local
- Alcohol is served openly in Gueliz bars and some restaurants, unlike most of the Medina — drink discreetly and respectfully.
- Tipping a few dirhams or rounding up is normal in sit-down cafés and restaurants here.
- Public dress is more relaxed than the old city but still keep it tasteful.
- Reservations help at the popular modern restaurants on weekend evenings.
- As ever, ask before photographing staff or other diners.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gueliz worth visiting for food, or should I stay in the Medina?
Both, ideally. The Medina is tradition and street food; Gueliz is contemporary Marrakech — specialty coffee, modern Moroccan cooking, wine bars and patisserie. Together they show the full picture of how the city eats, from night stalls to chef's tables.
Can you drink alcohol in Marrakech?
Yes, in licensed venues — many Gueliz restaurants, wine bars and hotels serve alcohol, and Morocco produces its own wine near Meknès. It is less visible in the Medina. Drink in licensed places and be respectful, as Morocco is a Muslim country.
Where do I find good coffee in Marrakech?
The standard café coffee is strong and sweet, but a new wave of specialty roasters in Gueliz now pull proper single-origin espresso and pour-over. If you care about coffee, the new city is where to look rather than the Medina.
How does Gueliz pricing compare to the Medina?
Higher — closer to European café prices — but cards are widely accepted, portions and settings are more Western, and you are paying for a different experience. Street food in the Medina remains far cheaper and cash-only.
Cook what you tasted
Loved something on the walk? Take it home. Learn the dish hands-on with a Marrakech chef, or follow a free step-by-step recipe.