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Street Food Guide
8 Best Street Foods in Casablanca
Morocco's biggest city eats — Atlantic port seafood, the legendary Central Market, and a modern food scene rivaling any Mediterranean capital.
Street Food Essentials
Budget per meal: 30–80 MAD (€3–8)
Best area: Central Market & port
Signature dish: Market-fresh grilled seafood
Must-try: Habous pastries & tacos marocain
1
Central Market (Marché Central)
Iconic Market 30–80 MAD 8 AM – 2 PM (closed Mon)
Casablanca's legendary food market — an Art Deco masterpiece built in the 1920s, housing Morocco's finest seafood display alongside butchers, produce vendors, and a ring of restaurants. The Central Market is where Casablanca eats: chefs, diplomats, businesspeople, and families all shop here. The seafood section is staggering: whole tuna, swordfish steaks, sea bream, sole, Dover sole, langoustines, oysters, sea urchins, shrimp in five sizes, calamari, octopus, and seasonal specialties like lobster. The market restaurants (lining the exterior) cook whatever you buy inside: choose your fish at a vendor, carry it to a restaurant, and they'll grill, fry, or bake it for a cooking fee (20–40 MAD) plus bread, salad, and drinks. A full seafood meal: 50–100 MAD total — a fraction of restaurant prices for the same fish. The grilled shrimp (crevettes grillées, 30–50 MAD per plate) are legendary. Oysters from Oualidia (Morocco's oyster capital) are available seasonally (10–15 MAD per half-dozen). The atmosphere is pure Casablanca: the beautiful 1920s architecture, the shouting fishmongers, the ice-filled displays, and the energy of a city that takes food seriously. The market also has excellent meat, produce, and olive vendors. Mornings are best — by 1 PM the best fish is gone.
Insider tip: Buy a kilo of fresh shrimp from the market vendor (60–80 MAD/kg), walk to one of the exterior restaurants, and ask them to grill it with garlic and lemon. The cooking fee is 20–30 MAD. You'll eat better than most restaurants for half the price
2
Port-Side Fried Fish
Seafood Street Food 20–40 MAD 11 AM – 8 PM
The fried fish stalls near Casablanca's old fishing port — a row of open-air fryers serving battered Atlantic fish to dockworkers, taxi drivers, and in-the-know foodies. The port area (near the old medina, south of the Hassan II Mosque) has a cluster of simple stalls that buy directly from the returning fishing boats. The selection: sardines (15–20 MAD per plate — Casa sardines are large and meaty), shrimp (20–30 MAD), calamari (15–25 MAD), sole (20–35 MAD), and merlan (whiting — a local favorite, 15–25 MAD). Mixed platters cost 30–50 MAD. The preparation is simple: flour-and-spice batter, clean frying oil, served with bread, harissa, and lemon. The port stalls are less polished than the Central Market restaurants but the fish is just as fresh and the prices are 30–40% lower. The setting is industrial-romantic: working fishing boats, nets drying, seagulls, and the minaret of the Hassan II Mosque visible above the rooftops. The stalls are basic — plastic tables, paper plates — but the food quality is excellent. Best at lunchtime when the morning catch is freshest. The port area is being redeveloped, so the stalls may relocate — ask a taxi driver for "les fritures du port" (the port fryers).
Insider tip: Order "friture de merlan" (fried whiting) — whiting is Casablanca's unsung hero fish, with sweet, delicate flesh that fries beautifully. It's cheaper than sole but many locals prefer it. Add harissa and a generous squeeze of lemon
3
Habous Quarter Bakeries
Pastries & Bread 3–20 MAD 7 AM – 8 PM
The Habous (or New Medina) is a planned 1930s neighborhood built by the French in traditional Moroccan style — a grid of tree-lined streets with arcaded shops, designed to be a cleaner, more organized version of the old medina. The Habous is Casablanca's pastry and bread capital: the bakeries along Rue de Fes and surrounding streets sell every Moroccan pastry tradition alongside French-influenced creations. The highlights: kaab el-ghazal (gazelle horns, 3–5 MAD — the Habous versions are consistently excellent), chebakia (3–5 MAD), ghriba (2–3 MAD), briouats (3–5 MAD), and cornes (horn-shaped pastries filled with almond cream, 5–8 MAD — a Casablanca specialty). The bread is superb: fresh khobz from wood-fired ovens (1–2 MAD), batbout (pita-like rounds, 2–3 MAD), and harcha (4–6 MAD). The Habous also has excellent olive shops (dozens of varieties, 10–30 MAD/kg), spice vendors, and traditional clothing stores. The architecture is beautiful: whitewashed arcades, tiled fountains, and a human scale that makes it one of Casablanca's most pleasant neighborhoods. The Royal Palace is nearby — the neighborhood has a stately, well-maintained atmosphere. Mornings are best for the freshest pastries.
