Cafe des Epices Marrakech: Rooftop Cafe on the Spice Square

Cafe des Epices: Marrakech's Original Rooftop Cafe

Cafe des Epices is the cafe that started Marrakech's modern rooftop wave. It sits at 75 Rahba Lakdima (Rahba Kedima, the spice square) in the heart of the medina, three floors high, with a top terrace that opens onto a view of spice sellers below and the snow-capped Atlas Mountains beyond. On a clear winter morning the contrast is hard to beat.

You will hear it called Cafe des Epices, Cafe of Spices, or simply the cafe on Rahba Kedima. They are all the same place: a casual three-floor cafe-restaurant where the prices are gentle, the staff are quick, and the rooftop is one of the best free seats in the medina. Quick stats: open daily 9 AM to 11 PM, mains 40 to 80 MAD, no booking needed, cash and cards accepted.

This is also the cluster anchor for one of Marrakech's most influential restaurant groups. Once you understand who runs the cafe, the rest of the Rahba Kedima dining map clicks into place.

The Story: Kamal Laftimi's Pioneer Cafe

Cafe des Epices opened in 2004, the first project of restaurateur Kamal Laftimi. At the time, Marrakech had plenty of teahouses but almost no modern, casual cafes where you could stop for a fresh juice and a sandwich without committing to a full meal. The cafe sparked a wave of imitators across the medina and effectively created the rooftop-cafe template that other restaurants in the area still follow.

Twenty years on, Kamal Laftimi runs a small cluster of medina venues that together cover almost every dining mood. Le Jardin is the garden restaurant a 10-minute walk north. Nomad is the modern Moroccan rooftop directly across Rahba Kedima. Le Kilim, the most recent addition, is the rooftop bar above Cafe des Epices itself, where alcohol is served (the cafe downstairs does not serve it).

The interiors at all four restaurants share a signature look designed by the French interior designer Anne Favier: red tadelakt (lime-plaster) walls, dark-wood tables, Berber cushions, brass lanterns, a fireplace for winter and a discreet Spotify playlist that leans on Moroccan electronica. It is calm, photogenic, and unmistakably one family of places.

The Three Floors: Where to Sit

Cafe des Epices spreads across three levels and the experience changes from floor to floor, so it pays to know which one you want before you walk in.

Ground floor and street-side terrace. The few tables at street level are the spot for people-watching. You sit looking out over the spice square, the herbalists with their pyramid-stacked baskets of cumin, ras-el-hanout, dried roses and apothecary jars. Best for a quick mint tea between souk shopping runs.

Second-floor non-smoking salon. The middle floor is the quietest and the only non-smoking indoor area, with red tadelakt walls, low banquettes, the fireplace lit in winter, and a Berber rug or two. Best for a longer lunch or for working from a laptop on a slow afternoon.

Top rooftop terrace. This is the headline view: across Rahba Kedima to the medina rooftops, the Koutoubia minaret in the distance, and on clear days the Atlas Mountains beyond. Sunset is the prize time, and the cafe knows it; the rooftop fills from about 5:30 PM. Arrive 30 minutes earlier if you want a railing-side seat for the sun going down.

The Menu: What to Order

The menu at Cafe des Epices is short, fresh, and focused on simple Moroccan and Mediterranean dishes done well. Three things are worth knowing about.

Beldi breakfast (9 AM to noon). A traditional Moroccan breakfast platter with msemen (laminated flatbread), khobz (round bread), butter, three or four house jams, eggs cooked to order, olives, honey, and a pot of mint tea. Around 70 MAD; one of the best-value breakfasts in the medina.

Sardine dumplings. The signature savoury dish. Small steamed dumplings stuffed with spiced sardine, served with a tomato-cumin dip. Cheap, distinctive, and not on any other menu nearby.

Juices and smoothies. Fresh-squeezed orange juice from 15 MAD; the avocado-date smoothie is the local favourite. Moroccan mint tea is poured from height, the proper way, and costs 15 to 20 MAD.

The rest of the menu covers sandwiches and salads (40 to 60 MAD), a small range of Moroccan pastries, kefta tagine, and a few burgers made with traditional khobz buns. Vegetarian options run through the whole menu. No alcohol is served at the cafe, but the upstairs Le Kilim rooftop bar does.

Practical Tips and Booking

Cafe des Epices is open daily from 9 AM to 11 PM. During Ramadan, opening shifts to 10 AM with adjusted iftar hours; check the cafe's Instagram in the week before your visit for exact times.

Reservations: walk-ins are the norm and the cafe is built around them. If you want a guaranteed rooftop seat for sunset on a busy weekend, you can book online at cafedesepices.ma/reservation or phone +212 5243-91770. Otherwise, just turn up and a staff member will point you to the highest available floor.

Peak times to avoid: noon to 2 PM (lunch rush) and 5:30 to 7 PM (sunset rush on the rooftop). Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are the easiest times to grab a top-floor table without waiting.

Payment: cash (dirhams) and major cards both accepted. Service is included on the bill; rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 MAD on the table for the waiter is appreciated but not required. Dress code is fully casual: shorts, sandals, sun hats all fine. The cafe is family-friendly during the day and slightly more grown-up after dark.

Cafe des Epices vs Terrasse des Epices

The single most common mix-up at Rahba Kedima: Cafe des Epices and Terrasse des Epices are two different restaurants directly across the square from each other, with different owners and very different vibes.

Cafe des Epices is the casual, affordable option. Mains 40 to 80 MAD, no alcohol, fresh juices and Beldi breakfasts, short menu, walk-in friendly. Best for breakfast, mint-tea breaks, and light lunches. Kamal Laftimi's original.

Terrasse des Epices is the upscale option. Mains 150 to 280 MAD, full bar and Moroccan wine list, longer menu with serious tagines and grilled meats, dinner-oriented, books out on weekends. Best for a proper sit-down dinner with wine.

The smart play is to visit both on different days. Cafe des Epices for breakfast or a quick lunch break in the middle of souk shopping, Terrasse des Epices for a leisurely dinner on the same rooftop view but in a more polished setting.

What to Do Around Rahba Kedima

Rahba Kedima is the spice square at the heart of the medina, and Cafe des Epices is the easiest place to spend a slow hour watching it from above. The square below the cafe is lined with herbalists and apothecaries selling saffron, cumin, dried rose buds, ras-el-hanout, nigella seeds, argan oil, and traditional remedies. It is one of the most photogenic corners of the medina.

Within a 10-minute walk you can hit most of the medina's headline sights. Madrasa Ben Youssef (5 minutes north) is the restored 14th-century Quranic school. Le Jardin (10 minutes north, same Laftimi group) is the garden restaurant for a proper lunch. The main souks (carpets, leather, lanterns, slippers) wrap around the cafe on every side. Jemaa el-Fna square is 10 minutes south.

The classic half-day loop: morning shopping in the souks, lunch and rooftop break at Cafe des Epices, afternoon at Madrasa Ben Youssef, sunset rooftop drink at Le Kilim upstairs or at Nomad across the square.