Terrasse des Epices: Rooftop Dining Above the Spice Square

Terrasse des Epices: Rooftop Dining in the Heart of the Medina

Terrasse des Épices is one of the most celebrated rooftop restaurants in Marrakech and the original blueprint for the medina's modern rooftop scene. Founded in 2007 by restaurateur Kamal Laftimi, it sits four flights above Souk Cherifia at 15 Souk Cherifia, Sidi Abdelaziz — just off the Rahba Kedima spice square, a five-minute walk north of Jemaa el-Fna. It is part of the Kabaj group of restaurants, which also includes Nomad, Café des Épices, Le Jardin, Le Kilim, and Chamaa.

The kitchen serves a Moroccan-Mediterranean fusion menu — modern, vegetable-forward, and lighter than most traditional medina restaurants. Just as importantly, the rooftop has a full bar serving champagne, wine, and seasonal cocktails, which makes Terrasse des Épices one of the few central medina restaurants where you can drink alcohol with dinner. Live DJs and musicians play every evening from sundown, and the open-air, multi-level terrace offers panoramic views over the medina rooftops with the Atlas Mountains in the distance and the Koutoubia minaret to the south.

Hours are unusually generous: open daily, Mondays included, from 12:00 to 17:00 for lunch and 18:30 to 00:30 for dinner. Plan to budget 200-400 MAD (around 19-37 EUR) per person for a full meal with drinks. Reservations are recommended at sunset and on weekends in high season.

The Rooftop: Multi-Level Terrace with Medina Views

The terrace itself is the headline. Three open-air levels rise above the spice square, with shaded daytime seating under cane canopies and a top deck that opens to the sky. By day the rooftop is bright and breezy, ideal for long lunches, photography, and watching the souk traffic move below. By night, the candles come out, the lanterns light up, and the official tagline — "dîner hors du temps, sous les étoiles" (a dinner out of time, under the stars) — earns its keep.

The view sweeps north and west over a sea of medina rooftops. On clear winter days the snowline of the High Atlas is visible to the south, and the Koutoubia minaret rises in silhouette as the sun drops. Photographers should arrive 30-45 minutes before sunset for the golden hour over the terracotta rooftops; the best light usually lands in the half hour before the call to prayer.

Seating is mixed: low banquettes with cushions on the upper deck, more conventional tables on the middle levels, and a small bar area where solo guests or couples often perch for a sundowner. Ask for a "terrace table with a view" when you reserve — some indoor-adjacent seats lack the panorama. The space is shaded but not air-conditioned; in July and August dinner is much more pleasant than lunch.

The Menu: Moroccan-Mediterranean Fusion

The menu reads as modern Moroccan filtered through a Mediterranean lens. Salads and small plates lean on seasonal Moroccan produce — heirloom tomatoes with feta and za'atar, roasted aubergine with tahini and pomegranate, beetroot carpaccio, and grilled halloumi with chermoula oil. Signature starters include a beef or tuna tartare and a generous vegetarian mezze plate.

Mains rotate with the season but reliably feature slow-cooked lamb tagine with caramelised pears and almonds, sea bass with chermoula and roasted vegetables, chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, and a vegetarian seven-vegetable couscous. The pasta and risotto plates nod to the Mediterranean half of the kitchen's identity — orecchiette with merguez or a saffron risotto are usually on the card.

Indicative prices: starters 60-110 MAD, mains 110-180 MAD, cocktails 90-140 MAD, glasses of wine 70-110 MAD. A full meal with two courses and a drink lands at 200-400 MAD (19-37 EUR) per person, slightly above neighbourhood ground-level cafés but standard for a medina rooftop with a full bar. Vegetarian and vegan diners are well served, with several dedicated plates on every menu.

The Bar: Champagne, Cocktails, and Nightly Music

This is where Terrasse des Épices breaks from most medina restaurants: it has a full bar. The cocktail list refreshes seasonally — expect signature drinks built around Moroccan mint, orange-blossom water, fresh ginger, and pomegranate, alongside the standard classics. The wine list runs through Moroccan reds and whites from the Meknès and Atlas regions, with a small selection of European bottles, and champagne is available by the glass and bottle.

Most evenings a resident DJ takes over from around sunset, mixing lounge, deep house, and North African beats at a volume that fills the terrace without drowning conversation. On busier nights — Fridays, Saturdays, and most of high season — a live musician or vocalist joins. The crowd skews toward thirties-to-fifties, mixing international visitors, well-heeled locals, and the medina's expat residents.

