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Breakfast Guide
8 Best Breakfast Spots in Chefchaouen
The best places for breakfast in the Blue City — mountain-view terraces, local goat cheese, Rif honey, and blue-walled cafés with prices and tips.
Chefchaouen Breakfast Essentials
Local speciality: Rif Mountain honey and fresh goat cheese (jben) with bread
Mountain tea: Ask for thyme or verbena tisane — unique to the Rif
Budget option: DIY picnic at Ras el-Ma spring for under 20 MAD
Best setting: Riad rooftop with Jebel el-Kelaa mountain views
1
Place Outa el-Hammam Café Terraces
Café25–50 MAD 8am–10pm Place Outa el-Hammam, central medina
The café terraces surrounding Place Outa el-Hammam — Chefchaouen's main square — are the most atmospheric breakfast location in the Blue City. The square is lined with restaurants and cafés, each with outdoor tables under the shade of plane trees, with views of the Grand Mosque's octagonal minaret on one side and the red-walled Kasbah on the other. The breakfast is simple: bread with butter, jam, and honey; café au lait or mint tea; fresh orange juice; and sometimes eggs. The quality varies between cafés (the food is similar everywhere — it's the location you're paying for), but the experience is what matters: eating in the morning calm of the square, with the blue medina streets radiating outward, cats lounging everywhere, and the mountains visible above the rooftops. Early morning (8–9am) is the most peaceful — the square fills with tourists by mid-morning. The cafés on the northern side have the best morning light.
Insider tip: Choose a café on the north side of the square for the best morning light — the sun illuminates the Grand Mosque minaret beautifully while you eat
2
Riad Breakfast with Mountain Views
RiadIncluded in room rate 8am–10:30am Your riad — throughout the medina
The quintessential Chefchaouen breakfast is eating on your riad's rooftop terrace with the Rif Mountains behind the blue medina. The view — blue-and-white buildings cascading downhill, the twin peaks of Jebel el-Kelaa rising behind, and the clear mountain air — is one of the most beautiful breakfast settings in Morocco. The breakfast spread reflects the mountain location: fresh msemen and baghrir, Rif Mountain honey (darker and more aromatic than lowland honey), local goat cheese (jben — fresh, slightly tangy, excellent with honey), olive oil, mountain herb tea (thyme, verbena), fresh orange juice, eggs, and seasonal fruit. The riads in the upper medina have the most dramatic views — the higher your terrace, the more of the blue town and the mountains you can see. Top choices: Lina Ryad & Spa (panoramic views), Casa Hassan (the original boutique riad), and Dar Echchaouen (mountain views). Even budget riads (200–400 MAD/night) include breakfast.
Insider tip: Ask for mountain herb tea (tisane) instead of mint tea — the wild thyme and verbena from the Rif Mountains is unique to Chefchaouen and wonderfully aromatic
3
Aladdin Restaurant
Restaurant30–60 MAD 8am–10pm Place Outa el-Hammam, medina
Aladdin — a popular restaurant with a prime position overlooking Place Outa el-Hammam — has a multi-level terrace that offers the best elevated views of the square, the Kasbah, and the medina. The breakfast menu is a step up from the basic café offerings: a Moroccan breakfast platter with msemen, baghrir, local honey, goat cheese, olives, and eggs; shakshuka (baked eggs in spiced tomato sauce); and French-style options (croissants, pain au chocolat, café au lait). The coffee is decent and the fresh orange juice is good. The upper terrace is the star — the elevated perspective gives you a bird's-eye view of the square and the medina rooftops, with the mountains behind. It's the most photographed breakfast spot in Chefchaouen. Arrive before 9am for the best tables — the terrace fills quickly with tour groups by mid-morning. The food is reliable rather than exceptional, but the setting more than compensates.
Insider tip: Ask for the highest terrace table — the panoramic view of the square, the Kasbah, and the mountains from above is the most Instagrammable breakfast view in Chefchaouen
4
Local Bakeries near the Kasbah
Bakery5–20 MAD 6:30am–12pm Streets behind the Kasbah, near Ras el-Ma
The small bakeries in the streets near the Kasbah serve the morning crowd of locals heading to work. These hole-in-the-wall operations bake fresh bread in small wood-fired ovens: khobz (round bread, 1–2 MAD), msemen (3–5 MAD), harcha (semolina flatbread, 3–5 MAD), and batbout (pita-like pockets, 2–3 MAD). Buy a selection of breads and take them to the nearest grocery stall to add honey, olive oil, goat cheese, and olives — assembling your own breakfast from the medina's ingredients costs 10–20 MAD and gives you the freshest, most authentic flavours. The bakeries are identified by the small ovens visible through the doorway and the aroma of baking bread. The streets behind the Kasbah (between the Kasbah and Ras el-Ma) have the best concentration of bakeries. This is how Chefchaouen has always eaten breakfast — no menus, no prices on the wall, just fresh bread and local accompaniments.
Insider tip: Buy fresh bread from the bakery, goat cheese and honey from the grocery stall next door — assemble your own breakfast for 15 MAD and eat on the steps overlooking the valley
5
Chez Hicham
Restaurant35–60 MAD 8:30am–10pm Central medina, near Place Outa el-Hammam
Chez Hicham — a family-run restaurant in the medina — is a local favourite for its generous portions, honest prices, and warm hospitality. The breakfast is simple but excellent: a Moroccan spread with fresh msemen and baghrir (baked by the family), local mountain honey, goat cheese, olive oil, eggs (fried or omelette), fresh orange juice, and mint tea. The quality of the ingredients is noticeably good — the honey is from nearby Rif Mountain apiaries, the goat cheese is fresh and local, and the bread is baked that morning. The restaurant has a small terrace with a partial medina view, and the interior is cosy with traditional Moroccan decor. What sets Chez Hicham apart is the hospitality — the family (Hicham and his mother) treat guests like visitors to their home. The prices are very fair — a full Moroccan breakfast costs about 35–45 MAD. This is the kind of family-run restaurant that makes Chefchaouen special — no pretension, just genuine food and warm welcome.
