Chez Bismilah

Chez Bismilah is one of the smallest and most unusual coffee stops in the medina. In a narrow shopfront on Souk el Kebir, near the Ben Youssef Madrasa, its owner, Rahil, prepares coffee in the Saharan manner: ground coffee is mixed with spices and cold water, then warmed slowly in small brass pots pushed into a tray of hot sand. The result is dense, creamy and aromatic, closer in texture to Turkish coffee than to an espresso.

Watching the coffee being made is part of the experience. The sand spreads the heat gently and evenly, and each small batch is made to order. You can drink it at the counter or climb to the small terrace upstairs, which looks out over the lanes of the souk.

This is a stop for curious coffee lovers rather than a place for a meal. It suits solo travellers and couples, and children may enjoy watching the sand-heated pots, although the strong spiced coffee is an adult taste. Seating is very limited, so expect to perch or wait a few minutes at busy times. Prices are modest and cash is the simplest way to pay.

The café is generally open through the day, with longer hours on weekdays than at weekends, but as with many small medina businesses times can change, so treat it as a stop to make while you are in the area. Mid-morning, before the souks are at their busiest, is a pleasant time to call in. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes.

Souk el Kebir runs north from the central souks towards the Ben Youssef area, around fifteen minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa. Chez Bismilah fits naturally into a visit to the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Musée de Marrakech and the Almoravid Koubba, all a few minutes away. Le Foundouk is also close by if you want lunch or dinner afterwards, and the leather and dyers' souks are within an easy walk. The lanes around Souk el Kebir are busy with handcarts and motorbikes, so step aside into a doorway when they pass. Because the stall is so small, it is easy to walk past; look for the brass pots and the tray of sand at the front, or ask a neighbouring shopkeeper. A visit pairs well with a morning at the madrasa, before the main crowds arrive, when the lanes are quieter.