Restaurant
Al Fassia Guéliz
A long-established Guéliz restaurant run by an all-female team, serving traditional Moroccan cooking such as pigeon pastilla, tagines and a spread of cooked salads.
Amal Gueliz Center
A non-profit lunch restaurant in Guéliz where women from difficult backgrounds train as cooks, serving a seasonal Moroccan menu and couscous every Friday.
At a glance
- Type
- Moroccan home cooking, social enterprise
- Area
- Guéliz, Marrakech, Morocco
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Sunday) · 12:00–15:30
- Official site
- amalnonprofit.org
Good to know
- Lunch only
- Friday couscous
- Walk-ins welcome
Why we recommend it
The Amal association trains women from disadvantaged backgrounds in professional cooking and helps them into employment, and its restaurant in Guéliz, open since 2013, is the flagship of that work. The training is free for the women, and graduates receive placement support to help them find work. Eating here is one of the most direct ways a visitor can support a local social enterprise.
The trainees prepare a short seasonal menu of Moroccan starters, mains and desserts, with fresh juices, and the full menu is published on the website. Expect home-style cooking such as salads, tagines and other dishes that change with the market. Friday is couscous day, following the Moroccan tradition of serving semolina topped with seven slow-cooked vegetables and meat after midday prayers, and it is the most popular service of the week.
The dining room is informal and welcoming, with a friendly atmosphere that suits solo travellers, couples and families. Prices are modest for the quality, making it one of the better-value lunches in the new town. The setting in a residential street is calm, a pleasant contrast to the medina's restaurants.
Amal serves lunch only, Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 15:30, and is closed on Sundays. Walk-ins are welcome on most days and the team will try to find you a seat, but booking is recommended for Fridays, by phone, email or through the website. Arriving early on busy days helps. If you enjoy the meal, the sister Targa Center runs daily cooking classes, which make a good morning activity.
The restaurant is in the Hôpital district of Guéliz, on the corner of Rue Allal Ben Ahmed and Rue Ibn Sina, a short taxi ride from the medina and close to the main Guéliz shopping streets. It fits easily into a day that includes the Jardin Majorelle, which is a few minutes away by taxi. Payment details and the current menu can be checked on the website before you go, and it is worth mentioning any dietary needs when you book. Because it is a training restaurant, it is worth allowing a relaxed hour or more rather than treating it as a quick stop between sights. Larger groups should contact the restaurant before arriving.
Amal Gueliz Center FAQs
When is Amal open?
The Gueliz restaurant serves lunch from 12:00 to 15:30, Monday to Saturday, and is closed on Sundays.
Do you need to book?
Walk-ins are usually welcome, but booking is recommended for Fridays.
What is served on Fridays?
Couscous, the traditional Friday dish of semolina with seven slow-cooked vegetables.
What is Amal's mission?
It trains women from disadvantaged backgrounds in professional cooking and helps them find work.
Is it expensive?
No. Prices are modest, and proceeds support the training programme.
Does Amal offer cooking classes?
Yes. Classes run at the sister Targa Center.
Where is it?
On the corner of Rue Allal Ben Ahmed and Rue Ibn Sina in Guéliz.