Insider tip: Visit the Habous bakeries on a Friday morning — the weekend pastry tradition brings out the best production. Buy a mixed box of kaab el-ghazal, cornes, and ghriba (30–50 MAD for 500g) and eat them with mint tea at one of the Habous cafés
4
Bocadillos & Sandwiches
Quick Meals 10–25 MAD All day
Casablanca is Morocco's sandwich capital — the city's fast pace demands quick, portable food, and the bocadillo stalls deliver. The sandwich culture here is more developed than anywhere else in Morocco: more filling options, better bread, and a competitive market that keeps quality high. Fillings: kefta (10–15 MAD), merguez (10–15 MAD), chicken shawarma (15–20 MAD), tuna with olives and egg (10–15 MAD), fried fish (15–20 MAD), and the "complet" (everything plus fries and egg, 20–25 MAD). The Casablanca innovation: some stalls offer "tacos marocains" — a recent street food phenomenon featuring a folded flour tortilla filled with meat, fries, cheese sauce, and harissa. Controversial among food purists but hugely popular with young Casablancais (15–25 MAD). The best sandwich streets: around Place des Nations Unies, Boulevard Mohammed V, and the areas near major tram stops (where the commuter crowd demands speed and value). Late-night bocadillos are a Casablanca institution — the city's nightlife sustains sandwich stalls that stay open until 2–3 AM. The quality is surprisingly consistent even at midnight.
Insider tip: Try the "tacos marocain" — Morocco's viral street food trend that originated in Casablanca. It's a flour tortilla loaded with grilled meat, cheese sauce, fries, and harissa, folded and pressed on a grill. Not traditional, but undeniably delicious and very Casa
5
Harira & Soups
Soups 5–10 MAD All day
Casablanca's harira is influenced by every region of Morocco — the city is a melting pot of migrants from across the country, each bringing their home recipe. You'll find thick southern harira, lighter northern versions, spicy eastern variations, and fusion styles that combine elements from multiple traditions. A bowl costs 5–8 MAD with bread and dates. The soup stalls in the old medina (near the port) are the most traditional. The working-class neighborhoods of Derb Sultan and Hay Mohammadi have the cheapest and most authentic soups — harira (5 MAD), bissara (4 MAD), loubia (5 MAD), and lentil soup (4 MAD). During Ramadan, Casablanca's harira scene is Morocco's largest — the iftar moment, when 4 million people simultaneously break their fast with harira, is an overwhelming sensory experience: the city goes quiet, then erupts in the sound of spoons on bowls. Year-round, the soup stalls near the Hassan II Mosque serve harira with a view of the world's tallest minaret — dramatic at sunset. Some upscale cafés in the Maarif district serve "harira gastronomique" — elevated versions with premium ingredients (15–25 MAD) — but the street versions are often better.
Insider tip: For the most authentic harira experience, find a stall in Derb Sultan (ask a taxi driver for "harira Derb Sultan") — the working-class neighborhood serves the thickest, most generously spiced harira in the city at 5 MAD per bowl
6
Msemen & Breakfast
Breakfast 3–10 MAD 6–11 AM
Casablanca's breakfast street food reflects its status as Morocco's business capital — the morning rush requires fast, portable food. Msemen (3–5 MAD), baghrir (3–5 MAD), sfenj (1–2 MAD each), and harcha (4–6 MAD) are available at stalls near every tram stop and major intersection. The Casablanca breakfast pace is faster than other cities — the msemen women work at industrial speed to serve the commuter crowd. Fresh orange juice (5–8 MAD) from carts along Boulevard Mohammed V and near Place des Nations Unies. Coffee culture is stronger in Casablanca than most Moroccan cities: espresso (nous-nous — half coffee, half milk — 8–12 MAD) at the dozens of café terraces along Boulevard Mohammed V is the Casablanca morning ritual. Some stalls near the Habous serve a "petit déjeuner complet" (complete breakfast): msemen, egg, cheese, olive oil, honey, and tea — 15–20 MAD. The modern bakeries in the Maarif and Gauthier districts offer French-style viennoiseries: croissants (5–8 MAD), pain au chocolat (5–8 MAD), and mille-feuille (8–12 MAD). Casablanca's breakfast is the most cosmopolitan in Morocco.
