Best Rooftops in Marrakech: Restaurants, Bars & Cafés
Updated
The best rooftop restaurants in Marrakech are in the medina: La Terrasse des Épices for an Atlas-and-Koutoubia sunset with a glass of wine, Nomad for modern Moroccan food above the spice square, El Fenn for cocktails on the city’s largest hotel roof, and Kosybar for storks on the walls of the El Badi Palace. For daytime, Café des Épices and the tower of Le Jardin Secret are the classics. Book sunset tables a day or two ahead, and remember that several of the best medina terraces serve no alcohol.
In short
- For a sunset dinner with wine in the medina, book La Terrasse des Épices, Café Arabe or Kosybar; Nomad and Café des Épices serve no alcohol.
- El Fenn’s 1,300 m² roof bar takes no bookings for drinks: arrive well before sunset. Meals there must be reserved.
- Morocco is on GMT all year since 20 September 2026: sunset is around 17:30 in December and 19:40 in early July.
- Le Jardin Secret’s tower costs 40 dirhams on top of the 100-dirham garden ticket and is closed to children under six.
- Maison de la Photographie (80 dirhams, 9:30 to 19:00) has one of the highest roof terraces in the medina.
Below we compare fifteen terraces trading in 2026, grouped by what you want from the evening.
Every rooftop at a glance
Price levels are our own reading (café, mid-range, high-end), not menu prices. Where hours or rules are not published officially, check before you go.
| Rooftop | Area | Type | View | Alcohol | Price | Book? | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Terrasse des Épices | Medina, Souk Cherifia | Restaurant | Atlas, Koutoubia | Yes | Mid to high | Yes | Sunset dinner |
| Nomad | Medina, spice square | Restaurant | Spice square, medina, Atlas | No | Mid | Yes | Lunch or sunset |
| Café Arabe | Medina, Mouassine | Restaurant and bar | Medina roofs, Koutoubia | Yes | Mid | Advised | Sunset |
| Le Salama | Medina, near Jemaa el-Fna | Restaurant, sky bar | Koutoubia | Yes | Mid to high | Advised | Evening, with the show |
| Kosybar | Mellah, Place des Ferblantiers | Restaurant and bar | El Badi Palace, storks | Yes | Mid | For sunset | Sunset |
| El Fenn | Medina, near the Koutoubia | Hotel bar and restaurant | Koutoubia, Atlas | Yes | High | Drinks: no. Meals: yes | Before sunset |
| Kabana | Medina edge, facing the Koutoubia | Bar and restaurant | Koutoubia | Yes | Mid to high | Advised | Sunset, late evening |
| MySky, La Renaissance | Gueliz | Bar and restaurant | 360°: Koutoubia, Atlas | Yes | Mid to high | For sunset | Sunset |
| Nobu Rooftop Garden | Hivernage | Hotel restaurant, pool | 360°: city, Atlas | Yes | High | Yes | Afternoon into evening |
| Akira Back The Rooftop | M Avenue, Hivernage | Hotel restaurant | City skyline | Yes | High | Advised | Dinner (evenings only) |
| Café des Épices | Medina, spice square | Café | Spice square | No | Café | No, walk in | Breakfast, late afternoon |
| Café de France | Jemaa el-Fna | Café | Jemaa el-Fna | Check | Café | No | Dusk |
| Café Clock | Kasbah | Café, cultural venue | Kasbah rooftops | Check | Café | No | Late afternoon |
| Le Jardin Secret (tower and café) | Medina, Mouassine | Garden café, tower | Medina, Atlas | No | Ticket | No | Morning |
| Maison de la Photographie | Medina, near Ben Youssef | Museum terrace | Medina, Koutoubia, Atlas | No | Ticket | No | Opening time |
Sunset dinner with a view
These are the terraces to book for a proper evening: a table, a menu, the light going pink over the minarets.
