Souk Cuisine

“What a wonderful experience! I am a solo traveler and was joined by five others for a group of six. We shopped in the souks for the ingredients and even had the baked goods baked at the bakery. Everything was well organized and a very fun experience. The food was amazing with all of the spices we procured. I highly recommend this activity!”

“At Souk Cuisine, the morning begins with the Medina still rubbing the sleep from its eyes, its alleyways unusually calm as my friend and I set out with our guide and a neatly prepared shopping list in hand. The market visit felt intimate rather than performative, giving us space to linger, ask questions, and take in the colors and scents without the usual press of crowds. Back in the kitchen, Fattima, Gemma and their fellow chefs filled the room with instruction, encouragement, and — most memorably — constant laughter, the kind that makes strangers feel like old friends within minutes. Even as someone who rarely cooks, I found myself happily chopping onions, scattering spices, and leaning into the cheerful excitement of it all. When we finally sat down to eat, the tagine was exceptional — the best we encountered in Marrakech — made richer, perhaps, by the joy that carried us from market stall to table. More than a class, it was a day defined by warmth, conviviality, and the simple pleasure of cooking together.”

“This class was great! Even though we’d taken a cooking class in Tangier, this was a new and different experience. We LOVED all the things that took place before the cooking began. We shopped for veggies in an area we had not seen before even though we’d been in Marrakech for 5 days already. The visit to the spice store was fascinating and we sat on benches and had a little spice class, smelling them all. We stopped at the neighborhood oven, where we watched the workers place baked goods in the oven. Then on to the cooking. We chopped veggies and herbs and added spices to the various dishes that were to be our lunch. We made 5 salads, 2 mains, and coconut cookies. We made a chicken Tagine, which I had requested ahead of time. All were fantastic and definitely some of the best Moroccan food I’ve ever had. My husband still dreams about the cookies. Thank goodness they provided all the recipes so we can make everything at home. Jamal, our guide in the market, was enthusiastic and his smile was contagious. Fatima kept the cooking organized and on time. We had children in our group and she had a special talent for keeping them busy and engaged, very impressive. What a special day that we will remember for a long time.”

“Gemma was an absolutely wonderful and laid back host for this experience - all of us in our group had a wonderful time shopping the markets and cooking with local women inside an old riad. All cooking levels were welcome and the focus on local ingredients was such a great introduction to Moroccan food. Highly recommended for anyone!”

“Wonderful experience shopping for ingredients in the Médina then hands in cooking class with Moroccan women to guide us every step of the way. The shopping was fun, insightful, and authentic, and the cooking class itself was Informative, interactive and fun. We ate a delicious (and huge!) meal thanks to the great recipes. Highly recommend this for everyone visiting Marrakech.”

“Great experience -- found this recommended in an prior edition of Lonely Planet. The cooking class is a bit more than that. It runs 10-3p but the first part (a good hour or so) I felt was a bit chaotic running with a group of people through the souqs back and forth, which to my taste just lasted a bit too long. Once at the kitchen it was excellent. In the company of three woman (giving directions in an interesting mix of French, Dutch, and English), the seven of us made a three course Moroccan meal with a chicken-quince tajine as the highlight. The food was accompanied by a nice rose wine. Overall a great experience to do for a day. At 650 dirhams the price felt right to me.”