Marrakech Gastronomy Tour
This week we want to invite you to a virtual gastronomic route through the center of Marrakech. In addition to knowing the cultural places and areas that are recommended to visit in Marrakech, it is also important to get to know places where to eat well and typical foods of the city you are visiting. The Moroccan gastronomy is rich and varied like that of few countries and will surprise every adventurer. What may amaze travelers is discovering that by using the same spieces and the same ingredients Moroccan cooks are capable of making dishes so different in appearance and taste!
The Moroccan cousine owes her extreme wealth to her history which has made her receive the influences from the Orient (Berbers, Moors, Middle East), the South (Africa) and the North (Mediterranean). However, it is perfect because of its eminent simplicity as it is a very honest and popular cuisine. Salads, vegetables, fruits (especially citrus) and nuts are common. Olives are also used in most dishes and are prepared in many ways.
A star dish, the one that always comes to mind when thinking of Moroccan cuisine, is the cus-cús (al-kuskus in Arabic, originally from the Berber seksu). It is made with wheat flour, although sometimes other flour are added such as rice, barley or millet flour. In a steam-type container, a stew is cooked in the lower part, and the flour in the upper part, which thus receives the aroma of the broth. Most often, it is accompany with chicken, lamb and vegetable dishes.
Other classic Moroccan dish is the tajine. It takes its name from the earthen vessel with conical lid in which it is prepared. It consists of first frying the food and then cooking it in a stew over a very slow fire. The classic and most common tajines (although there are many varieties) are chicken with olives, lamb with plums, veal with vegetables, only with vegetable, and to a lesser extent those with fish such as tuna and sardines.
Knowing all this, now we are ready to set ourselves a true challange and discover the real gastronomic side of Marrakech! In the city we can find a huge variety of quality restaurants located especially inside the medina and at Jemaa el Fna or Bab Doukkala squares. There are also excellent options for dining in Marrakech in the neighborhoods of Guerliz, Hivernage and Avenue Mohamed VI.
Jemaa el Fna and the Medina
After doing a bit of sightseeing in Marrakech, one of the most authentic experiences is to eat in the Plaza de Yamaa el Fna, where fast-food (not a typical fast-food you can think of, believe me!) restaurants are surrounded by the great atmosphere of the place. In the square there are numerous stalls where we can buy fruits, juices and all kinds of food to eat while walking. In the surroundings there are several tourist restaurants with terraces that offer a magnificent panorama of the square and the city.
Among the classic fixed restaurants in this square are Chez Chégrouni and Argana, where you can have a dinner while overlooking the square. In the medina we recommend restaurants Un Déjeuner à Marrakech or the Jardin de la medina. Other options are Roti d’or next to Jemaa fna and La maison arabe, in Bab Doukkala.
Gueliz
In Gueliz we recommend Libzar restaurant. We highly recommend to try a delicious Tagine and a juicy pill!
El Palmeral
In addition to the restaurants of the luxury hotels we highlight the Chez Alí restaurant, located about 10 kms from the center of Marrakech and in which the Thousand and One Nights folk tales are recreated. You can dine on the terraces of the buildings that make up the restaurant or in a real Arab store and be greeted with songs and dancers dressed in traditional costumes. After dinner, there is a show where you can see oriental dancers, the desert Bedouin on their horses, camels, fireworks and a flying carpet.
Here goes a list of some restaurants we recommend in Marrakech:
Spanish Cuisine:
Tierra y Mar . 99, Rue Mohammed El Bequal Tel:+212 5244-46671
L’Auberge Espagnole. Street Corner Tarik Ibn Ziad and Moulay Ali Tel:+212 5244-58913
Asian Cuisine:
Amaia Restaurant. 84 avenue Hassan II Tel:+212 5244-57181
Katsura .Rue Oum Errabia Tel:024 43 43 58
French cuisine:
La Table du Marché. Hôtel Hivernage, angle Haroun Errachid et rue des Temples Tfno. Tel:05 24 42 12 12
Le Grand Café de la Poste place du 16 novembre, Guéliz Tfno. 05 24 43 30 38
Gastro MK at Maison MK 14 Derb Lafkih Sbaai | Quartier Luksour, Tel:+212 5243-76173
Indian cuisine:
Les Jardins de Bala 26 Rue de la Koutoubia Tel:06-69-279-078-06-69-278-992
International kitchen:
Le Café du Livre, restaurant littéraire 44 rue Tarik Ben Ziad Tfno. Tel:05 24 43 21 49
Marrakech Henna Art Café 35 Derb Sqaya, Riad Zeitoun Al Kdim Tel:+212 666-779304
Eveil Des Sens 32, rue Ibn Atya Gueliz, Tel:+212 5244-58617
Moroccan cuisine:
Al Fassia 55 bd Zerktouni, Guéliz
Amal Angle Rues Allal ben Ahmad et Ibn Sina
Les Jardins de la Medina Derb Chtouka, 21 | Quartier de la Kasbah, Tel:+212 5243-81851
Libzar 28, Rue Moulay Ali | Gueliz, Tel:+212 5244-20402
La Maison Arabe 1 Derb Assehbe, Bab Doukkala
Fish and Seafood:
Chez Coco 13, bd Abdelkrim Khattabi, Guéliz Tfno. Tel:05 24 43 57 76
Riad des Mers 11 derb Sidi Messaoud, Bab Yacout Tfno. Tel:05 24 37 53 04