Ouarzazate welcomes travellers all year round, but most stay only one night. You arrive late from the Tizi n'Tichka or the gorges, look for a table, and often end up at the first lit doorway. This guide is our answer to the question we are asked most: where should we eat tonight?
A word of transparency first. This journal is written by La Table du Berbère, and our own table opens the list. The rest of the selection is sincere: these are the addresses we recommend to our guests when they spend several evenings in town.
1. La Table du Berbère, Tifoultoute
Our restaurant is set inside Riad Chay, in the village of Tifoultoute, ten minutes from the centre. We cook the food of this region and nothing else: tagines simmered in clay, couscous rolled by hand, pastilla folded in the morning, rfissa for big occasions. Each evening you compose your own menu with a starter, a main course and a dessert, prepared specifically for your table. Dinner is served in the stone dining room, on the patio, or on the roof when the night is clear. Reservation required: the kitchen prepares exactly what you have chosen.
2. The kasbah tables in the centre
Around Kasbah Taourirt and Avenue Mohammed V, several restaurants serve solid Moroccan cooking in traditional salon settings. They are practical if you sleep in town and do not want to drive again. Ask for the dishes of the day rather than the full menu: they are usually better.
3. Terraces with a view
A few restaurants in the centre and along the Zagora road have terraces open to the town and the Atlas. They are pleasant at sunset for tea or a light dinner. Check opening hours before you go: out of season some close early.
4. Hotel restaurants
The larger hotels in town have restaurants that happily welcome non-residents. The mood is more international and the service more formal. A safe option for groups.
How to choose
If you want to taste Berber cooking the way it is made in the villages, book ahead at a table that cooks to order. If you are short on time and sleeping in the centre, the kasbah tables will serve you well. In every case, call ahead: in Ouarzazate, kitchens work mostly in the evening and like to know how many they are cooking for.
To tell a careful kitchen from a fast one, see seven signs of an authentic Moroccan restaurant; for terraces and sunsets, rooftop restaurants in Ouarzazate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book? With us, yes, always. Elsewhere, it is advisable at weekends and in high season.
Can I eat late? Most kitchens serve until 10 pm. After that, choice shrinks quickly.
Are there vegetarian options? Yes, almost everywhere. At La Table du Berbère, vegetable tagines, seven vegetable couscous and Moroccan salads are on the menu every evening.
