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Local Cuisine, Marrakesh

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Local Cuisine, Marrakesh
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Marrakesh Restaurants: Dining reviews and photos of Local Cuisine posted by real travelers and Marrakesh locals.
Local Cuisine
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Local Cuisine: Fine dining, Moroccan palace style
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  • We had drinks and coffee on the roof terrace and in one of the lounges in Yacout, which is one of the most spectacular-looking restaurants I've ever seen. It's contained in a palazzo-style house on a very unassuming pedestrian side street in the medina. After you walk through the door in the wall to get into the restaurant, you can see why this is one of the most celebrated places in Marrakesh. Even if you don't go to eat there, try to get in for drinks just so you can wander around its four floors and roof terrace, all of which are filled with gorgeous furniture and fountains.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$41 and up    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: most expensive
  • Phone: 212-4438-2538
  • Directions: You'll NEVER find Yacout on your own. Have your driver lead you there. Reservations are recommended.
  • Website: www.yacout-maroc.com

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    Local Cuisine: The best shrimp and eggplant
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  • this was our favorite table in the greatest outdoor picnic of all, jemaa el fna square. With the sound of trance drumming, smoke rising from multitudes of food tables, the sky above and the sun setting on marrakech, this was a most unique and delicious experience. The servers here was infectious with their enthusiasm. There is a great competition in the square between all the tables, to attrack "eaters" The food has to be delicious and the food providers have to be entertainers. Table 42 was the best at both!

    the crispy shrimp and delicious grilled eggplant

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: less than US$10    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: least expensive
  • Address: table 42, jemaa el fna square marrakech
  • Phone: say hello to bryan

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    Local Cuisine: The biggest outdoor restaurant EVER!!
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  • The Place Djema el Fna becomes a MASSIVE outdoor restaurant as evening draws in. The name translates as "Dead Men's Square", but this was not because of the quality of the food!! There are dozens of stalls, surrounded by tables and benches. The vendors are very imaginative and entertaining in the ways they try and encourage you to eat at THEIR tables. But everyone seems to sell the same thing - kebabs, fish, meat, cous-cous, soft drinks, water etc. Our strategy was to try and find a stall which seemed to be popular with Morocans. But of course, as soon as we sat down, the number of Europeans grew! The food was fine! As long as the food is freshly cooked and hot then it should be OK.

    We found that the 'waiter' tried to give us every dish available, whether we asked for it or not. So we ended up trying a bit of everything. If you want to eat cheaply, I guess you will have to be firm but polite. Don't forget the fresh orange juice stalls too. Perfect for the evening heat.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: less than US$10    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: least expensive
  • Address: Place Djema el Fna
  • Directions: Centre of the city - everyone ends up there - near the Koutoubia Mosque tower.

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    Local Cuisine: My Restaurant Recommendations
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  • Places I DO NOT recommend: *Le Pavillon- We read in Lonely Planet that Le Pavillon was one of the best restaurants with great ambiance; everyone ranted and raved about it. So when we got there (it was in a weird part of town) we were led to the courtyard for dinner. I was not very impressed with the place at all. Granted, there were candles and trees but still, the simple Riad I was staying in had better ambiance. Furthermore, the food wasn’t even that good. One of the dishes we had was like a slice of Pizza, but only WORSE and at 16.00 Euros!! The food was nothing special; I actually enjoyed my $0.80 salad at Chez Chegrouni alot more!! At the end of the night the bill came out to 80 euros for 2 appetizers and one entree; We didn’t even order wine. I was very displeased with the food and atmosphere. This place is totally overrated. Places I recommend: *Le Marrakachi- Very cute and trendy romantic restaurant overlooking the square. Great food. Bottle of wine and nice dinner for two for 60 euros. *Chez Chegrouni- Nice, simple, but delicious restaurant overlooking Djemma el-Fna. Very cheap. Lunch for 2: 8 euros. *Cafe Arabe- Nice, trendy, modern atmosphere. International cuisine, which is a nice break from Moroccan food. Relatively priced about 15 euros per plate. *Hotel Ali- Tired the lunch buffet, had the spaghetti pomodoro which was DELICIOUS with real spices for 8 euros per person *Riad Tamsna- Lonely Planet described this place as achingly stylish and it´s true. The moment you walk in, you are stunned at how beautiful this place really is. Kind of hidden away, you need to get detailed directions or just ask someone, this place is very nice and the food was great. Very romantic and nice atmosphere. Food relatively priced 19 Euros per plate. *Cafe Argana- Food was just okay, nothing great. The service was sooo slow and they weren’t the friendliest. but they always let you use the restroom. The ice cream downstairs is really delicious and highly recommended.

