The French colonial new city built in 1913. Wide boulevards, Art Deco cafes, the licensed bars, the city's best contemporary restaurants: Al Fassia, +61, Azar, Amal Center, Plus61.
Run entirely by women since 1987, Al Fassia in Marrakech's Gueliz cooks the refined Fassi (Fez) repertoire under chef Saida Chab, daily lunch and dinner.
Signature: Lamb tagine with quince, Pigeon pastilla, Couscous Fassi
Order: The slow-cooked lamb tagine with caramelised quince, served with khobz bread.
Tip: Order tagines a la carte rather than the set menu; the kitchen's strength is single-dish patience, not coursing.
Azar in Marrakech's Gueliz blends Lebanese mezze and grills with Moroccan plates; live oriental dance and shisha bar after 21:00, 20-plus years running.
Signature: Mezze, Shawarma spit-roast, House hummus
Order: The shawarma cut to order from the spit, with the house hummus and pickles.
Tip: Children under 5 not admitted. Book a banquette away from the dance floor if you want quieter conversation.
Amal Center in Marrakech's Gueliz trains disadvantaged women in Moroccan cooking and serves the practice meals as lunch; non-profit, founded 2012.
Signature: Lamb tagine with prunes, Couscous, Daily seasonal plate
Order: Whatever the daily plate is; the Friday couscous is the standing classic.
Tip: Lunch only, closed Sundays. Book ahead; the dining room fills fast with NGO regulars and food-tour groups.
Dameh in Marrakech's Gueliz plates a Mediterranean menu spanning Morocco to Lebanon, Spain and Greece, in a sleek modern dining room near El Harti park.
Signature: Levantine mezze, Spice-driven mains, Mediterranean wines
Order: Order across the mezze list, then pick a single shared main from the Levantine grills.
Tip: Date-night room sized for 20 covers; book at least a week ahead in winter peak. Closed Mondays.
Marrakech's Grand Cafe de la Poste occupies the 1920s post office in Gueliz, plating French brasserie classics under colonial-era ceiling fans since 2005.
Signature: Steak frites, Nicoise salad, French wine list
Order: Steak frites at the brasserie; this is the city's clearest French-protectorate inheritance.
Tip: The bar is open until 01:00 and serves the same kitchen menu late; the city's most reliable late dinner outside Hivernage.
Cassandra Karinsky and Sebastian de Gzell's +61 in Marrakech's Gueliz blends Sydney technique with Moroccan and Mediterranean produce under chef Andrew Cibej.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood-fire grilled fish, Modern Australian-Moroccan plates
Tip: MENA's 50 Best 2026 No. 31. Book a week ahead; the wine list is one of the city's deepest.
Kechmara on Marrakech's Rue de la Liberte runs an all-day bistro-bar with rooftop terrace; 70s interior, alcohol licence, and busy jazz nights in Gueliz.
Signature: Burgers, Tapas, Daily blackboard plates
Order: The all-day burger and a glass of Moroccan red on the rooftop; live jazz some nights.
Tip: Open till 02:00 with food till 23:30; the rooftop fills first, the gallery-floor bar is the late seat.
L'Annexe in Marrakech's Gueliz is a French Mediterranean bistro on Rue Moulay Ali, owner on premises, plating Southern French classics and the best aged beef.
Signature: Aged beef, South-of-France classics, House charcuterie
Order: The aged beef is what locals come for; the South-of-France charcuterie board is the starter.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Book one of the four window tables for the best people-watching on Moulay Ali.
Mama Afrika in Marrakech's Gueliz plates Afro-fusion under tribal-art ceilings, with a vegan-friendly menu and Monday-night live reggae-jazz Mama Jam sets.
Signature: Afro-fusion bowls, Vegan plates, Tropical salads
Order: The Afro-fusion bowl of the week; the vegan menu is one of the deepest in Gueliz.
Tip: Monday live music nights fill up; reserve. Vegetarians can build a full meal across the appetizer list.
Chez Lamine's Gueliz outpost on Rue Ibn Aicha brings Marrakech's mechoui-and-tangia institution to the new city, since 1965; cleaner than the medina counter.
