Useful phrases for restaurants in Morocco?

Eating is one of the great joys of Morocco, and a handful of phrases makes the table even warmer. Start, as always, with salam to the staff. To ask for the menu, French does the job nicely — la carte, afak ('the menu, please') — and to order, the Darija opener is bghit (b-GHEET), 'I'd like': bghit tajine djaj ('I'd like a chicken tagine'), bghit atay ('I'd like mint tea'). Pointing at the menu while you say it works perfectly.

A few words cover most needs. Ma (maa) is water — l-ma, afak for 'water, please'. Atay (ah-TAY) is the famous mint tea, poured sweet by default, so if you don't want it loaded with sugar say bla skkar ('without sugar') or shwiya skkar ('a little sugar'). Khobz is bread, which arrives with almost everything. And when you're done, the all-important line is l-hsab afak (l-HSAAB ah-FAAK) — 'the bill, please' — or simply mime a little signature in the air, which is universally understood.

Dietary phrases are genuinely worth knowing. Vegetarians can say bghit chi haja bla lham ('I'd like something without meat') and bla hut ('without fish') to be safe, since a 'vegetable' dish is sometimes cooked in meat broth — asking bla lham, afak directly is your best protection. For allergies, having the word written in Arabic on your phone to show the kitchen is the reliable route. And the loveliest word to remember for after the meal is bnin (b-NEEN), 'delicious!' — say it to the cook and watch their face.

My table tip: Moroccan hospitality means you'll often be urged to eat more — kul, kul! ('eat, eat!') — and a happy shba'at, hamdullah ('I'm full, thanks be to God') with a hand on your heart is the gracious way to stop. Tip around 10% if service isn't included, leave it in cash, and finish with shukran bezzaf. A meal here is meant to be lingered over; bring a few words and a slow appetite and you'll be treated like family.