GRILLED MEATS GALORE
Once a popular hole-in-the-wall, (7) Plats Haj Boujema (65 Mohamed ElBeqal; 212-524/421-862; lunch for two MAD163) retains its cheap prices and populist spirit despite the (almost) spiffy new digs in Gucliz. Beauties with kohl-rimmed eyes tend to order panini and pizza, but you should opt for the smoky carnivorous offerings. Succulent minced lamb kofte precede perfect beef brochettes, then flash-charred lamb chops and, for the adventurous, skewers of plush liver or brains. No tasting, please, without the taktuka, a zesty, garlicky tomato-and-grccn-pcppcr relish.
ULTIMATE COUSCOUS
Few restaurants in town bother with the proper raking, swelling and multiple steamings of Morocco's signature semolina grains. (8) Dar Moha (81 Rue Dar el Bacha, Medina; 212-524/386-264; MAD1J00) bills itself as nouvelle marocaine, but its charismatic celebrity chef-owner MohaFedal happily takes an ancien approach to couscous. Start with a mosaic of Moroccan salads at your candlelit poolside table on the patio of French designer Pierre Balmain's former riad. Midway through the degustation menu, a duo of couscous dishes invites you to compare earthier Berber-style barley pellets with the more familiar durum wheat, here as light and fluffy as snowflakes. And near the end of your meal don't forget, the dessert pastilla, made with apples and saffron, dcliciously contrasts cream and crunch. »
A MEAL FIT FOR A KING
The cliche "royal repast" reacquires its zing at the extravagant Royal Mansour Marrakcch hotel, owned by the king of Morocco. Need more pedigree? Parisian chef Yannick Allcno of Michclin three-starred Restaurant Lc Mcuricc oversees the hotel's trio of restaurants. At the lofty (9) La Grande Table Marocaine (RueAbou Abbas el Sebti, Medina; 212-529/808-080; dinner for two MAD3.018), chandeliers glitter onto filigrccd metal tables under a coffered ceiling. A waitress in a white caftan reveals a tagine pot's treasure: sweetly spiced duck meatballs stuffed into tender artichoke hearts. The regal highlight: seffa medfouna, a complex veal-and-apricot stew, buried in a mound of ethereal, thrice-steamed vermicelli ornamented with almonds and cinnamon.
FAMILY-STYLE DINING
Run by the female members of the Chab clan and specializing in the intricate flavors of Fez, (10) Al Fassia Aguedal (9 bis Rte. de I'Ourika, Zone Touristique de lAguedal; 212-524/381-138; dinner for two MAD530) is equally adored by tourists, opinionated French expats and local foodies. The newer Aguedal location is more sociable than the original branch, with celebrating families upstairs and couples on the low, cushy banquettes on the ground floor. Bilingual servers will chat you through the 15 appetizers: salad-y dishes featuring three sumptuous iterations of carrots, an orange-blossom-scented tomato jam and dainty, crisp briouat pastries. Don't miss the majestic whole lamb shoulder for two—slowly roasted, its brown, burnished glaze is punctuated by almonds. At meal's end.
UNLIKELIEST SPAGHETTI
Why schlep to Morocco for a bowl of spaghetti? Because Campania's ubcr-chef Alfonso Iaccarino is the genius behind (11) L'ltalien (Ave. BabJdid, Medina; 212-524/388-600; dinner for two MADl,223)t within the renovated La Mamounia hotel. While the Jacques Garcia design is all dark, vampy opulence, the spaghetti Don Alfonso is an essay in sunny simplicity: a vibrant sugo of baby tomatoes clings just so to the al dente pasta from Gragnano producer Gentile, a single fragrant basil leaf the only garnish. The other primi present an equally bclla figura. Begin with the gossamer lobster fritto and fade out with a luscious, boozy Sorrentine baba au rhum, a dream of Amalfi by way of the Sahara.
