Old city · Marrakech food guide
Riad Zitoun Food Guide: Marrakech's Cheap-Eats Street
Riad Zitoun is really two parallel streets — Riad Zitoun el-Kedim (the old) and Riad Zitoun el-Jedid (the new) — that run south from Jemaa el-Fna down towards the Bahia Palace and Place des Ferblantiers. Busy, narrow and lined with shops, they are one of the Medina's great budget-eating arteries: snack counters, juice stalls, griddle stands and cheap eateries feeding a constant flow of locals, workers and backpackers.
- Character
- Busy artery, budget, local
- Best for
- Cheap eats & snacks
- Typical spend
- Cheap
- Runs
- Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia
The food character of Riad Zitoun
The two Riad Zitoun streets are among the main pedestrian arteries of the southern Medina, connecting the great square with the Bahia Palace, the Mellah and Place des Ferblantiers. They carry a constant stream of foot traffic — Marrakchis running errands, artisans, guesthouse guests and budget travellers — and the food along them is geared to feed that flow quickly and cheaply.
This is snack-and-sandwich territory rather than sit-down dining. The counters do casse-croûte — grilled meat and chips stuffed into bread — brochettes, bowls of soup and fried fish, while griddle stalls turn out msemen and juice bars press orange and mixed fruit for a few dirhams. It is not refined, but it is honest, filling and priced for people who eat here every day.
Because the streets link so many landmarks — the square at the top, the Bahia and Ferblantiers at the bottom — Riad Zitoun is a natural place to eat between sights. Grab a sandwich or a juice as you walk from Jemaa el-Fna to the palaces, and you eat the way the Medina's own crowds do.
What to eat on Riad Zitoun
- Casse-croûte sandwich
- The street's staple: baguette or batbout filled with grilled kefta, merguez or liver, chips, salad and harissa — a full, cheap meal eaten standing or walking.
- Brochettes & grilled meat
- Charcoal counters skewer lamb, chicken and kefta to order, served with bread, cumin and a fiery tomato relish.
- Msemen & sfenj
- Griddle stalls fold flaky msemen and fry sfenj (Moroccan doughnuts) fresh — a cheap breakfast or a sweet snack with honey or sugar.
- Fresh juice
- Juice bars press orange, and blends of avocado, banana and almond, for a few dirhams — confirm the price and skip the added sugar.
- No-frills tagine & soup
- Small eateries do a cheap plat du jour — a simple tagine, a bowl of harira or bissara — for those who want to sit down without paying terrace prices.
Markets & souks nearby
Cooking classes & food tours here
- Medina street food tour Streets like Riad Zitoun are the raw material of these tours — snack counters and stalls a guide helps you order well.
- Where locals eat tour Steers to the cheap, honest counters the Medina's own crowds use, exactly the register of Riad Zitoun.
- Budget cooking class For hands-on cooking without the luxury price tag — a natural match for a budget-minded food day in this quarter.
Local tips for eating in Riad Zitoun
- Eat as you walk. The street is made for grazing between the square and the Bahia Palace — a sandwich here, a juice there — rather than one big sit-down meal.
- Confirm prices at the counter. Snack counters are cheap but not always marked; ask the price of the sandwich and the juice before ordering.
- Choose busy, fast-turnover stalls. The counters doing the most trade are cooking freshest — a good rule anywhere, and easy to judge on such a busy street.
- Carry small change. This is a coins-and-small-notes street; nobody wants to break a big bill for a five-dirham juice.
- Mind the traffic. The streets are narrow and shared with mopeds and handcarts — step aside to eat rather than blocking the flow.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find cheap food in the Marrakech Medina?
The Riad Zitoun streets, running from Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia Palace, are one of the best budget-eating arteries — snack counters doing casse-croûte sandwiches and brochettes, msemen griddles, juice bars and no-frills tagine eateries priced for locals.
What is the difference between Riad Zitoun el-Kedim and el-Jedid?
They are two parallel streets running south from the square. Riad Zitoun el-Kedim ('the old') is the busier, more commercial artery of shops and snack counters; Riad Zitoun el-Jedid ('the new') is a little quieter and leads towards the Bahia Palace. Both are full of cheap eats.
Is Riad Zitoun a good place to eat?
For cheap, honest, local snacking, yes. It is snack-and-sandwich territory rather than fine dining — grab a casse-croûte, a juice or msemen as you walk between the square and the palaces. For a sit-down meal, there are simple plat-du-jour eateries too.
What connects Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia Palace?
The Riad Zitoun streets are the main pedestrian route between them, running south through the Medina past shops, snack counters and juice stalls, and continuing towards Place des Ferblantiers and the Mellah. It is an easy, food-lined 10–15 minute walk.