If you only want a drink rather than a full meal, the bar accepts sundowner guests without reservations during quiet windows — late afternoon and weeknights in low season. In high season (October to April) and on weekends, book a table or expect to wait for one to free up.

When to Visit and How to Reserve

Sunset is the headline visit. Arrive 30-45 minutes before the sun drops for the best photographs and golden light. Aim for around 5:30 PM in winter and 7:30 PM in midsummer. Tables for sunset book out a week ahead in October-April high season, so reserve.

Late lunch (after 2 PM) is the quietest, coolest window for a full meal — terrace seating is easy to grab, the light is great for photography, and you can stay on through the afternoon. Weekday lunches outperform weekend lunches.

Late evening (after 9 PM) turns into a bar-and-DJ vibe rather than a dining one, especially Thursday to Saturday. If you want a long lingering dinner with a quieter background, book the 7:00-7:30 PM seating instead of 9:00 PM onward.

How to reserve: Call +212 5 24 37 59 04 or book via the website terrassedesepices.com. Ask specifically for a terrace table with a view; some seats on the lower interior level lack the panorama. Confirm the day before — the rooftop holds tables for a 15-minute grace window only.

Dress code: Smart casual. Linen, jeans, and dressy sandals are all fine. Avoid shorts and gym wear for dinner.

How to Find Terrasse des Épices

The address is 15 Souk Cherifia, Sidi Abdelaziz, in the medina of Marrakech. It is not the same square as the Rahba Kedima spice square, though they are next to each other — Souk Cherifia is the small, partly covered passage that opens off Rahba Kedima to the north. The entrance is a narrow doorway with a small black sign at street level. Many visitors walk past it twice before spotting it.

From Jemaa el-Fna, head north into the souks toward Rahba Kedima — about five minutes on foot. Once you reach the spice square, look for the covered Souk Cherifia passage (which doubles as a small design and concept-store arcade); the restaurant entrance is on the right as you enter. There are four flights of stairs to climb. There is no lift, and the staircase is narrow.

For mobility-restricted guests this is a real limitation — there is no step-free access to the rooftop. The sister venue Café des Épices, on the Rahba Kedima square at street level, is a better option for guests who cannot manage stairs.

Use Google Maps with "Terrasse des Épices" as the destination; the pin is accurate. If you lose your bearings, every shopkeeper on Rahba Kedima knows the restaurant by name and will point you toward the right doorway. Combine your visit with an afternoon of shopping in the souks — the leather, carpet, and metalwork quarters are all within a five-minute walk.

Terrasse des Épices vs the Other Kabaj Restaurants

The same Kabaj group, founded by Kamal Laftimi, runs several of the medina's best-known restaurants. Knowing the differences saves trips.

Café des Épices — on Rahba Kedima at street level, no alcohol, lighter café menu of salads, sandwiches, juices, and mint tea. Open all day, great for a quick coffee or people-watching break, much cheaper than the rooftop.

Nomad — also a rooftop, directly across the spice square. Modern Moroccan cuisine, smaller and more polished than Terrasse des Épices, and reservation-only for dinner. Stronger food, smaller view.

Le Jardin — ground-level garden restaurant in a restored 17th-century riad, lush green oasis with banana trees and turtles, lunch-and-tea focused. Best for families and a relaxed daytime stop.

Le Kilim — wine bar and bistro a few steps away, smaller and more European in style.

Chamaa — newer rooftop opened by the same group, focused on dinner and cocktails.

Pick Terrasse des Épices for the widest view, the longest opening hours, the full cocktail bar, and the most relaxed atmosphere. Pick Nomad if you care most about the food. Pick Café des Épices for a cheap, alcohol-free, no-stairs daytime stop.

What to Do Around Rahba Kedima

Rahba Kedima, the historic spice and apothecary square below the rooftop, is the obvious post-meal stroll. Vendors sell saffron, ras el hanout, argan, henna, dried roses, and natural cosmetics. Bargaining is expected and prices vary widely — ask your riad for benchmarks before you start.

The Souks of Marrakech wrap around the rooftop in every direction. The leather and slipper souks are immediately east, the carpet souk and Rahba el-Bedouin to the north, and the metalwork souk a few minutes further. A long lunch on the rooftop pairs naturally with two or three hours of shopping below.

For more rooftops, the Maison de la Photographie is a five-minute walk north and offers a quieter terrace with complimentary mint tea. The Ben Youssef Madrasa — the most beautiful Islamic monument in the medina — is two minutes beyond. South of the spice square, you reach Jemaa el-Fna in five minutes for sunset and the night market.