  • Theme: French

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    Local Cuisine: A Banquet for two....
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  • We had barely had time to drop off our bags at Riad Hamza when Ahmed suggested we might be hungry. In fact, I was ravenous and so we decided to accept Ahmed's offer of finding us a place to dine for the evening, particularly in light of his success at finding us a beautiful place to stay. We walked back onto the main street and followed Ahmed's nimble silhouette to Riad Omar. The entrance and halls were similar to our accommodation's but on a larger scale. We were surprised to be shown to the terrace despite the pouring rain, but a marquee style canopy protected a luxuriously upholstered dining area from the elements. The terrace was crowded with French and Moroccan diners and we chose a corner couch with a discreet view of the room. There was no music but the constant cheery chatter gave the restaurant a lively atmosphere. Looking at the menu, Ahmed helpfully selected two meals that we should try. I noticed they came in boxes with five lines each seeming to end in a separate dish - a five course meal...EACH??? Ahmed assured us the portions were small and his suggestion would be perfect for us. We must have looked hungry! I know this sounds daft, but I must mention the toilets! They have the dearest little open air entrance with wash basin leading onto cubicles with swing-shutter doors that lock with huge iron bolts! Due to the lack of alcohol at Riad Omar, Jonathan had started to sober up fast and it was lucky that several feline visitors kept his mind off his hangover. Thus we began the longest meal of our lives!

    The five course set menus cost 250 dirhams each and could feed an army! Our evening commenced with cold salad dishes and bread. Spiced carrots, olives and pasta all featured and also very sweet honeyed dates which I found peculiar at the beginning of a meal. The next course was tagines of lamb and chicken which were beautifully prepared and presented. The lamb tagine was cooked with chicken livers which are a favourite of mine and Jonathan's. Couscous was served next with many different root vegetables to compliment it. I found this quite bland but satisfying after the spicy tagines. A huge basket a fruit was brought to the table once the couscous was cleared. At this point we were beginning to feel uncomfortably full and then melon was soothing and refreshing. A word to the wise - don't fill up on that bread in the first course or you will explode! When the mint tea was finally served we couldn't even look at the sweet pastries that accompanied it!

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$21-30    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Address: Rue Riad Zitoun El Kedim
  • Directions: Straight down the road from Djemma El-Fna, just before you get to The Tazi.

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    Local Cuisine: Cafe Argana
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  • The Argana restaurant is one of the best known of the many that surround Djemaa el-Fna. It's not as high up as some of the other rooftop cafes but it offers great views of the square and the market below. Unfortunately the view was by far the best bit. It's a bit higher class than most of the local cafes - the waiters even wear shirt and tie. The meal was the most expensive I had in Morocco at about 10 dollars. Now if the food is great then I don't mind paying that bit extra but here it was very disappointing. In fact as well as the most expensive it was probably also the worst meal I had - not just worst value but worst for taste. The cous cous was extremely bland and the chicken was flavourless. Even the fresh orange juice wasn't that good, despite it being about 20 times the price on the stalls outside. And it was supposed to be a last night treat as well!

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  • Theme: Local
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Directions: In the northwest corner of Djemaa el-Fna, above an ice cream parlour (which is much better by the way!)

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    Local Cuisine: A True 1001 Nights experience!
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  • 1 of the groups that went from table to table - Marrakesh
    1 of the groups that went from
    table to table
    by girladventure
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    Chez Ali is a vast fantasy village located in a palmgrove in the outskirts of Marrakech. They made quite a production out of this place that it actually reminded of me Disneyland. Waiters and waitresses dressed in their own tribal costumes also work as entertainers. The food is plenty! They serve harira (soup) roasted lamb, or mechoui, vegetable-topped couscous, fruit, pastries and mint tea. All throughout the dinner, various folklore groups pass through the tents and tables dancing, singing and animating the evening. For sure, if you want a quiet dinner, this will not be the place. The highlight of the evening comes at the end of your meal when everyone had to move from their tables, sit down on a wooden bench around a large corral in the center of Chez Ali. Charging horsemen in their display of old tribal power with shouts and firing of rifles as the pull their horses to a halt. Then follows the horseback acrobatics, a belly dancer and then up in the night sky Sheherazade and her prince fly to the stars on their magic carpet, as around them fireworks explode. A bit touristy but worth it!! I went there a couple years ago and we paid I think $40 or $45/person.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$41 and up    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Phone: Tel: +212 (0)44 30 77 30.
  • Website: http://www.ilove-marrakesh.com/chezali/index_en.html

