THE BEST PLACES TO DINE IN MARRAKESH
In September we visited Morrocco. This was our first proper summer holiday together & marked the end of a number of months being apart due to GB’s work.
We spent the first half of the trip in the Atlas Mountains before heading to Marrakesh. I’d never travelled outside of Europe before so this was a completely different culture to anything I had experienced before. We’d had a number of friends tell us what a good time they’d had & decided now was the time to try something new.
It’s safe to say I was extremely excited, & as per usual channeled this into research - restaurants, places to see & trips.
My family teased me about this at the time but it worked out wonderfully & meant I was able to enjoy the holiday without having to worry about where we were going to eat that night or organising anything whilst we were there - I thrive on a plan.
OUR TOP 3 RESTAURANTS
(in no particular order)
1.
My dad told me about this restaurant & not only was the food divine but I LOVE the concept.
With an all-female staff, the restaurant focuses on the idea that so much of the truly great & traditional Moroccan cuisine is hidden away in family kitchens, having been handed down through the generations. They aim to now share these dishes with everyone!
The restaurant has a very upmarket feel, centred around an open kitchen. We chose to sit at the kitchen stools & were able to watch as everything was prepared which was fascinating.
All of the food was amazing, but I particularly enjoyed the ‘salads’. I initially turned these down when they were first offered, thinking they would be simply be moroccan versions of the leafy salads we’re used to in the West. It turned out that ‘salads’ in Morocco are actually more like chutneys served with flatbreads - they come in a million different flavours & were heavenly. Genuinely, I could've had them for the entire meal.
One thing to note is that the restaurant is in the New City, so was a bit of a trek from where we staying in the Old City & involved crossing some pretty major roads. Luckily, the taxis are super cheap & our hotel was able to organise a return without a problem. We also experienced our only instance of unwelcome behaviour in the New City, so I’d recommend taking transfers directly to anywhere you’re going there.
2.
Nomad is hidden behind a pretty doorway buried in the Souks. After climbing up a long, narrow staircase you end up on a roof terrace with the most beautiful view of the surrounding rooftops & mountains.
Nomad was started by an Australian who’d been visiting Morocco for over 20 years. The food is modernised Moroccan classics as well as western favourites with a moroccan twist (I had a lamb burger with a traditional moroccan relish). It was sensational!
Whilst dining there we experienced the most beautiful cacophony of calls to prayer as the sun was setting - for me this was the highlight of the trip.
Nomad is part of a larger group of restaurants in Marrakesh, specifically the sister restaurant to Le Jardin - a green Oasis in the centre of an old Riad. We went for lunch on the same day & also loved the food but you just can’t beat Nomad’s view.
3.
Dar Yacout is probably considered the best for fine-dining in Marrakesh. The lovely staff at our Riad & the tour guide we’d had that day all raved about it so we were more than excited.
Opened over 20 years ago by businessman and lifetime anglophile Mohammed Zkhiri, a set menu featuring five mains (!!!) is served in the most ornately designed former riad designed by the American architect Bill Willis.
The food was to die for & it was genuinely the best service i’ve ever had - it felt like we had our private butlers!
Due to an earthquake that struck the city last year there’s a lot of rubble & damaged buildings held up by scaffolding. As a result, some of the narrow streets have been temporarily closed which made finding Dar Yacout very difficult. We did make it eventually (albeit very late) after being escorted over a rubbled building to get there by a lovely member of restaurant staff who presumably had been tasked with finding lost diners!
If you’re heading to Marrakesh & want some more recommendations on dining, sightseeing or experiences feel free to email on rosesandreverieinfo@gmail.com !
I hope you have a lovely trip!! <3