BEST PASTRIES
"Artistique!" cry sweet-toothed locals about the almond-y handiwork of Madame Alami, sugar diva of (12) Al Jawda pastry shop (11 Rue de la Liberte, Gueliz; 212-524/433-897; pastries for two MAD41). Feet aching? Claim a noir rattan chair on the terrace of her Parisian-looking (13) Al Jawda Plus tearoom (84 Ave. Mohammed V; 212-524/434-662; pastilla/or two MAD98) and order the definitive version of pasdlla, Morocco's baroque pigeon pie. Crunchy yet light without the usual excess dusting of sugar, the warqa pastry encloses a sweet-savory marvel offender, chunky braised pigeon in a plush ambience of ground almonds and beaten eggs. Tt arrives redolent of orange-flower water and a complex blend of spices. End with comes de gazelles pastry half-moons and ultra-crumbly ghriba cookies. On the other side of town, by the covered produce souk, the dollhousc displays of some six dozen syrup-glistening pastries and date sweetmeats at (14) Patisserie Anjar (121 Ave. Houmane El Fetouaki, Arset Lamadch; 212-524/378-983) entice even the most pastry-phobic. The white-chocolate-glazed almond-and-citron confection tastes like marzipan from heaven.
DRINK WITH A VIEW
The minimalist (15) Sky Bar (89 Angle Blvds. Zerkhtoimi and Mohammed V, Gueliz; 212-524/337-777; drinks for two MAD122), at the 1950's-stylc Hotel La Renaissance, is the highest perch in the city. Come before dusk for the snowcapped Atlas Mountains vista, an ice-cold Casablanca beer, and the incongruous sight of macho dudes in Ray-Bans enjoying drinks with fruit slices. Once the red rooftop RAR sign lights up, amble over to the lobby drinking den at the (16) BAB Hotel (Blvd. Mansour Eddahbi and Rue Mohamed El Beqal Gueliz; 212-524/435-250; cocktails for two MAD196), where drinks arc accompanied by Morocco-inspired tapas. The visuals here constitute another kind of tour de force, with a cool, camel-bone-tiled counter and lampshades of shaggy recycled plastic. The libations list is equally cheeky. How about a Jack Is Back—vodka zapped with kiwi, lemon and ginger?
TOP COOKING SCHOOL
Franco-Italian aristocrat Fabrizio Ruspoli has added 10 rooms to (17) La Maison Arabe (J DerbAssehbe, Bab Doukkala, Medina; 212-524/387-010; lamaisonarabe.com; doubles from MAD2.039; half-day cooking classes from MAD612 per person), his sybaritic riad on the medina's edge. The cooking school remains stellar, with small class sizes for a total immersion into the fragrant North African cuisine. Instructor Dada Fatiha learned from her mother, who cooked for a local pasha. Before rolling up their sleeves to make flaky briouat pastries and a chicken tagine accented with cinnamon and sesame seeds, students tour the spice market and cull tips from congenial university professor Mohammed Nahir. (A saffron secret? Pulverize it in a mortar with a touch of salt before using.) Lessons conclude with a DIY feast overlooking a dreamy pool flanked by olive trees.
BRING IT BACK
Savvy shoppers head to the venerable Mellah souk (near Place des Fcrblanticrs, in the city's old Jewish ghetto), where donkeys ferry huge loads along narrow passageways, striped-robed vendors tend conical piles of turmeric and paprika, and sacks bulge with dried rosebuds and sandalwood. Take in the scene over a sage tea or anise-spiked Arabic coffee on the balcony cafe of the
(18) Art de Vivre Oriental complex (88 Rue de Commerce Hay Salam, Mellah; 212-524/389-791; tea for two MAD16). Stock up on saffron, spice blends and medicinal tisanes at
(19) Herboristerie Ibnou Nafiss (52 Rue Dar Daou, Arset Lamadch; 212-655/560-822). Those looking for chic hand-painted tea glasses and earth-toned artisanal linen place mats and tablecloths should visit (20) Scenes de Lin (70 Rue de la Liberte, Gueliz; 212-524/436-108). For argan oil-both cosmetic and culinary—and vibrant essences from organic ingredients grown on the owner's farm, get Nectarome-brand products at (21) Essence des Sens (52 Rue Mouassin
e, Medina; 212-6/7696-3107): the orange-flower water will perfume desserts or fruit salads, and a dash of black sesame oil can transform a stew. Dizzy from endless patterns? The tea sets, candlesticks and mini tagine pots at (22) Jamade (1 Place DouarGraoua, Rue Riad Zitoun ./'did, Medina; 212-524/429-042), produced by artisans and women's collectives, feature fluid, modern shapes, smooth glazing and eye-popping monochrome hues. +
Once a popular hole-in-the-wall, (7) Plats Haj Boujema (65 Mohamed ElBeqal; 212-524/421-862; lunch for two MAD163) retains its cheap prices and populist spirit despite the (almost) spiffy new digs in Gucliz. Beauties with kohl-rimmed eyes tend to order panini and pizza, but you should opt for the smoky carnivorous offerings. Succulent minced lamb kofte precede perfect beef brochettes, then flash-charred lamb chops and, for the adventurous, skewers of plush liver or brains. No tasting, please, without the taktuka, a zesty, garlicky tomato-and-grccn-pcppcr relish.
