Vegan Food in Marrakech: The Ultimate Guide
Is it easy to find vegan food in Marrakech? This is something I often wondered while planning my trip to this enchanting pink city.
Spoiler alert, it’s actually easier than you may think!
Marrakech is a city that’s renowned for its rich cuisine which is typically very meat-heavy, but for vegans, there’s a world of plant-based dishes to explore here too. Marrakech has a surprisingly vibrant vegan scene, with lots of vegan-friendly restaurants dotted around the Medina that offer traditional Moroccan flavours.
If you’re looking for tasty vegan food, this guide will help you on your journey through Marrakech to find the best places to get your taste buds tingling! No need to settle for a bowl of chips or a side salad and you can say goodbye to hours of scouring Happy Cow (if you know, you know!).
Is Morocco Vegan Friendly?
As a whole, most Moroccan food is traditionally not vegan-friendly and usually contains meat and dairy products. That being said, Morocco is becoming more vegan-conscious and when visiting you will definitely be able to find a tasty range of vegan food, especially in the larger cities such as Marrakech.
With the growing demand for plant-based foods from those who visit the country, and the ever-growing vegan community within Morocco itself, more and more restaurants are adapting their menus to offer more vegan options.
Where To Find Vegan Food in Marrakech
I visited Marrakech for 4 days in December 2022 and I’ll be honest, I didn’t do much research before arriving and was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find much in the way of a decent meal! I’m also gluten-free which makes things even more difficult at times!
I was more than happy (and relieved!) when I found that there was a good choice of cafes and restaurants that catered to the vegan diet.
World Storytelling Cafe
In the heart of Marrakech’s bustling Medina lies The World Storytelling Cafe, the city’s first exclusively plant-based restaurant.
This charming cafe offers a diverse menu featuring soups, smoothies, tagines, burgers, pasta, and a wide selection of Moroccan tapas. During our visit, we tried around eight of the tapas dishes, and each plate was bursting with flavour. You can really tell how fresh all the food is.
Prices here are really reasonable, and the cafe itself has a calm and laid-back vibe compared to the busy Medina outside. The World Storytelling Cafe is definitely a must-visit spot for any vegan visiting Marrakech!
Ayaso
Ayaso, situated in the lively Place des Espices, not only offers an impressive array of vegan dishes but also provides stunning rooftop views where you can enjoy some Moroccan mint tea.
They have quite an extensive menu, and during our visit to Marrakech, they had four delicious vegan starters on offer. These included soup of the day, beetroot trio, quinoa tabouli, and lentil salad.
They also had a good choice of main courses, including the Ayaso lively salad, beetroot and falafels, and my personal favourite, the chickpea curry with seasonal vegetables. This had so many amazing flavours and was really filling, just what you need for a day exploring the medina!
They also serve a vegan and gluten-free breakfast of granola, although we never had the chance to try this ourselves.
Even if you’re not feeling very hungry, I highly recommend visiting Ayaso rooftop to sip on some refreshing mint tea. The views up here are pretty unreal and are worth a pit stop!
Broc the Kasbah
Broc the Kasbah was another awesome find thanks to a search on Happy Cow!
This concept store-come-vegetarian restaurant caters extremely well to those looking for vegan food in Marrakech. Even though this is technically a vegetarian restaurant, almost all the starters and mains are vegan-friendly, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from!
The menu at Broc the Kasbah has a wide range of goodies which includes vegetable tagine, tajina (sounds similar to tagine but is very different), sweet chilli rice, vurger with potatoes and a few different types of samosas.
For dessert, make sure you try their chia seed pot, which comes with a gorgeous coconut cream and your choice of blended red berries or mango.
Broc the Kasbah is definitely worth a visit while you’re on the hunt for vegan food in Marrakech!
Nomad
There is a lot of hype about Nomad, and it is one of the more popular restaurants to visit while in Marrakech. It is also located in Place des Espices, and if you do decide to visit, you will definitely need to make a booking.
I really hate to say it, but this wasn’t my favourite place for food, which really surprised me considering how busy it gets.