La Terrasse des Épices
- Where15 Souk Cherifia, Sidi Abdelaziz
- AlcoholChampagne, seasonal cocktails
- Hours12:00–17:00 and 18:30–00:30
Opened in October 2007 as the first open-air rooftop restaurant in the medina, it is still our first suggestion for a grown-up sunset dinner. The 800 m² terrace sits above the roofs of a souk, with misters in the warm months and a heater at every table in winter. The cooking is Moroccan and Mediterranean, including tanjia, with live music every night, according to the restaurant’s own site. Last orders are 45 minutes before closing.
Nomad
- Where1 Derb Aarjane, off Rahba Kedima
- AlcoholNo
- BookingYes, online or by phone
Nomad cooks modern Moroccan food on terraces above the Rahba Kedima spice square, with the medina and, on clear days, the Atlas beyond. It is the rooftop most visitors have heard of, so book, especially for sunset. There is no alcohol: fresh juices, teas and coffee instead.
Café Arabe
- Where184 Rue Mouassine
- AlcoholCocktails, Moroccan and Italian wine
- CookingMoroccan and Italian
Café Arabe holds an alcohol licence, still a rarity inside the medina, and its roof terrace looks over the medina rooftops to the Koutoubia at sunset. The menu runs from tagine and pastilla to fresh pasta, which helps with mixed groups and children.
Le Salama
- Where40 Rue des Banques, near Jemaa el-Fna
- AlcoholYes, sky bar
- ShowEvenings, ask the time when booking
Three floors a few steps from Jemaa el-Fna: a Moroccan brasserie with a music-and-dance show at dinner, and a sky bar at the top with the Koutoubia at eye level. Book for the show and ask for the sky bar if you want the view; show times and sky bar hours vary by season, so check when you book. For dinner with a full show rather than a view, see our pick of restaurants with a show.
Kosybar
- Where47 Place des Ferblantiers, Mellah
- AlcoholLicensed bar, cocktails
- DressSmart casual
On the corner of the tinsmiths’ square, Kosybar climbs through several floors to a terrace that looks across to the walls of the El Badi Palace, where storks build their huge nests. The cooking mixes Moroccan, Japanese and international dishes. Ask for a table upstairs for sunset; it fills early.
Rooftop bars for drinks and cocktails
If the evening is about a drink before dinner rather than the dinner itself, these are the terraces with a proper bar. All serve alcohol.
El Fenn
- Size1,300 m², 30-foot marble bar
- Hours12:00–23:00, last orders 22:30
- BookingNot for drinks; yes for meals
The roof of the El Fenn hotel is the largest and most stylish in the medina, with a close view of the Koutoubia and the Atlas beyond. Non-residents are welcome for drinks without booking, but seating is first come, first served, so arrive well before sunset. Meals on the roof must be reserved; groups of ten or more should email two weeks ahead (El Fenn’s rooftop page).
Kabana
- Where1 Rue Fatima Zahra, Kissariat Ben Khaled
- AlcoholCocktails, spirits, wine
- MoodLive music, busiest Thursday to Sunday
A large, planted terrace opposite the Koutoubia, with Mediterranean dishes for sharing and a sushi bar. Livelier than El Fenn after dark, with live bands on several nights of the week (ask what is on when you book). Reserve two or three days ahead for sunset and ask for a Koutoubia-facing table.
MySky, Hôtel La Renaissance
- WhereGueliz, sixth floor of La Renaissance
- View360°, Koutoubia and Atlas
- DressSmart casual
The long-standing rooftop of the new town, renovated and renamed MySky. You reach it through the hotel lobby and do not need to be a guest; it has a full bar and serves from around midday until late, with sunset the slot to reserve. The sun sets behind the building, so you watch its light on the city and the mountains rather than the sun itself.
