FEW PLACES ON THE PLANET OFFER SUCH A DIZZYING
MOST FRAGRANT COUSCOUS, THE ULTIMATE TAGINE AND
OTHER SPICY SECRETS OF MOROCCO'S CULINARY CAPITAL.
MARRAKECH WALLOPS THE SENSES.
A riot of colors (mosaic tiles; woven textiles), sounds (the drone
of drums from the central square. Jamaa El Fna), and, of course, tastes. Whether in the souks of
the walled Medina or the hourgeois district of Gueliz, there is no hettcr place to savor the
diversity of North African cuisine—lamb, couscous, eggplant all redolent of cumin, saffron and
the crimson pepper sauce harissa—than this ancient crossroads.
BREAKFAST FEST
Cult morning favorite (1) Espace Fruits Outmane (40 Ave. Mouldy Rachid, Gueliz; no
phone; breakfast for two MAD82) might be miniature, but it's mirrored, tiled and festooned with
soccer ball-scale papayas and grapefruits. At the rickety plastic tables outside, bearded
gentlemen aerate their mint teas and pretty young moms ply kids with the thick, tart house
yogurt. While awaiting your omelette with dusky shreds of khelea (dried preserved beef)* slather
aromatic flat cornbreads with honey and amloiu a nutty-rich almond-and-argan-oil spread that will
ruin peanut butter for you forever. Finish with the Panache Outmane—a frothy kiwi, strawberry and
orange juice potion.
EAT LIKE A LOCAL
The meal of your life... at a gas station? Indeed. A 20-minutc hop from town
along the old Fez route brings you to (2) Al Baraka (RP24 Commune Annakhil Sidi YousefBen Ali;
212-524/329-267; luneh for two MAD245), its cheery outdoor tables an agreeable distance from the
pumps. Here's the drill: flat bread—as blistered and chewy as Rome's best pizza bianca—at a
window where Berber ladies slap dough into a wood-fueled oven. Next, grilled lamb from the
butcher shop in the middle. Finish at the tagine station, where coals smolder beneath the
blackened conical pots. Good luck choosing between a whole country chicken, pungent with
preserved lemons and olives, and a tender beef shank fragrant with cloves and sweet, smoky
prunes.
SOUK STANDOUTS
An orange sunset floods the tiny windows of the Kutublyah minaret in the distance,
smoke drifts up from myriad food stalls, the giiawa drums throb, and children swarm around snake
charmers and monkey trainers. The roof-terrace tables at (3) Cafe de France (Jamaa El Fna square;
212-524/442-319; tea for two MAD57) offer the best vantage point for this great Jamaa El Fna
square spectacle, but arrive well before twilight to snag a chair with a view. Tasting your way
through the square itself can be challenging: the tablecloth stalls arc filled with tourists,
while the authentic ones can require a stomach of steel. vSo follow our lead to (4) Hassan (Stall
No. 32; snacks for two MAD41) for juicy merguez sausages served at a tin counter thronged by big
families.
FOR ROAST LAMB
As humble street stalls open branches in upscale Gueliz, Haj Mostapha N'Guyer, the
local mechoui (roasted lamb) emperor, has joined the wave. Find him first, in robe and skullcap,
at his (5) Haj Mostapha stand in a mcdina alley (Souk Quessabine, off the northeastern end of
Jamaa El Fna; no phone; lunch for two MAD98). Then seek out his alter ego at (6) Chez Lamine (19
Angle Ibn Aicha and Mohamed El Beqal, Residence Yasmine; 212-524/431-164; lunch for two MAD130),
speaking French and sporting a European-style suit. At both locations the lamb is spectacular:
roasted in an underground clay pit until mcltingly tender, sold by weight (request the moist neck
and rib meat) and served on butcher paper with cumin salt. Your flatbread roll serves as plate,
utensil, napkin and absorber of the rich, fatty goodness
