Cafe du Livre
Cafe du Livre is a bookshop-bar on Rue Tariq Ibn Ziad in a quiet section of Gueliz. The concept is straightforward: a small library of used books in English and French shares space with a full bar serving beer, wine, and cocktails. Shelves line the walls. Tables are scattered between reading nooks. A garden terrace out back has additional seating under trees. Beer costs 35-50 MAD (3.25-4.60 EUR / 3.50-5 USD). Wine runs 50-80 MAD (4.60-7.40 EUR / 5-8 USD). Cocktails are 70-120 MAD (6.50-11 EUR / 7-12 USD). The food menu covers sandwiches, salads, and light meals at 50-100 MAD. No cover. No DJ. No dress code beyond wearing clothes. The crowd is expats, writers, teachers, and the type of tourist who reads books. It's the opposite of everything in Hivernage.
What to Expect
A genuinely low-key bar where the loudest sound is conversation. The book-lined walls create an atmosphere that encourages lingering. The terrace is the highlight on warm evenings. People actually read here, which is a rarity for a bar. The crowd talks to each other across tables.
Quiet, literary, and social in the best sense. Think a London pub crossed with a Paris bookshop, planted in Morocco.
Background jazz and acoustic music at conversation volume. No DJ, no dance floor.
Whatever you're wearing. Seriously. This is the least dressy venue in Marrakech.
Expats and long-term visitors looking for community. Solo travelers who want to meet people in a low-pressure setting. Anyone who needs a break from the medina's intensity.
Cash preferred. Cards accepted but sometimes the machine is temperamental.
Price Range
Beer 35-50 MAD, wine 50-80 MAD, cocktails 70-120 MAD, food 50-100 MAD
≈ EUR 3.25-11 / $3.50-12
Hours
Mon-Sat 10 AM to 11 PM
Insider Tip
Come for the garden terrace on a warm evening. The interior is cozy but small, and it fills on weekend evenings. The book exchange works on an honor system: leave one, take one. The staff know the Marrakech expat scene well and can point you toward events and gatherings. Order the house red wine; it's the best value on the menu.
Full Review
Cafe du Livre exists because Marrakech needed a place where the expat community could gather without the performance of the tourist circuit or the expense of hotel bars. The owner understood that a bookshop-bar combination would attract exactly the kind of people who'd keep coming back: readers, writers, teachers, aid workers, and the tourists who'd rather sit with a book and a beer than take a selfie at Jemaa el-Fnaa.
The interior is small. Maybe 15 tables inside, with bookshelves reducing the usable space further. This limitation becomes an asset. You're close to your neighbors. Conversations start easily. The regulars know each other and welcome newcomers into the circle. On a typical evening, you might find a retired French couple, a young American English teacher, a Moroccan journalist, and a group of British tourists who stumbled in by accident and decided to stay.
The garden terrace extends the capacity and changes the character. Under the trees, with the warm evening air, the terrace feels like a friend's backyard. The lighting is soft. The noise from the street is muffled. If you arrive at 7 PM on a Friday, you can settle in for an evening that stretches pleasantly without effort.
The bar is honest. The wine list is short and mostly Moroccan, with a few French options. The house red by the glass is the best value. Cocktails are made properly but without flair. The beer selection covers Moroccan domestics and a few imports. Nobody comes here for the drinks list; they come for the atmosphere.
Food is simple and reliable. Sandwiches, salads, and a soup that changes daily. The portions are reasonable and the prices fair.
The main limitation is hours. Closing at 11 PM means this is an early-evening venue, not a late-night one. It works perfectly as a first stop before dinner elsewhere, or as a complete evening for people who don't need clubs.
The Neighborhood
Rue Tariq Ibn Ziad is a quiet residential street in Gueliz. The immediate surroundings are apartments and small shops. The bar is a few minutes' walk from the main Gueliz avenues.
Getting There
A 5-minute walk from Place Abdel Moumen or Avenue Mohammed V. By taxi, a 10-15 MAD ride from the train station. The street is easy to miss; look for the small sign. Most regular taxi drivers know it by name.
Other Venues in Gueliz
Le Comptoir Darna
Iconic Marrakech restaurant and bar with live belly dancing, a dimly lit interior, and a crowd that mixes tourists with wealthy Moroccans. The atmosphere peaks after 10 PM when the entertainment starts.
Bazaar
Rooftop and indoor lounge on Place Abdel Moumen Ben Ali. DJ sets on weekends, hookah, cocktails, and a mixed international crowd. One of Gueliz's more reliable nightlife options.
Grand Cafe de la Poste
Colonial-era brasserie on Boulevard El Mansour Eddahbi. High ceilings, art deco details, and a terrace that fills for evening drinks. French-Moroccan cuisine. Popular with business travelers and older tourists.
Kechmara
Modern bistro and gallery space on Rue de la Liberte with a rooftop terrace. Art exhibitions rotate monthly. Good cocktails, European-Moroccan fusion food, and a creative crowd.