20 great things to do in Marrakech

The ultimate checklist for things to do in Marrakech – follow our insider tips for stunning mosques, fascinating crafts and luxury living:

1. Circle the Koutoubia Mosque

The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s most famous symbol – built in a traditional Almohad style and topped with four copper globes – is visible from near and far. It’s not really that high (77 metres), but thanks to local topography and a local ordinance that forbids any other building in the Medina to be higher than a palm tree, it towers majestically over its surroundings. It’s still an active place of worship, and non-Muslims may not enter. But it’s possible to get a good view of the exterior by walking around either side.

2. Spend your dirhams at the souks

There are few more pleasurable ways to spend time in Marrakech than wandering around the seemingly endless maze of markets in the Medina. The area of the Medina, just north of the Jemaa El Fna, is commercial – at least in its more central areas – with a fibrous network of souks. Beginning on the north edge, the souks comprise alleyway upon alleyway of tiny retail cubicles. The further in you venture the more interesting they become.
The two main routes into their heart are rue Semarine (aka Souk Semarine) and rue Mouassine; the former offers the more full-on blast of bazaar, the latter is a more sedate path leading to choice boutiques. Every section has its own speciality: carpets and textiles; woollen hats and cooked snails; spices and magic supplies; cotton, clothing, kaftans and blankets – and most importantly raffia bags and baskets, which you’ll need to carry all your purchases in.

3. Learn about Islamic scripture and law

The Ben Youssef Medersa, a Quranic school, dedicated to the teaching of Islamic scripture and law, was founded in the 14th century, then enlarged in the 16th century. It was given a further polishing up in the 1990s courtesy of the Ministry of Culture. Entrance is via a long, cool passageway leading to the great courtyard, a serene place (before the tour parties arrive) centred on a shallow, water-filled basin. The surrounding façades are decorated with zelije tiling, stucco and carved cedar, all executed with restraint. At the far side is the domed prayer hall with the richest of decoration, notably around the mihrab, the arched niche that indicates the direction of Mecca.
Back in the entrance vestibule, passageways and two flights of stairs lead to more than 100 tiny windowless students’ chambers, clustered about small internal lightwells. Medieval as it seems, the medersa was still in use until as recently as 1962.
Ben Youssef Medersa, Place Ben Youssef (+212 524 44 18 93). Open 9am-6pm daily. Admission 50dh. Children under 12, 30dh.

4. Dig out some new threads

Algerian-French designer Norya ayroN’s Moroccan-inspired womenswear is becoming a hit with the stars. Trendy, yet comfortable, colourful kaftans and one-of-a-kind robes are what her Pop-up Shop is known for.
Norya ayroN 32 Souk El Jeld, Sidi Abdelaziz, near Souk Cherifia, +212 661 29 59 90.
Fashion creative Artsi Ifrach has a boutique store  – Art/C – in Souk Cherifia. His signature style sees him reinterpreting clothes that are one-offs: you’ll find a gorgeous deer tapestry in deep bordeaux refashioned as a dress, trousers embellished with handira blanket sequins, shoes made from carpets, a vintage linen piece crowned with a fur collar and the non-kosher pig print dress. Cartoon flamingo print kaftan, anyone? It cannot get more fabulous.

Akbar Delights (45 place Bab Fteuh, +212 671 66 13 07, www.akbar delightscollections.com) is an upmarket French-owned boutique specialising in luxury clothing and textiles from Kashmir, with some items made to their own designs. The tiny space is crammed with embroidered tops and dresses, cotton robes, silk shawls and scarves, plus shimmery, shoulder bags.
Akbar Delights 45 place Bab Fteuh, +212 671 66 13 07.

5. Get into garden living

With green space at a premium in Marrakech, it’s good to know where to seek respite from the African sun. Just outside the Medina is the glamourous, world-famous La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jedid, +212 524 38 86 00) with its equally famous gardens.
The Arset El-Mamoun gardens were established in the 18th century by Crown Prince Moulay Mamoun on land gifted to him by his father, the sultan, on the occasion of his wedding. Designed in traditional style, on an axis, with walkways, flowerbeds, orange groves and olive trees, non-residents who want to enjoy their splendour can visit for a buffet lunch at the poolside restaurant, take afternoon tea at Le Menzeh tea and ice-cream pavilion in the gardens, or on the back terrace overlooking the gardens.
French painter Jacques Majorelle’s flourishing homage to the plant world is a much sought-after colourful and shady retreat from the bustle of Marrakech’s Medina. The lemon yellow and the striking cobalt blue (now named Majorelle blue), plus the palms, the soaring cacti and the multicoloured planters, seduce visitors in their thousands to this sanctuary in the Ville Nouvelle. Linger longer for the café, outstanding museum with Berber jewellery, Yves Saint Laurent’s Galerie Love, and the cluster of shops and cafés on the Jardin Majorelle’s doorstep (Majorelle Gardens, Rue Yves Saint Laurent, +212 524 31 30 47).
Majorelle Gardens Rue Yves Saint Laurent. +212 524 31 30 47. Open 8am-5.30pm daily. Admission 50dh; free under-9s. Berber Museum 25dh.

