The Best Cafés in Rabat, Morocco

With a striking view of the Bou Regreg River, and decorated in Andalusian style, this café is located in the Oudayas Kasbah. It offers sweet mint tea, coffee and Moroccan pastries such as cornes de gazelles (crescent-shaped cookies filled with cinnamon, almonds and a dash of orange blossom water). With reasonable prices, it is frequented by Rabatis and foreigners alike.

Café Carrion is connected to the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and offers coffee, hot chocolate and drinks inside or out on the terrace. It is a peaceful haven in which to rest after touring the modern museum. Although it is a little pricey, the coffee is excellent and you can order local pastries and other treats.

You can eat on the leafy terrace of this contemporary café where French pastries and Moroccan sweets – all made on the premises – and 18 flavours of gourmet ice cream are on offer. The place is popular with locals and students who make themselves comfortable on the plush sofas. Expect European flair, great coffee, friendly staff and very reasonable prices.

Hidden in a quiet spot in Hay Riad, Les 3 Dou’soeurs is the place to go for almost every variety of tea, including the local sweet mint tea which you can sip from one of their flowered teapots. Just as pretty is the showcase of beautifully decorated pastries. Seasonal fruits are used to create tasty éclairs and lemon cakes with meringue. Small, but charming, the café has a welcoming atmosphere and prices are fair.

Located in the heart of downtown, this large café is a favourite with locals, who come for the pastry shop and outdoor balcony seating, and stay for the reasonable prices. Its most common drink is straight espresso, called café noir (black coffee), which is served in a clear glass teacup with a side of water and 2-3 sugar packets. Follow the illuminated Salon de Thé sign to the second level, and you can taste a wide variety of teas from the comfort of a plush red chairs or at one of the two-person tables.

This café is great for smoothies and fruit juices as well as coffee and tea – all at a good price. Set in a beautiful garden with sculptures, 7th Art Café is popular with students, professionals and tourists, and the location is superb. Situated within the grounds of a movie theatre, it provides a calm respite from the buzz of the capital. You can also order lunch or snacks, such as pizza or sandwiches, or choose from several varieties of ice cream. Staff are attentive and eager to please.

Pietri Palace is one of the main hangouts for locals. It has a modern setting and is located near the St Peter’s Cathedral – a 20th-century Art Deco church – and the central police station in a sunken courtyard below street level. There are well-spaced tables inside or out on the terrace, as well as a non-smoking section. This café offers excellent fresh juices (try strawberry or ginger), and is inexpensive without compromising on quality. Tea is served by attentive waiters on a silver tray in a silver teapot.

With Parisian flair, Café Paul has beautifully decorated pastries, macaroons and delicious almond croissants. It’s on the expensive side, and part of a French chain of bakery and cafés established in 1889. The venue is packed in the evenings with locals enjoying mint tea or espresso on the terrace. It is a place where you can linger for a long while and fits Rabat’s café culture where talking over non-alcoholic drinks is a popular pastime.

Centrally located off the roundabout in Rabat’s Central District, Patisserie Lina is popular with locals and offers seating both inside, with non-smoking sections, and outdoors. It has an unusual avocado juice and delicious pastries piled up in its enormous display. There are puff pastries with honey and pistachios as well as sweets covered by fine coconut sheeting, marzipan cakes and even gluten-free goodies. All the bread is prepared and baked on site. The prices are inexpensive and the service is pleasant and efficient.

With a great location in Centre Ville, Patisserie Boulangerie Majestic has seating inside and outside on the shaded terrace overlooking the main downtown road. Frequented by locals, the patisserie offers good service at a fair price. Like many venues in the city, Patisserie Boulangerie Majestic has a French flair. You can choose traditional Moroccan or ornate French pastries from their large glass case. All of the creations are fresh from the oven, including tasty bread and baguettes.