Updated June 25, 2020.
I had a lot of questions about our trip to the Moroccan Sahara, and at the top of the list was, “What is there to eat out there?” Well, I’m here to let you know! We stayed with Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp, and they served us some of the best food we ate in all of Morocco! Take a look and tell me what you’d want to eat!
Day 1
Day 1 of our desert excursion started in Ouarzazate but mostly took place in the car! There are a surprising amount of villages on the way to the Sahara, and even in the Sahara, so the drive was much more bearable than we expected, as a couple who doesn’t like a road trip! Our driver was great (thank goodness we didn’t have to drive ourselves!), and we made it to our camp in time for supper at sunset.
Lunch: Reda Restaurant Cafe in Alnif, Morocco
We stopped for lunch about two and a half hours out of camp at a little restaurant right off the road. The food was pretty good!
Welcome Snacks: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
Moroccan hospitality is a lot like Southern hospitality… it involves sweet beverages and food!
Supper: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
Our first full meal at the camp was as close to a fine dining experience as we could have gotten in the desert!
Day 2
This was our one full day of adventure in the desert. Again, I was surprised at the number of restaurants and accommodations in the desert! I really thought the only way to stay in the desert was to camp, but that is not the case!
Breakfast: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
Moroccan breakfasts have one very important thing in common, even in the desert: you’ll be given far more food than you could possibly finish all at once!
Inner Plate: Walnuts, Dried Figs, Pistachios, Almonds, Cashews, Dried Apricots, Golden Raisins in the center
Pro Tip: All the food comes out at different times. So pace yourself! In America, we usually expect all the entree food to come out at once, but not so with a Moroccan breakfast! We thought we were finished, but then out came more food! And then we thought, “Surely that’s all!” And then came more food! So, again, pace yourself!
Lunch: Maison Acacias Cafe and Restaurant in Tisserdmine, Moroccan Sahara
Tisserdmine doesn’t come up on the map, but it’s close to the Algerian border. Fun times!
Fun fact! The restaurant didn’t have an address, but it did have GPS coordinates!
Supper: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
We were the only people during our stay who chose to stay two nights. When we heard the staff telling the table of newcomers next to us what they would be having (the same thing we had the previous night), we thought for sure we’d be having the same thing again, but that was not so! The appetizers and dessert were almost exactly the same, but we got a few different things than anyone else!
Day 3
The drive back to Ouarzazate took a little over five hours, so we savored our last meal in the desert.
Breakfast: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
There were a few things offered the first day that were not offered the second day, and while I’m not sure why, I can definitely say we did not leave hungry—there was still plenty of food!
Lunch: Les Jardins Restaurant and Hotel in Ouarzazate, Morocco
We made it back to Ouarzazate in record time and had a late lunch there after our 5.5-hour drive from the desert.
Hungry for more? Check out my World Foods and Morocco Pages!
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Moroccan food is so yummy. I enjoyed it so much when I was there on a summer school. Tajine and freshly squeezed orange juice were my favourite.
That orange juice was definitely a highlight!