Nobu Rooftop Garden and Akira Back
- WhereHivernage and M Avenue
- StyleHotel rooftops, high-end
- BookingYes
Two hotel rooftops for a polished night out. The Rooftop Garden at the Nobu Hotel has a circular, all-season pool, cabanas, a sushi bar, Mediterranean and Moroccan dishes, and 360° views of the city and the Atlas (Nobu dining). Reserve a table rather than turning up: hotel rooftops can limit access for non-residents on busy days. Akira Back The Rooftop, on the Pestana CR7 hotel on M Avenue, serves modern Japanese food with Korean touches on a terrace, in the evenings only (from 18:30, according to The Rooftop Guide). Check current hours with both before you go.
Only licensed venues serve alcohol, and many of the best-known medina terraces are dry. If a glass of wine matters, choose La Terrasse des Épices, Café Arabe, Le Salama, Kosybar, El Fenn or Kabana. More in our guide to alcohol in Marrakech: where to buy and drink.
Daytime cafés and lunch in the medina
Café des Épices
Three floors on Rahba Kedima, the spice square, with a top-floor terrace over the stalls. Juices, non-alcoholic cocktails, spiced coffee, sandwiches and salads, from about 9:00 to 23:00. It is walk-in only, so expect a short wait for the front row at peak times.
Café de France
Open since 1912 on Jemaa el-Fna, with three terraces over the square. Go for the view at dusk, when the food stalls light up, rather than for the food. If you want a drink other than tea or juice, ask before you sit down.
Café Clock
In a former school at 224 Derb Chtouka in the Kasbah, near the Saadian Tombs, Café Clock is a café and a cultural venue, open daily 9:00 to 23:00 according to its own site. Its roof terrace looks over the Kasbah. The camel burger is the dish everyone orders, and storytelling and music fill the programme. Come for tea, juices and food rather than a drink; ask if alcohol matters to you.
For the full picture of where to sit down in the old city, see where to eat in the Marrakech medina and our top five restaurants in Marrakech.
Quiet terraces away from the crowds
Two of the best views in the medina come with a ticket. Both close in the early evening, so treat them as daytime stops.
The tower and café at Le Jardin Secret
The restored riad gardens on Rue Mouassine have a tower that rises above the surrounding roofs, with views over the medina towards the Atlas. The garden ticket is 100 dirhams (full price) and the tower a separate 40 dirhams; children under 12 enter the garden free, but children under six are not allowed up the tower. The garden opens at 9:30 and closes at 18:00 from October to February and 18:30 from March to September, with last entry 30 minutes before closing (Le Jardin Secret). The garden’s cafés, serving mint tea, smoothies, sandwiches and homemade cakes, are open to anyone with a garden ticket.
Maison de la Photographie
A photography museum in an old merchants’ inn near the Ben Youssef Madrasa, open daily from 9:30 to 19:00, 80 dirhams for adults. Its roof terrace is one of the highest in the medina, with the Koutoubia and, on clear days, the Atlas. Go at opening. Our full guide: Maison de la Photographie, rooftop and archive.
Practical tips: sunset times, booking, dress
Sunset in Marrakech by season
Morocco has been on GMT all year since 20 September 2026, with no clock change for Ramadan. In winter Marrakech is on the same time as London; in summer it is one hour behind London. Sunset times below are approximate, local time.
| Month | Sunset, approx. | On the roof |
|---|---|---|
| December–January | 17:30–18:00 | Cool once the sun goes; heaters and a layer |
| March | 18:30–18:50 | Mild; clear Atlas views after rain |
| May | 19:10–19:30 | Warm evenings, the busiest season |
| June–July | 19:30–19:40 | Hot by day; terraces come alive after dark |
| September | 19:00–18:20 | Still warm; days shorten fast |
| October–November | 18:20–17:30 | Ideal; book sunset slots ahead |
More places to watch the light go: the best sunset spots in Marrakech.
- Booking. Reserve sunset tables a day or two ahead in spring and autumn; for El Fenn drinks, arrive early instead. We can book for our guests.