ULTIMATE COUSCOUS
Few restaurants in town bother with the proper raking, swelling and multiple steamings of Morocco's signature semolina grains. (8) Dar Moha (81 Rue Dar el Bacha, Medina; 212-524/386-264; MAD1J00) bills itself as nouvelle marocaine, but its charismatic celebrity chef-owner MohaFedal happily takes an ancien approach to couscous. Start with a mosaic of Moroccan salads at your candlelit poolside table on the patio of French designer Pierre Balmain's former riad. Midway through the degustation menu, a duo of couscous dishes invites you to compare earthier Berber-style barley pellets with the more familiar durum wheat, here as light and fluffy as snowflakes. And near the end of your meal don't forget, the dessert pastilla, made with apples and saffron, dcliciously contrasts cream and crunch. »
A MEAL FIT FOR A KING
The cliche "royal repast" reacquires its zing at the extravagant Royal Mansour Marrakcch hotel, owned by the king of Morocco. Need more pedigree? Parisian chef Yannick Allcno of Michclin three-starred Restaurant Lc Mcuricc oversees the hotel's trio of restaurants. At the lofty (9) La Grande Table Marocaine (RueAbou Abbas el Sebti, Medina; 212-529/808-080; dinner for two MAD3.018), chandeliers glitter onto filigrccd metal tables under a coffered ceiling. A waitress in a white caftan reveals a tagine pot's treasure: sweetly spiced duck meatballs stuffed into tender artichoke hearts. The regal highlight: seffa medfouna, a complex veal-and-apricot stew, buried in a mound of ethereal, thrice-steamed vermicelli ornamented with almonds and cinnamon.
FAMILY-STYLE DINING
Run by the female members of the Chab clan and specializing in the intricate flavors of Fez, (10) Al Fassia Aguedal (9 bis Rte. de I'Ourika, Zone Touristique de lAguedal; 212-524/381-138; dinner for two MAD530) is equally adored by tourists, opinionated French expats and local foodies. The newer Aguedal location is more sociable than the original branch, with celebrating families upstairs and couples on the low, cushy banquettes on the ground floor. Bilingual servers will chat you through the 15 appetizers: salad-y dishes featuring three sumptuous iterations of carrots, an orange-blossom-scented tomato jam and dainty, crisp briouat pastries. Don't miss the majestic whole lamb shoulder for two—slowly roasted, its brown, burnished glaze is punctuated by almonds. At meal's end.
UNLIKELIEST SPAGHETTI
Why schlep to Morocco for a bowl of spaghetti? Because Campania's ubcr-chef Alfonso Iaccarino is the genius behind (11) L'ltalien (Ave. BabJdid, Medina; 212-524/388-600; dinner for two MADl,223)t within the renovated La Mamounia hotel. While the Jacques Garcia design is all dark, vampy opulence, the spaghetti Don Alfonso is an essay in sunny simplicity: a vibrant sugo of baby tomatoes clings just so to the al dente pasta from Gragnano producer Gentile, a single fragrant basil leaf the only garnish. The other primi present an equally bclla figura. Begin with the gossamer lobster fritto and fade out with a luscious, boozy Sorrentine baba au rhum, a dream of Amalfi by way of the Sahara.
