Marrakech dining
Coffee Shops and Specialty Coffee in Marrakech
Marrakech runs on coffee, but on two parallel tracks. There is the old café culture — pavement tables, strong milky nous-nous and hours of watching the street go by — and a newer wave of specialty roasters serving flat whites and single-origin pour-overs to a modern crowd. Knowing which you are in the mood for is half the pleasure.
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- 7 min
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- Marrakech dining
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Nous-nous — half espresso, half milk — is the classic local order.
- Traditional cafés are about the ritual and the street, not the bean.
- Specialty coffee has arrived in force in Gueliz and around the medina.
- Ask for coffee less sweet unless you want the default heavy sugar.
The traditional café and how to order
The classic Moroccan café is a social institution — often male-dominated in the old medina, with rows of chairs facing the street for people-watching over a long, slow cup. The coffee itself is French-influenced and usually served sweet. Learning a few orders lets you get exactly what you want rather than the default.
- Nous-nous: literally 'half-half', an espresso cut with an equal measure of hot milk — the everyday favourite.
- Qahwa kahla: black coffee, like an espresso or long black.
- Café cassé: an espresso 'broken' with just a splash of milk.
- Qahwa m'hers: spiced coffee, sometimes with a hint of pepper, cardamom or sesame in some homes and cafés.
- Bla sukkar: 'without sugar' — say it up front, as sweet is often the default.
The specialty coffee wave
Over the past decade a genuine third-wave scene has taken root, driven by returning Moroccans, expats and a younger local crowd. These cafés roast or source good beans, train baristas properly, and serve the flat whites, cortados, V60 pour-overs and cold brews you would expect in any European coffee city. Many double as calm, laptop-friendly workspaces and stylish brunch spots.
The heart of this scene is Gueliz, the modern district, with more outposts appearing around the medina fringes and in design-led riads. If a proper espresso or a single-origin filter matters to you, this is where to head rather than the old street cafés.
Coffee, mint tea and the daily rhythm
It is worth remembering that in Morocco tea, not coffee, is the deeper ritual — mint tea is the drink of hospitality and the one you will be offered everywhere. Coffee occupies a slightly different, more urban and French-inflected space. A good day here often means a morning coffee at a pavement café and an afternoon or evening glass of mint tea on a rooftop.
For where those rooftop teas and sunset drinks happen, see the rooftop guide, and to understand the tea ritual itself a cooking class often includes pouring the perfect glass.
Frequently asked questions
What is nous-nous coffee?
Nous-nous means 'half-half' in Moroccan Arabic — an espresso cut with an equal measure of hot milk, similar to a small, strong latte. It is the everyday coffee order in Marrakech, served in a small glass. Ask for it 'bla sukkar' if you want it without the usual sugar.
Can you get good specialty coffee in Marrakech?
Yes. Over the last decade a real third-wave scene has grown, concentrated in the modern Gueliz district and around the medina fringes. These cafés serve properly made flat whites, cortados, pour-overs and cold brew, often in stylish, laptop-friendly spaces. Seek them out if the bean quality matters to you.
Is Moroccan coffee always sweet?
It is often served sweet by default, both in sugar and in the milky nous-nous style. To control it, order 'bla sukkar' (without sugar) or ask for less. Traditional street cafés lean sweet; the newer specialty coffee shops let you take it however you like.
Coffee or mint tea in Marrakech?
Both, at different moments. Mint tea is the deeper ritual and the drink of hospitality, offered everywhere and ideal in the afternoon or on a rooftop. Coffee is the more urban, French-influenced morning drink. A classic day mixes a morning café coffee with an afternoon glass of tea.