6. Get arts & crafty, Moroccan style

On display in Maison Tiskiwin, a private house owned by veteran Dutch anthropologist Bert Flint, is his fascinating collection of crafts and decorative arts from southern Morocco and the Sahara. The exhibition is designed to show Morocco’s connection to sub-Saharan Africa and is geographically laid out to take you on a virtual journey across the Sahara to Timbuktu. Exhibits include masks from as far afield as Mali and an entire Berber tent made of camel hair.
Maison Tiskiwin 8 Derb El-Bahia, off Riad Zitoun El-Jedid + 212 524 38 91 92. Open 9am-12.30pm, 2.30-6pm daily. Admission 20dh; 10dh children.

7. Be grave at the ancient Saadian Tombs

Flanking the south side of the Kasbah Mosque, the site of what is possibly Marrakech’s most visited monument is an ancient walled garden, the use of which far predates the Saadian era. Dotted around the shrubbery are early mosaic graves; the identity of those interred is long lost. Attention instead focuses on the three pavilions built during the reign of Saadian sultan Ahmed El-Mansour.
First on the left is the Prayer Hall, which holds numerous graves, mainly of Alaouite princes from the 18th century. Next to it is the Hall of Twelve Columns, a more ornate affair with three central tombs surrounded by a dozen marble pillars. The tomb in the middle is that of Ahmed El-Mansour, flanked by those of his son and grandson. A third, stand-alone pavilion has ornate Andalucian-style entrance portals.
Rue de Kasbah, Bab Agnaou (no phone). Open 9am-4.45pm daily. Admission 10dh. Children under 12, free.

8. Explore Morocco through its museums

The Dar Si Said Museum (Riad Zitoun El-Jedid, +212 524 38 95 64. Open 9am-6.45pm Wed-Mon. Admission 10dh. Children 3dh), former home of the brother of Ba Ahmed, builder of the Bahia Palace, now houses a ragtag collection of crafts and woodwork. Among all the ceramics, leather and weapons are beautiful examples of carved cedar, rescued from the city’s lost dwellings.
More engaging is the new Maison de la Photographie (46 Ahal Fés, +212 524 38 57 21. Open 9.30am-7pm daily, Admission 40dh. Children under 12, free) which displays exhibits from a collection of 8,000 photographs spanning the period from 1870-1950. The museum’s top terrace is perfect for a post-picture visit drink or light lunch.
The new Douiria Mouassine (5 Derb El Hammam, Mouassine, Medina, +212 524 38 57 21. Open 10am-6pm Sat-Thur, Admission 30dhs) showcases a restored, petite 17th-century reception apartment detailed with exquisite decorative plaster and wood work.
The Marrakech Museum of Photography and Visual Arts (MMPVA) has a temporary home inside the Badii Palace with a changing roster of exhibitions until the new Sir David Chipperfield-designed building is unveiled next to the Menara Gardens in 2016.

9. Breath in Marrakech’s pungent tanneries

To experience Marrakech at its most medieval – and most pungent – visit the tannery district. The tanners have been here since the city was founded and their work remains a pre-industrial process, using hundreds of vats full of foul liquids to cure animal hides. The eventual products can be seen and purchased at the leather shops near the gate – and all over the souks, but you may prefer to get the hell out of the quarter and purge yourself in the nearest hammam.

10. Step into a Sultan’s palace

Constructed by Sultan Ahmed El-Mansour (1578-1607), the Badii Palace is one of the two principal monuments of the Saadian era (the other is the Saadian Tombs). Today it survives only as a denuded ruin, but once it was a model of triumphal ostentation. Walls and ceilings were encrusted with gold from Timbuktu, while the inner court had a massive central pool with an island, flanked by four sunken gardens. At the centre of each of the four massive walls were four pavilions, also flanked by arrangements of pools and fountains.
It took some 25 years to complete the palace and barely were the inaugural celebrations over before the ageing ruler passed away. His palace remained intact for less than a century before the Merenid sultan, Moulay Ismail, had it stripped bare and the riches carted north for his new capital at Meknès.
Place des Ferblantiers (no phone). Open 9am-4.45pm daily.

 

11. Shop in a handicrafts department store

The Ensemble Artisanal is the closest thing to a department store in Marrakech, albeit a department store selling nothing but handicrafts. It’s the ultimate souvenir store, with everything from trad clothing (babouches, jellabas, kaftans) to jewellery, and home furnishings to carpets. Prices are fixed at slightly above what you would pay in the souk, but this at least does away with tiresome haggling.
Avenue Mohammed V (+212 5 24 38 66 74). Open 8.30am-7.30pm daily.

