With its striking architecture, bustling souks and immaculate gardens, there is plenty to see in Marrakech. But the city also boasts an incredible food scene with a vast array of restaurants, markets and stalls.
And while hearty tagines and fragrant couscous dishes might be the first things that springs to mind when you think about dining in the Moroccan city, for those that are willing to explore there is so much more to discover. In recent years there has been an explosion of eateries taking traditional Moroccan cuisine to dizzying new heights. These are the best restaurants in Marrakech.
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La Villa des Orangers
This Relais & Chateaux hotel, restaurant and spa sits between the Royal Palace and Jemaa El Fna Square, providing a serene oasis at the heart of the Medina. Guests can dine in an indoor sitting room by the fireplace or out on the shaded patio by the hotel’s pool. Both Mediterranean food and traditional Moroccan cuisine are represented on the menu of dishes elevated with modern flair. Try the candied lamb shoulder with orange peel and spices, or the roasted gambas with eggplant caviar and piquillos juice with preserved lemon.
Le Marocain, La Mamounia
Moroccan tiles, shaded courtyards and flourishing gardens characterize this luxury hotel. Italian, French and Moroccan cuisine are offered throughout its various dining spaces, but Le Marocain is the most reflective of the destination its in as it places the focus on modern Moroccan gastronomy and its abundance of spices. The restaurant flows between a terrace and indoor dining space including a series of private lounges and alcoves. Here chef Rachid Agouray cooks up sumptuous dishes such as Fes-style spiny lobster tagine, and Mrouzia-style rabbit with pear confit.
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Restaurant Dar Essalam
Our list of the best restaurants in Marrakech would not be complete without mentioning Restaurant Dar Essalam. Within the opulent, jewelry-box interior of Dar Essalam, Moroccan tradition fuses with modern dine fining. The restaurant consists of a series of dining rooms, which are each distinct in their own resplendent style, reflecting the building’s history. While the Royal room is distinguished for its Arabian-Andalusian lounge with a grand cupola and fountain, the Marjane Room is decorated in wood, copper and traditional mosaic. In keeping with these surroundings, the menu consists of refined Moroccan dishes, with a range of tempting tagines to choose between.
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La Cour des Lions
Located within one of this city’s most prestigious hotels, the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, La Cour des Lions, which sits on the top floor, has the same striking décor as the rest of the hotel, comprising carvings and sculptures throughout the dining room and two terraces with views over the pool, gardens and Marrakech. Here guests are served the contemporary Moroccan cuisine of chef Fatema Hal, from a lamb tagine with spices, caramelized apricots and thin crepes with crushed almonds, to roast couscous-coated quail with onions, honeyed almonds and saffron sauce with cinnamon and Nouira.
PepeNero
Last but by no means least on our list of the best restaurants in Marrakech is PepeNero. In this riad combining a mosaic tiled courtyards with orange trees and fountains, and dining rooms resplendent in Moroccan furnishings, the restaurant provides a romantic dining setting. With chef Khalid Robazza Essafa in the kitchen, the menu is made up of both Moroccan and Italian dishes. While the Italian Il Bel Paese side to the menu comprises a selection of homemade pasta dishes and risotto, the Moroccan La Ville Rouge offering encompasses classic plates such as slow-roasted shoulder of lamb and a selection of tagines.
pepenero.marrakech.com
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