Trip date: September 2023
After a very long car ride from the Sahara Desert, our driver Madhi drove us through the streets of Marrakesh, even stopping the car outside of a shop and having them sell us a bag of ice, to the Riad Laarous area. We were met by the house-girl Mouna who also had an older gentleman with her. Madhi and the man loaded all of our luggage into the man's wheelbarrow, we said our goodbyes, and then Mouna led the way down a few alleys to our townhome.
We had rented a private riad thru Airbnb which had lots of space on its 3 floors, a great rooftop, and a small plunge pool. We immediately made a round of gin & tonics and took in our first sunset in Marrakesh!
Every morning, for a daily 150MAD ($15 USD), the house-girl would arrive and make us breakfast. There was coffee, juice, eggs, bread, bread, and more bread! And no matter how many times we said we didn't need five different types of bread, we still got it! Languages can be hard!
That first evening, being so exhausted, we only cared about 2 things for dinner: that they served alcohol and it was nearby. We had a short walk to Cafe Arabe and were able to sit up on their rooftop terrace with cocktails and Italian food. The terrace was great, the drinks were good, the food was fair.
We did much better the next day, having lunch at Nomad which was recommended by a friend of mine. We started with some delicious zucchini fritters served with a goat yogurt sauce and I had a refreshing cucumber, lemon, and mint juice (the restaurant is dry).
My main of Moroccan quinoa with grilled veggies and feta was excellent. And the views and sounds of the medina below us were perfect!
Another day we had lunch at Cafe Clock, which had been recommended to us in Fez. One of the things they are known for is their camel burger. When in Morocco...
It was good; the meat is quite lean and doesn't have a real distinct flavor. The cheese and the fries were very disappointing to this American however!
Lunch on the rooftop at Kabana was probably our favorite. The terrace was beautiful, we were able to order a bottle of rosé, and our crispy feta & mint "cigares" as well as my falafel were delish! I was told they have great cocktails as well but we stuck to wine that afternoon.
One evening we had dinner at the lovely Hotel les Jardins de la Koutoubia. They have a wonderful list of Moroccan wines and my chicken & preserved lemon tagine was excellent. However as we got the bill our waiter actually reminded us to tip him!!! We were shocked.
On our last night we hadn't made any reservations and didn't really have a set plan so we ended up at La Pergola, which had been recommended by another friend and had a very nice rooftop. I was happy to get to try tangia, which is beef cooked in red wine in a clay pot, and it was fine. But for the most part the restaurant caters to tourists and serves things like burgers and tapas. I think there are more interesting restaurants to find in the city.
If you are looking for a spot to watch the sunset and Jemaa el-Fnaa square come to life, go to Le Marrakchi. Their terrace faces right out onto the square which is a fascinating thing to watch while sipping on a cocktail or a glass of wine. This is an unbeatable view! And when you leave, and you walk through the crowded and crazy market, that will be a pretty cool experience too!
One night we went to Barometre after dinner. Part bar, part lab, part art installation; it was fun and quirky. This is a great spot if you are with a group also as they have quite a bit of space. I think they serve full dinner too.
And of course Marrakesh has some very posh hotels in which to drink at. Royal Mansour has a couple of bars on their incredibly beautiful property. We had cocktails one evening the Main Bar. We walked into the small room with its silver ceiling, rose gold leaves on the walls, and vintage Art Deco chairs and were immediately charmed.
They have a nice list of signature cocktails using syrups with fresh local ingredients and made in house, like fig and date, and of course they can make you your favorite classic. We had a couple of rounds, it was lovely!
Without a doubt, my favorite bar we visited was the Churchill Bar at the Mamounia. Another completely opulent hotel, but this one with a small jewel of a cocktail bar, meant to remind you of a luxury railroad car.
There's a lovely menu of cocktails, both exclusives & classics, as well as a selection of champagne cocktails. You can even order caviar with your drink! And of course they have Sir Winston Churchill's favorite champagne, Pol Roger, by the bottle. The gentleman would be quite pleased with it all, as were we!
All photos from Marrakesh here.
