Where are the best places to eat in Marrakech — and what does it cost?

Marrakech is one of the best eating cities in the world precisely because it lets you climb the whole ladder in a single trip, and I always tell guests to deliberately taste at every rung. At the bottom — in the best sense — are the legendary food stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa that fire up at dusk: brochettes, harira, snails, grilled fish and merguez for roughly 50–80 MAD (about $5–8) for a generous, smoky, atmospheric meal eaten elbow-to-elbow with locals and travellers. Add the hole-in-the-wall lunch joints around the souks where a plate of tanjia or a tagine and bread runs you 40–70 MAD. This is street-level Marrakech and it's unforgettable.

The middle tier is where, for me, the real magic of Marrakech dining lives: the riad restaurants. Picture a candlelit courtyard or a rooftop under the stars, a slow three- or four-course Moroccan menu — pastilla, a glorious tagine, pastries and tea — for somewhere around 200–400 MAD ($20–40) a head. Places like the long-loved Le Jardin, Nomad, Café des Épices and Terrasse des Épices in the medina, or a beautiful private riad dinner, give you setting and food in equal measure. This is the bracket I tell people to budget at least a couple of evenings for.

At the top, Marrakech delivers serious destination dining. The Palmeraie and the grand hotels host fine-dining tables and Moroccan-French tasting menus; spots like Le Grand Café de la Poste, the restaurants inside the great riads and palace hotels, and chef-led rooftops can run 600 MAD and well upward, often with wine and a show of service. Worth it for a honeymoon night or a celebration; not necessary every evening.

My honest strategy for a few days here: alternate. Do a night-market crawl, a casual local lunch, a couple of romantic riad dinners, and one proper splurge — and you'll eat brilliantly for a very reasonable average. Reserve the popular riads and rooftops ahead, especially in high season, as the best ones fill. And let a guide or your riad steer you to where locals actually eat rather than the tourist-trap terraces right on the main square; the difference in quality is enormous and the difference in price is often in your favour.