BEST PASTRIES
"Artistique!" cry sweet-toothed locals about the almond-y handiwork of Madame Alami, sugar diva of (12) Al Jawda pastry shop (11 Rue de la Liberte, Gueliz; 212-524/433-897; pastries for two MAD41). Feet aching? Claim a noir rattan chair on the terrace of her Parisian-looking (13) Al Jawda Plus tearoom (84 Ave. Mohammed V; 212-524/434-662; pastilla/or two MAD98) and order the definitive version of pasdlla, Morocco's baroque pigeon pie. Crunchy yet light without the usual excess dusting of sugar, the warqa pastry encloses a sweet-savory marvel offender, chunky braised pigeon in a plush ambience of ground almonds and beaten eggs. Tt arrives redolent of orange-flower water and a complex blend of spices. End with comes de gazelles pastry half-moons and ultra-crumbly ghriba cookies. On the other side of town, by the covered produce souk, the dollhousc displays of some six dozen syrup-glistening pastries and date sweetmeats at (14) Patisserie Anjar (121 Ave. Houmane El Fetouaki, Arset Lamadch; 212-524/378-983) entice even the most pastry-phobic. The white-chocolate-glazed almond-and-citron confection tastes like marzipan from heaven.
DRINK WITH A VIEW
The minimalist (15) Sky Bar (89 Angle Blvds. Zerkhtoimi and Mohammed V, Gueliz; 212-524/337-777; drinks for two MAD122), at the 1950's-stylc Hotel La Renaissance, is the highest perch in the city. Come before dusk for the snowcapped Atlas Mountains vista, an ice-cold Casablanca beer, and the incongruous sight of macho dudes in Ray-Bans enjoying drinks with fruit slices. Once the red rooftop RAR sign lights up, amble over to the lobby drinking den at the (16) BAB Hotel (Blvd. Mansour Eddahbi and Rue Mohamed El Beqal Gueliz; 212-524/435-250; cocktails for two MAD196), where drinks arc accompanied by Morocco-inspired tapas. The visuals here constitute another kind of tour de force, with a cool, camel-bone-tiled counter and lampshades of shaggy recycled plastic. The libations list is equally cheeky. How about a Jack Is Back—vodka zapped with kiwi, lemon and ginger?
TOP COOKING SCHOOL
Franco-Italian aristocrat Fabrizio Ruspoli has added 10 rooms to (17) La Maison Arabe (J DerbAssehbe, Bab Doukkala, Medina; 212-524/387-010; lamaisonarabe.com; doubles from MAD2.039; half-day cooking classes from MAD612 per person), his sybaritic riad on the medina's edge. The cooking school remains stellar, with small class sizes for a total immersion into the fragrant North African cuisine. Instructor Dada Fatiha learned from her mother, who cooked for a local pasha. Before rolling up their sleeves to make flaky briouat pastries and a chicken tagine accented with cinnamon and sesame seeds, students tour the spice market and cull tips from congenial university professor Mohammed Nahir. (A saffron secret? Pulverize it in a mortar with a touch of salt before using.) Lessons conclude with a DIY feast overlooking a dreamy pool flanked by olive trees.
BRING IT BACK
Savvy shoppers head to the venerable Mellah souk (near Place des Fcrblanticrs, in the city's old Jewish ghetto), where donkeys ferry huge loads along narrow passageways, striped-robed vendors tend conical piles of turmeric and paprika, and sacks bulge with dried rosebuds and sandalwood. Take in the scene over a sage tea or anise-spiked Arabic coffee on the balcony cafe of the
(18) Art de Vivre Oriental complex (88 Rue de Commerce Hay Salam, Mellah; 212-524/389-791; tea for two MAD16). Stock up on saffron, spice blends and medicinal tisanes at
(19) Herboristerie Ibnou Nafiss (52 Rue Dar Daou, Arset Lamadch; 212-655/560-822). Those looking for chic hand-painted tea glasses and earth-toned artisanal linen place mats and tablecloths should visit (20) Scenes de Lin (70 Rue de la Liberte, Gueliz; 212-524/436-108). For argan oil-both cosmetic and culinary—and vibrant essences from organic ingredients grown on the owner's farm, get Nectarome-brand products at (21) Essence des Sens (52 Rue Mouassin
e, Medina; 212-6/7696-3107): the orange-flower water will perfume desserts or fruit salads, and a dash of black sesame oil can transform a stew. Dizzy from endless patterns? The tea sets, candlesticks and mini tagine pots at (22) Jamade (1 Place DouarGraoua, Rue Riad Zitoun ./'did, Medina; 212-524/429-042), produced by artisans and women's collectives, feature fluid, modern shapes, smooth glazing and eye-popping monochrome hues. +
