Visiting a majority Muslim country can offer unique challenges for those of us who like to end a day of exploring with a relaxing glass of wine or two. When Jon and I were visiting Marrakech in early October, we spent a little bit too much time trying to find WiFi to Google a place to have dinner that also would serve us alcohol. No regrets! Fortunately, our searches led us to some great places – and some not so great places too.  I thought it’d be nice to share them here, and save you all the trouble.

Kechmara

This place is located in the hip “new area” of Marrakech and had a quiet, spacious rooftop terrace that was cordoned off to prevent visibility from the street. You won’t get much in the way of views here due to that. The food wasn’t spectacular, but they had some very nice Moroccan wines on offer and the staff was sweet. The tapas looked great, and I immediately wished we’d gone that route instead of the main dishes we ordered!

Hotel La Renaissance Marrakech

Le Salama

Down a quiet street just off the Jemaa elFna square, Le Salama was one of my favorite places in the city during our short stay. It’s done up in a colonial style, so strangely it’s like being in 1950s Havana. The bar is all the way upstairs, past the restaurant, and they offer up very nice cocktails with a 2 for 1 deal. Jon and I couldn’t stop laughing about that since the places that usually do that sort of deal are much slummier than this place, but we weren’t complaining. I’ve read mixed reviews from others about Le Salama, but the staff were attentive, the drinks were tasty, and the ambience was calm and collected after escaping the craziness of the square. Loved it.

KosyBar

Le Marrakchi

This place gets all the buzz due to it’s placement right on the corner of the Jemaa elFna. If you’re hoping for a table overlooking the square, however, you’ll need to book it well in advance. Otherwise, you’ll be seated wherever there’s room when you get in. It’s a restaurant, and there is a bit of a push to order food if you stick around. The wine is really nice, if a bit expensive, and the small plates are worth the money – they do traditional Moroccan cuisine. There was a very charming band of three older Moroccan gents playing traditional music in the early evening during our visit, but they were replaced with some very cringey belly dancers as it got later. (That’s when we left…but whatever floats your boat). It’s one of only two restaurants off the square that serve alcohol, so you’ll probably end up here at one point or another.

Restaurant Le Foundouk

I was disappointed with our meal here, but in terms of a place where you can have a nice drink, I can’t fault it at all. And I’ve heard great things about their (say it with me now) roof terrace! Sadly, we sat inside. It’s very much a tourist trap, but I’m not surprised since every suggested list of places to eat includes it. It’s chock full of tourists! So come earlier in the evening, have a drink or two on the roof, then head off somewhere cheaper and more authentic for dinner.