Amal Center

Top choice in Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle


So many restaurants in Marrakesh reflect poorly on local cuisine, but here you get the real home-cooking deal. And, happily, it's all for a good cause: the Amal Center is a nonprofit association that supports and trains disadvantaged Moroccan women in restaurant skills. Meals are served in a leafy courtyard garden, and the service is warm.

The menu changes daily, but there are usually three choices of starters, mains and dessert, including at least one vegetarian option; on Friday, couscous is always the star of the show. Prices are locally focused, so the clientele is a happy mix of local families, expats and in-the-know tourists. If the spicy zing of your tajine has your tastebuds craving more, the centre runs cooking classes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle attractions

1. David Bloch Gallery

0.22 MILES

One of Gueliz's most upmarket private galleries, David Bloch exhibits provocative international contemporary art in a striking black-and-white setting…

2. Gallery 127

0.25 MILES

Channelling New York gallery fashions, this one is up a dim, once-grand staircase in an industrial-chic chamber with the obligatory exposed brick-and…

3. Galerie Noir sur Blanc

0.26 MILES

This petite 1st-floor gallery showcases Moroccan talent and works from other Arab countries. If you speak French, the well-informed staff can provide…

4. Matisse Art Gallery

0.26 MILES

The small, upmarket Matisse Art Gallery is somewhere you're guaranteed to find Moroccan art. Local artists such as Mahi Binebine and Farid Belkahia have…

5. MACMA

0.27 MILES

In 2019 MACMA's painting archive was moved to its sister venue, the Orientalist Museum, and this modern gallery shifted its focus to photography,…

6. Comptoir des Mines

0.32 MILES

Once the home of a mining corporation, this 1932 building now houses Marrakech Art Fair founder Hicham Daoudi’s latest project: a contemporary gallery…

7. Theatre Royal

0.62 MILES

Begun in the 1970s by Tunisian architect Charles Boccara, this grand edifice is a focal point for cultural shows in Marrakesh, despite remaining…

8. Jardin Harti

0.65 MILES

This tranquil park is full of palm-tree-shaded benches and flower beds that bloom through summer. It's popular with local families out for a weekend…