That being said, I’ve still listed it as somewhere you can consider for vegan food, as the portions were good and they may have been having an off day when we were in Marrakech. The views up here were pretty awesome too, and the rooftop had a nice vibe.
There was only one vegan option on the dinner menu, which was harissa roasted cauliflower with quinoa. Actually, this sounded so nice on the menu with all the spices and harissa sauce, but we found it pretty bland, and it was missing the vibrant flavours we were expecting.
We found that Nomad was also quite a bit more expensive than the other places I’ve listed.
Le Mart
This sweet little restaurant is nestled between the souks, and it took us a little while to find it, even with maps (it had been a long day!).
When visiting here, I recommend eating on their rooftop, which has been decorated with a bohemian vibe and was perfect to relax after a big day of exploring.
Le Mart’s menu isn’t solely vegan, but they offer around three or four dishes to choose from, all of which sounded like they were bursting with flavour.
We both decided to have the smoked aubergine on mashed red pepper with toasted almonds, and let me tell you this was *chef’s kiss!* Seriously, this dish was my favourite vegan food in Marrakech!
The aubergine was served cold though, which I found a bit odd, but it didn’t take away from how good it tasted. Either way, this was unreal!
Pikala Cafe
While we didn’t actually have the chance to eat at Pikala Cafe, I thought it was worth mentioning.
Unfortunately, we were only told about it the evening before we left Marrakech, but this came recommended by the lovely lady who owns Broc the Kasbah so we figured it must be good!
I’ve checked the reviews and the restaurant seems to offer healthy food at fair prices, apparently, they don’t hold back on portion sizes either! There are a few mentions of vegan & gluten-free options too which all sound good so it looks like we may have missed out here!
If you find yourself near Pikala cafe, I’d certainly check the menu out!
Marrakech airport – Matsuri
Ok, so I know this is a bit of a weird place to list, but I was so chuffed with this find I just had to share it with you!
I’m sure, as a vegan, you know what it’s like to spend ages walking around the airport trying to find plant-based food and having no luck.
I definitely have, and it can feel extremely frustrating that the only option available is a not-so-healthy one or simply nothing at all. So, imagine my surprise when we were on our way back to the UK and we stumbled across this little gem, Matsuri.
I was so happy to find that this sushi restaurant surprisingly had a huge platter of veg and avocado sushi which was so unbelievably good!
Don’t get me wrong, it was expensive (about £15!) but I was happy to pay anything for some proper airport food and we did get a lot of sushi for that amount.
My partner also had a bowl of veg tempura, and this was a hefty size too!
Where to Stay in Marrakech
Between exploring the medina and finding your vegan delights, you’ll need somewhere you can relax after a busy day in the medina.
I recommend staying in a traditional riad, not only do these give an authentic feel to your visit, but they are like a mini oasis in amongst the chaos!
Riad Tilila – Located a short walk from the Ibn Youssef School, Riad Tilila is a great place to stay within the Medina.
They have a small pool, a rooftop terrace and comfortable rooms. Breakfast is included in the room price, but they also have a menu for lunch and dinner at an additional cost.
Riad L’atelier – This riad was a real treat for us and was a highlight of our trip.
This beautifully decorated accommodation comes with a pool, garden and sun terrace. At certain times of the year, you can pick fresh oranges from their tree that overlooks the pool.
The owners even arranged a vegan and gluten-free breakfast for us on both days, which consisted of pancakes, fresh fruit, and gluten-free bread with avocado.
Final Thoughts: Vegan Food in Marrakech: The Ultimate Guide
Although Moroccan cuisine may not be the most vegan-friendly, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the bold and vibrant flavours that define the traditional dishes.
Finding vegan food in Marrakech is becoming easier as time goes by, with more and more restaurants offering vegan-friendly options. If you’re planning a trip to the pink city, you’ll have no trouble finding places to eat.
Want to find out all you need to know before visiting Marrakech? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with this guide Things You Need To Know Before Visiting Marrakech