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    Local Cuisine: Rôtisserie de la Paix.
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  • Our last evening , we had to get up very early and we wanted it to be special. We chose this restaurant in Guéliz. It is a bbq restaurant with a wunderful garden. We were a bit too early. It opens at 6 but they only get started half an hour later. There are tables round a central fountain , palmtrees with lights in it...a wall with water. It all get quit cozy when it gets dark. This is also the place that more wealthy moroccan prefer. Frederik went straight for the 'grillades Royale' (15euro) and I took the tapas surprise (15 euro). Those tapas had little to do with what is served in Spain. It were all sorts of little snacks , like shrimps , little sausages ....tapas with a very local touch. BUT one of the little cups had creme caramel in it. I was highly amused. :-) A large bottle of mineral water , sidi ali (1,2 euro) and two divine fresh squeezed orange juices (3 euro) made it complete. DESSERT? of course. The most important thing. I had fresh strawberries (not as sweet as in Belgium) and the other side came the 'asiette Gourmande'. (5euro) A fantastic platter of tartes and sweets and even chocolate cake. Don't forget the 10% taxes in the end. We had a fantastic evening.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Comparison: about average
  • Address: Rue yougoslavie 68
  • Phone: 044 43 31 18
  • Website: http://www.restaurant-diaffa.ma/rotisserie/menupaix/visite.html

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    Local Cuisine: Chez Ali - Fantasia, Food, Music and Dance!
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  • An evening at Chez Ali is an experience not to be missed! I'd been looking forward to visiting, since reading VTers tips. I chose to celebrate my Birthday here. I've written a bit about the venue and entertainment in my Nightlife tips. Arriving at Chez Ali, we were led by our guide, to a room where the inside was decorated in the style of a traditional Caidal tent. The central area was where the food would be served, around the edge of the tent were tables and chairs. Our first course was Harira - lentil/vegetable soup, followed by lamb M'choui (a whole lamb, spit roasted, usually served at celebrations) Next was chicken and vegetable cous cous, A sweet filo pastry dessert (which might have been Pastilla) then a platter of fresh fruits completed our meal. There was also Mint tea, but the Fantasia had started, so I missed this.

    I enjoyed all the dishes, This was a good opportunity to try these traditional Moroccan foods. I also had a 1/2 bottle of wine (Kaiser Blanc 11.5%) and a large bottle of water (I think the wine and water cost 100dh) I'm not sure how many people they cater for each night, our room had seating for about 150 people, and there were at least 6 of these rooms. I paid 400dh for this trip through Panorama/Menara Tours. I think most tour companies offer this trip, but you can arrange it independently.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Address: Fantasia Chez Ali, Circuit Jaffaria, la Palmeraie.
  • Phone: 044 307730
  • Directions: Head along the Safi Road, there are huge billboards advertising Chez Ali. Most tour groups offer a night here.
  • Other Contact: fax 044 309382

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    Local Cuisine: Mint Tea -the a la menthe/ Moroccan Whisky!
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  • Mint tea is ubiquitous in Morocco! Whether served in a glass, or from a silver pot, this refreshing drink has to be tried at least once. Mint tea is often offered by shopkeepers during the haggling process. Chinese green tea, fresh spearmint (nanaa) leaves and sugar are infused in boiling water. Berber pharmacies sell bags of dried mint and green tea to try at home. I like my tea black and sweet, but some find it too sweet - just request your tea to be served shwiya sukkar for a less sweetened version. The tea will often be served from a height by your waiter to ensure a frothy top! Often the first poured glass is returned to the pot to 'improve' the brew. Although not traditionally drank with meals, it is considered a digestive. I had no problems with my stomach during my week, which might have been thanks to the copious amounts of mint tea I drank!

    I got quite addicted to Mint tea, while in Marrakesh! I'll be growing lots of mint in my garden this year so I can enjoy this refreshing drink. Although I drank it hot in Marrakesh, I think I'll be making iced versions for summer. Prices varied, Apart from many free glasses I was offered, I think the cheapest I paid was 7dh, the most expensive was 40dh at La Mamounia!

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: less than US$10    » Currency Converter
  • Address: All over Morocco

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