Insider tip: Tell Hicham you want the "petit déjeuner marocain complet" (complete Moroccan breakfast) — he'll bring a generous spread of everything the family makes, and the quality is outstanding for the price
6
Café Houma
Café40–70 MAD 9am–9pm Central medina
Café Houma — a modern café in the medina — caters to the growing number of visitors looking for specialty coffee and healthy breakfast options. The café has a clean, minimalist design with blue-and-white accents that echo the medina's colour palette. The breakfast: avocado toast with poached eggs; smoothie bowls (acai, mango, mixed berry); homemade granola with yoghurt and honey; Moroccan breakfast platter; and specialty coffee (espresso, flat white, pour-over). The coffee is genuinely good — rare in Chefchaouen, where most cafés serve basic café au lait. Café Houma represents the new generation of Chefchaouen hospitality — young Moroccan entrepreneurs blending local tradition with international café culture. The Wi-Fi is reliable (another rarity in the medina), making it a good option for a working breakfast. The portions are generous and the ingredients are fresh.
Insider tip: If you need real coffee (espresso-based, not instant or café au lait), this is your spot — the flat white is the best in Chefchaouen
7
Ras el-Ma Spring Picnic Breakfast
Outdoor10–25 MAD (DIY) Any time Ras el-Ma spring, eastern edge of the medina
The most unique breakfast experience in Chefchaouen is a DIY picnic breakfast at Ras el-Ma — the natural spring and small waterfall at the eastern edge of the medina. Buy fresh bread from the bakeries (5–10 MAD for a selection), honey and goat cheese from the grocery stalls (5–10 MAD), and a bottle of fresh orange juice (5–8 MAD), then walk to Ras el-Ma where the mountain water emerges. Sit on the flat rocks beside the stream, spread your breakfast on a cloth, and eat with the sound of the waterfall, the mountain air, and the blue medina buildings rising behind you. The setting is extraordinary — you're eating beside a spring that has been Chefchaouen's water source for centuries, with women washing clothes on the rocks nearby and children playing in the water. This is not a café experience — there are no tables, no service, no menu. It's the most atmospheric and cheapest breakfast in Chefchaouen.
Insider tip: Bring a small cloth to spread on the flat rocks — the combination of fresh bread, mountain honey, goat cheese, and the sound of the waterfall is the most magical breakfast setting in Chefchaouen
8
Bab Ssour Morning Market
Market10–30 MAD 7am–1pm Near Bab Ssour, edge of the medina
The morning market near Bab Ssour (one of the medina gates) is where local Rif Mountain villagers bring their produce to sell — fresh goat cheese, mountain honey, herbs, seasonal vegetables, fruit, eggs, and bread. The market is authentic and non-touristy: Berber women from surrounding villages in traditional dress selling from blankets on the ground, and local families doing their daily shopping. The breakfast opportunity: buy a selection of cheese, honey, bread, fruit, and olives directly from the producers, then eat on the spot or take to a nearby café (they won't mind — just order a coffee). The mountain goat cheese (jben) is at its freshest here — made that morning in the surrounding villages. The honey is from Rif Mountain wildflowers and is noticeably different from lowland honey — darker, more complex, almost resinous. The market is most active on Monday and Thursday (the traditional market days), but some vendors are present every morning.
Insider tip: Buy jben (goat cheese) directly from the Berber women — it's made that morning in the mountain villages and is the freshest, most authentic cheese you'll taste in Chefchaouen
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about breakfast in Chefchaouen?
Chefchaouen's breakfast reflects its Rif Mountain location and Andalusian-Berber heritage. The standard Moroccan breakfast staples are present (msemen, baghrir, mint tea), but Chefchaouen adds mountain specialities: Rif Mountain honey (dark, aromatic, and more complex than lowland honey), local goat cheese (jben — fresh, white, and slightly tangy), mountain herb teas (thyme, verbena, and wild herbs from the surrounding hills), and thick, creamy yoghurt from mountain goats and sheep. The setting is uniquely photogenic — most cafés and riads have terraces overlooking the blue-and-white medina with the twin peaks of Jebel el-Kelaa behind.
Where is the cheapest breakfast in Chefchaouen?
The cheapest breakfast in Chefchaouen is at the bakeries and stalls near Place Outa el-Hammam. A msemen with honey costs 5–8 MAD, café au lait is 8–10 MAD, and fresh orange juice is 5–8 MAD. The local bakeries sell khobz for 1–2 MAD and sell msemen and harcha for 3–5 MAD each. The restaurants on Place Outa el-Hammam serve basic breakfasts (bread, jam, butter, coffee, orange juice) for 25–35 MAD. Chefchaouen is generally cheaper than Marrakech or Fes for food — a complete breakfast at a local café costs 20–30 MAD.
Do riads include breakfast in Chefchaouen?
Yes — nearly all riads and guesthouses in Chefchaouen include breakfast in the room rate. Chefchaouen riad breakfasts typically feature: fresh msemen and baghrir, local Rif Mountain honey, goat cheese (jben), olive oil, butter, fresh orange juice, mint tea or mountain herb tea, eggs, and seasonal fruit. Many riads serve breakfast on rooftop terraces with views of the blue medina and the Rif Mountains — this is one of the highlights of staying in Chefchaouen. The quality is generally good — Chefchaouen's riads are often family-run, and the breakfasts are prepared with care using local ingredients.