A warm, inviting interior with Moorish arches and colourful tiles meets lush foliage, decorative ceilings, and gilded lamps. Waitstaff expertly pour Moroccan mint tea into small colourful glasses from high above. We’ve not landed in Marrakech or Casablanca, but have arrived at a friendly restaurant serving up a wide variety of Moroccan favourites in the heart of Yaletown’s bustling dining quarter.
Moltaqa has shared its Moroccan traditions, cuisine, and culture with locals and visitors alike since its 2018 opening. Their fully halal kitchen is headed by talented female Moroccan chefs who fuse traditional recipes and authentic techniques into a well-rounded menu.
[Lemon & Olive Chicken Tagine: Free-range halal chicken, preserved lemon, olives, saffron]
While meat dishes are 100% Halal-certified, hormone- and antibiotic-free, the restaurant also caters to both vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Their free-range chicken is sourced from a farm in Abbotsford, keeping with the locally-curated theme that most quality restaurants aim for.
We dined on a busy Friday evening, with tables filling fast by 7pm. Clientele is as varied as the fragrant dishes that were brought to our party of four during the evening. The bar, sporting a Michelin-recommended seal, is centrally located and greets guests upon entry, as well as a few lounge seats close to the entrance.
[Seafood Pastilla, filled with Ocean Wise-certified, wild-caught salmon]
As mentioned earlier, Moltaqa’s delicious soups, tagines, pastillas, and assorted meat and seafood dishes have earned praise from Michelin as well as from Vancouver Magazine, who have crowned Moltaqa with 2025 and 2026 Gold Awards.
[Beef Briwats: Hand-rolled crisp phyllo triangles filled with savoury spiced beef]
I have been to Morocco, albeit years back, but I do recall the flavours and spices used in the dishes here and much enjoyed a chicken pastilla starter to go with my Moroccan mint-infused mojito mocktail. The restaurant offers a wide variety of cocktails, local and international beer and cider, as well as a well-rounded international red and white wine list.
Tagines are brought out in traditional painted ceramic pots, and as our server lifted each lid, we took in the incredible aromas of each. Four course tasting menus are also available for both lunch ($25) and dinner ($49) and include halal and gluten-free options.
The dessert menu features several cheesecake varieties (Lemon, Saffron, Pistachio), Jawhara (a baked phyllo delight with Moroccan cream, caramel and rose), Oum Ali (a traditional Egyptian bread pudding with dried apricot, borrowed from their neighbours to the east), and assorted cookies, which we decided to order for the table as a sweet finish. They’re presented on a plate with a sprinkle of mint and sesame seeds, and the selection changes daily.
On weekends, Moltaqa delights diners with a professional belly dancer on Saturdays (9:30 pm) and live Oud music on Sundays (6 pm).
As we had booked a visit to Morocco later in the year and needed to postpone due to health reasons, I was happy to be back in that cozy vibe again, even for just a short evening.
Moltaqa Moroccan restaurant is located at 1002 Mainland Street in Vancouver.
We dined as guests of the restaurant. Opinions, as always, remain our own.
