Couple questions: Food and romance
What is pastilla?
Pastilla is a sweet and savoury pie of very thin warqa pastry. It is filled with slowly braised pigeon or chicken, egg, saffron, coriander and almonds, and finished with cinnamon and a dusting of sugar. It was born in Fes and is the dish many guests describe as the surprise of their trip.
Answered by the Morocco Honeymoons team. Checked October 2026.
The short answer
Pastilla is a sweet and savoury pie of very thin warqa pastry. It is filled with slowly braised pigeon or chicken, egg, saffron, coriander and almonds, and finished with cinnamon and a dusting of sugar. It was born in Fes and is the dish many guests describe as the surprise of their trip.
In more detail
If the tagine is Morocco's everyday dish, our food guide calls pastilla its haute cuisine. It is celebration food, rarely made at home, and a real test of a serious kitchen.
Our food guide says the best are still made in Fes, but the grand riads of Marrakech prepare a fine version for special dinners. In Essaouira there is a seafood pastilla, which we can have served at a private table.
In a cooking class you can learn to fold one with a chef. It is fiddly work, which is part of the pleasure of making it together.
Pastilla belongs to celebration menus, which is why it often opens a diffa, the traditional feast of welcome. A private chef can make it the centrepiece of a riad dinner if you agree the menu in advance.
Good to know
- Ask for pastilla as the first course of a private riad dinner.
- Try the seafood version on the coast.
- Order it ahead. A good pastilla takes time.
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