Planning

Moroccan Breakfast — What to Expect and Where to Eat

Moroccan breakfast is one of the quiet revelations of a Morocco trip — a generous spread of fresh breads, honey, butter, olive oil, olives, cheese, amlou, eggs, and mint tea that is nothing like the quick-and-light continental breakfast most visitors expect. At a riad, it is often the best meal of the day, served on a rooftop terrace with Atlas Mountain views. This guide tells you exactly what to expect.

The standard Moroccan breakfast spread

A typical Moroccan breakfast includes several types of fresh bread — khobz (round bread), msemen (flaky flatbread), baghrir (honeycomb pancakes) — alongside butter, honey, olive oil, soft cheese (jben), olives, amlou (argan-almond butter), hard-boiled eggs, and a pot of mint tea. In riads, you may also get fresh orange juice, seasonal fruit, yoghurt with honey, and Moroccan crepes. The spread is always generous — far more food than one person can eat.

The street breakfast

Working Moroccans eat a simpler breakfast on the go: a bowl of bissara (fava bean soup) with bread, or sfenj (fried dough rings) with sugar and tea. This costs 10-15 MAD (1-1.50 USD) and is available from dawn at street stalls throughout the medina. The cafe breakfast — coffee, a croissant, and fresh orange juice — is a legacy of the French protectorate and available everywhere.

Where to eat breakfast in Marrakech

Your riad is almost always the best option — most riads include breakfast in the room rate, and it is served on the terrace or in the courtyard. If your accommodation does not include breakfast, neighbourhood cafes throughout the medina serve the standard bread-and-tea spread. For the most authentic experience, eat at a street-side stall: a bowl of bissara, two sfenj, and a glass of mint tea for under 15 MAD.

Drinks at breakfast

Mint tea (atay b'naanaa) is the default breakfast drink. It is brewed with Chinese gunpowder green tea, a generous handful of fresh spearmint, and a large quantity of sugar. You can ask for it less sweet ('shwiya sukkar'). Coffee — usually a nuss-nuss (half coffee, half steamed milk, like a latte) — is the alternative. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is available everywhere in Marrakech and costs 5-10 MAD. Tap water should be avoided; bottled water is always available.

Practical tips

Do not skip breakfast at your riad — it is often the most memorable meal of the day.
Try amlou on msemen — the combination of flaky bread and argan-almond butter is one of Morocco's greatest flavour pairings.
Baghrir (honeycomb pancakes) should be soaked with melted butter and honey — they are sponges designed to absorb.
For the full street-breakfast experience, go out before 8am — the best stalls close by mid-morning.
Ask your riad for 'petit-dejeuner marocain complet' to get the full traditional spread.