Signature: Mechoui lamb, Tangia, Mixed grill
Order: Mechoui by weight, with khobz and cumin; the tangia is the alternative.
Tip: Tangia at 100 DH is the cheapest sit-down version in Gueliz. Cash works best.
Amal Center in Marrakech's Gueliz trains disadvantaged women in Moroccan cooking and serves the practice meals as lunch; non-profit, founded 2012.
Signature: Lamb tagine with prunes, Couscous, Daily seasonal plate
Order: Whatever the daily plate is; the Friday couscous is the standing classic.
Tip: Lunch only, closed Sundays. Book ahead; the dining room fills fast with NGO regulars and food-tour groups.
Marrakech's Grand Cafe de la Poste in Gueliz keeps the 1920s post-office colonial brasserie alive: espresso to cocktails, French-Moroccan menu, ceiling fans.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: The terrace fronts Boulevard Mansour Eddahbi; the interior bar room is quieter for laptop work.
Patisserie Amandine in Marrakech's Gueliz, since 1997: French and Moroccan pastries with almond focus, the café side at 175 Rue Mohamed El Beqal opens 07:00.
Signature drink: Cafe almond pastry combo
Tip: Second branch at 6 Rue de la Liberte. The opera cake and almond-paste cornes de gazelle are the bench-marks.
Patisserie Amandine in Marrakech's Gueliz, since 1997, runs the city's best French-Moroccan bakery counter; viennoiseries, flans, almond pastries.
Tip: Take-away counter at the front; cafe at the back. Lighter mornings; afternoons fill with Gueliz regulars.
Worth the queue: Opera cake and cornes de gazelle
MARH Coffee Roasters in Marrakech's Gueliz is the city's serious-coffee specialty cafe: V60, AeroPress, espresso pulled to international third-wave standard.
Tip: The third-wave coffee bench-mark in town. Order a flight; take whole beans home from the retail wall.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia
How they serve: Espresso, V60, AeroPress
Barometre on Marrakech's Rue Moulay Ali is Morocco's first mixology bar; Gueliz basement speakeasy with cocktails, wines and Mediterranean plates.
Signature pour: Speakeasy of the month, rotating mixologist creation
Wine focus: Moroccan natural wines and homemade macerations
Food: Mediterranean small plates including duck confit and risotto
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 19:30 or after 22:30. The introduction-to-mixology hour pre-opening is bookable.
Barometre on Rue Moulay Ali is Morocco's first mixology bar; a Gueliz basement speakeasy in Marrakech with rotating cocktails, infusions, small plates.
Signature drink: Rotating speakeasy of the month
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Tip: Closed Sundays. No reservations; line forms outside the unmarked door before 19:00 on weekends.
Kechmara on Marrakech's Rue de la Liberte runs an all-day bar-restaurant: 70s-vibe ground floor, jazz on busy nights, rooftop drinks till 02:00 in Gueliz.
Signature drink: Moroccan red on the rooftop
Food: Tapas, burgers, all-day menu
Tip: Jazz nights pull a crowd; rooftop fills first. The downstairs bar room is the quieter perch after midnight.
Marrakech's Marche Central de Gueliz, off Avenue Mohammed V, is the city's modern produce-and-fish market: cleaner, organized, the fish counters at the back.
Tip: Visit early mornings for the freshest fish. Many stalls close mid-day for prayer and afternoon heat.
Marrakech's Grand Cafe de la Poste in Gueliz runs the most reliable late-night kitchen outside Hivernage; brasserie classics, full bar, fans till 01:00.
Try: Steak frites and French brasserie classics
Tip: Kitchen serves the full menu till midnight, snack plates till 01:00. The bar room is the late seat.
Kechmara on Marrakech's Rue de la Liberte stretches all-day to all-night: bar runs till 02:00, food till 23:30, jazz on busy nights in the rooftop room.
Try: Tapas, burgers, late drinks
Tip: Last food order around 23:30, drinks till 02:00. The downstairs bar room is the after-midnight perch.