- Dress. Smart casual for hotel rooftops; cover shoulders and knees walking through the medina, and bring a layer from November to March. Our Marrakech packing guide has the detail.
- Cash. Carry dirhams for small cafés, and expect to pay more for mint tea on a terrace with a view than in a street café.
- Finding them. Many medina rooftops are reached through narrow lanes. Use a pin on your map app, and see our medina map guide.
- Ramadan. Some terraces change hours or stop serving alcohol during the month; ask before you go.
The private alternative: your own roof at sunset
The best terrace in town is sometimes the one with nobody else on it. Several of our villas have a roof terrace or a sunset lounge, and where the villa has a chef, or one is booked on request, dinner can be served up there while the Atlas turns pink. Palais Mauresque has a Rooftop Sunset Lounge for “cocktails and music facing the sunset”. At Villa Dar Tillili, the rooftop terrace looks at the Atlas and has a barbecue area. Villa Eva, on the Samanah golf estate, has a sky bar on its roof terrace, and Villa Deluxe Almaaden has a rooftop solarium with its own bar and kitchen.
Palais MauresqueFrom €3,600 a night
Villa Dar TilliliFrom €800 a night
Villa EvaFrom €995 a night
Villa Deluxe AlmaadenFrom €450 a nightRead why book a villa with a private chef, and what to ask the cook for on our Marrakech culinary specialties page.
Private villas
Sunset on your own terrace
Tell us your dates and how many you are. We reply with the villas that are free, which ones have a roof terrace or an Atlas view, and we can book the rooftop tables in town too.
Frequently asked questions
Which rooftop in Marrakech has the best view of the Koutoubia?
For a close view of the Koutoubia minaret, El Fenn’s roof terrace and Kabana, which faces the mosque, are the strongest. Le Salama’s sky bar has the minaret at eye level, and Café Arabe and La Terrasse des Épices look across the medina roofs to it. In Gueliz, MySky at Hôtel La Renaissance has a 360° view that takes it in.
Which rooftop restaurants in the Marrakech medina serve alcohol?
Only licensed venues do. In the medina, La Terrasse des Épices, Café Arabe, Le Salama, Kosybar, El Fenn and Kabana all serve alcohol. Nomad, Café des Épices and the cafés at Le Jardin Secret do not, and Café Clock is best treated as a café rather than a bar. Outside the medina, MySky in Gueliz and the hotel rooftops of Hivernage, such as Nobu, have full bars.
Do you need to book a rooftop restaurant in Marrakech?
For dinner at sunset, yes, ideally a day or two ahead in spring and autumn; Nomad, La Terrasse des Épices, Le Salama and the hotel rooftops all take reservations. El Fenn does not book for drinks, so arrive well before sunset. Cafés such as Café des Épices and Café de France are walk-in only.
What time is sunset in Marrakech?
Morocco has been on GMT all year since 20 September 2026. Sunset in Marrakech is around 17:30 in December, 18:30 in March, 19:40 at the start of July and about 17:40 in early November. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes earlier for a good table.
What should you wear to a rooftop bar in Marrakech?
Smart casual is the safe choice: it is the usual guidance for MySky and Kosybar, and hotel rooftops expect it in the evening. As you will usually walk through the medina to get there, covered shoulders and knees are respectful. From November to March, bring a jacket or a wrap; terraces cool fast after sunset even when the day was warm.
Can you visit Le Jardin Secret tower at sunset?
Only just, in winter. The garden closes at 18:00 from October to February and 18:30 from March to September, with last entry half an hour earlier, and the tower needs a separate 40-dirham ticket. It is a better morning visit. Children under six are not allowed up the tower.
Pick one sunset dinner, one drink with a view and one quiet terrace by day, and you will have seen Marrakech from above at its best. If you would like us to book the tables, or to find a villa with a terrace of its own, ask us when you send your dates.