Insider tip: Order "nous-nous" at any Casablanca café — it's the city's signature coffee: half espresso, half steamed milk, served in a small glass. At 8–10 MAD, it's the fuel that runs Morocco's business capital. Pair with a fresh msemen from the nearest stall
7
Corniche Beach Food
Beachside Eats 15–40 MAD 10 AM – late
The Corniche (Ain Diab) is Casablanca's Atlantic beachfront boulevard — a 3 km stretch of beach clubs, restaurants, and food stalls along the ocean. Beach food here is a mix of Moroccan and international: grilled corn (5–10 MAD), grilled sardines (15–20 MAD), bocadillos (10–20 MAD), ice cream (10–20 MAD), crêpes (10–15 MAD), and fresh juice (8–12 MAD). The Corniche comes alive on summer evenings and weekends when Casablancais flock to the beach: families picnicking, young people at the cafés, and food vendors working the crowds. Some stalls offer "brochettes de crevettes" (shrimp skewers, 15–25 MAD) — grilled over charcoal with garlic and lemon, eaten with the ocean breeze. The Corniche is also where Casablanca's modern food trucks park — serving everything from gourmet burgers to sushi burritos (30–60 MAD). The sunset from the Corniche, with the Hassan II Mosque visible to the north and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon, is spectacular. For a more traditional experience, the seafood restaurants at the southern end of the Corniche (near Ain Diab) serve excellent grilled fish at 40–80 MAD per plate.
Insider tip: Walk the Corniche at sunset, buy grilled corn and a shrimp skewer from the beach vendors, and eat while watching the Atlantic sunset. On summer weekends, the energy along the Corniche is the closest Morocco gets to a Mediterranean beach promenade
8
Old Medina Traditional Food
Traditional 10–35 MAD 9 AM – 7 PM
Casablanca's old medina — a compact, walled quarter near the port that predates the modern city — has traditional street food at prices lower than anywhere else in Casa. The medina is small (you can walk through it in 10 minutes) but packed with food stalls: tagines (15–25 MAD — the cheapest in Casablanca), grilled meats (brochettes 3–5 MAD, kefta 5–8 MAD), rotisserie chicken (20–30 MAD half), harira (4–6 MAD), and fresh bread from the communal ovens (1–2 MAD). The medina stalls are purely local — few tourists visit Casablanca's old medina (it lacks the grandeur of Fes or Marrakech). The food is home-style: women cooking tagines on charcoal braziers, men grilling meat over tiny charcoal pits, and bakeries sending bread to the communal oven on wooden boards. The atmosphere is working-class and authentic: narrow streets, the sound of Arabic music from radios, the smell of charcoal and cumin. The old medina connects to the port area — combine a fish lunch at the port stalls with a tagine dinner in the medina for a full Casablanca food day. The medina gate near Place des Nations Unies is the easiest entrance.
Insider tip: Enter the old medina through the gate near Place des Nations Unies and follow the smell of grilling meat to the food stalls in the center. A tagine with bread and a mint tea costs 20–30 MAD — the most affordable full meal in Morocco's most expensive city
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Casablanca famous for food-wise?
Casablanca is Morocco's economic capital and its most cosmopolitan food city. Famous for: the Central Market (Marché Central) — a legendary Art Deco food market with the freshest seafood in Morocco, port-side fried fish at the old fishing harbor, the Habous Quarter's traditional bakeries and pastry shops, and a modern restaurant scene that includes everything from Japanese to Lebanese to cutting-edge Moroccan fusion. Casablanca's street food is less traditional than Marrakech or Fes — it's more urban, more diverse, and reflects a city of 4 million people from every region of Morocco. The prices are moderate: cheaper than tourist-facing Marrakech, more expensive than inland cities. The quality ceiling is the highest in Morocco — Casa attracts the country's best cooks and most demanding eaters.
Where should I eat street food in Casablanca?
Five key areas: (1) Central Market (Marché Central) — Art Deco food market with seafood stalls, the city's best-known food destination. (2) Old Medina — traditional Moroccan street food near the port. (3) Habous Quarter — pastries, breads, and traditional foods in a planned 1930s medina. (4) Derb Sultan/Derb Omar — working-class neighborhoods with the cheapest, most authentic food. (5) Corniche/Ain Diab — beachside snacks and modern street food along the Atlantic coast. For the most authentic experience, combine the Central Market (for seafood) with the Habous (for pastries) and the old medina (for traditional Moroccan). Each area is 10–15 minutes apart by taxi (15–25 MAD).