12. Enjoy Moroccan culinary highs

Hipsters and flaneurs make for the imperial green oasis of Le Jardin buried in the Medina for light lunches and drinks under the banana palms (32 Souk El-Jeld, Sidi Abdelaziz, near Souk Cherifia, +212 524 37 82 95. Open 10am-10pm daily).
New Nomad (Place Rahba Kedima, +212 524 38 16 09. Open 9am-10pm daily) rises out of the Rahba Kedima magic market with its outstanding views.
For a culinary journey par excellence clear your schedule for the tasting menu at Gastro MK (14 derb Sebaai, Bab Laksour. +212 524 37 61 73. Open 7.30-10.30pm Mon, Tue, Thu-Sun).
For date milkshakes and the legendary camel burger, head to the new Café Clock (Derb Chtouka, +212 535 63 78 55. Open 10am-10pm daily) in the Kasbah.
For classic traditional Moroccan menus of salads, tagines and pastilla, make room for the feasts at female-run Al Fassia (55 boulevard Zerktouni, +212 524 43 40 60. Open noon-2.30pm, 7.30-11pm Mon, Wed-Sun.) and at Tobsil (22 derb Abdellah Ben Hessaien, Bab Ksour. +212 524 44 40 52. Open 7.30-11pm Mon, Wed- Sun).
For low-key, unfussy and family run, there’s nothing better than the traditional rabbit tagine at Tiznit right on the northeast corner of Place Jemaa El Fna (Souk El-Kassabine no.28, +212 524 42 72 04, +212 668 10 04 92. Open 8am-midnight daily.)

13. Haggle-free zones

Can’t handle the haggling, then head to these barter-free shops that will lure you into shedding a few dirhams. The Souk Cherifia (Sidi Abdelaziz. Open 10am-7.30pm daily; some shops closed Tue) displays the beautiful wares of some of the city’s most exciting designers and artists: beautifully soft suede handbags are sold at Lalla (+212 524 38 36 85); French designer Sylvie Pissard has a range of funky, stylish cushions at Sissimorocco (+212 615 22 65 20); pop artist Hassan Hajjij has a small outlet here too, selling his wheat-sack babouches, couscous-sack totes and a reworked Barbie in a box, Moroccan style.
For men there’s Randall Bachner’s Marrakshi Life (+212 659 79 73 54) with its natty threads – smart shirts and stylish scarves set against a gorgeous backdrop of blue-hued tiles. At fashionable concept store 33 Rue Majorelle (33 rue Yves Saint Laurent, +212 524 31 41 95. Open 9.30am-7pm daily), more than 100 Moroccan and foreign designers are showcased in the emporium while alongside are the Kaowa Café and Chabi Chic, selling collectable kitchenware.

14. Appreciate modern art

The Marrakech Biennale has been the catalyst for the Red City’s growing art scene. Housed in an exquisite townhouse is the Medina’s premier exhibition space, Dar Cherifa (8 Derb Charfa Lakbir, Mouassine, +212 524 42 64 63). Open 10am-7pm daily). Parts of the building date back to the 16th century and it has been lovingly restored by owner Abdelatif ben Abdellah. Regular exhibitions lean towards resident foreign artists, but there have also been shows by Moroccan artists Hassan Hajjaj and Milaudi Nouiga. Hajjaj has his own space filled with his Moroccan pop art at Riad Yima (Riad Yima, 52 derb Aarjane, +212 667 23 09 95. Open 9am-6pm daily).
When Galerie 127 (127 avenue Mohammed V, Guéliz, +212 524 43 26 67. Open 3-7pm Tue-Sat or by appointment) opened in 2006 it became the first photo gallery in the Maghreb and only the third in Africa. It got off to a good start with an opening show by Tony Catany. The king bought 30 of the photographs.
David Bloch Gallery (8 bis rue des Vieux Marrakchis, Guéliz, +212 524 45 75 95. Open 3.30-7.30pm Mon; 10.30am-1.30pm, 3.30-7.30pm Tue-Sat) pushes the envelope the most. Set in a contemporary industrial-style space, the focus is on Morocco, North African and Middle Eastern street artists. Large picture windows, steel struts painted charcoal, and white-washed brick provide the frame for bold works that fuse neon, neo-calligraphy and geometrics by collectible artists like Larbi Cherkaoui, Mohamed Boustane and Yassine ‘Yaze’ Mekhnache.
Galerie Rê (Résidence Al Andalous III, corner rue de la Mosquée & rue Ibn Toumert 3, +212 524 43 22 58. Open 10am-1pm, 3-8pm Mon-Sat) is a serious and lavishly designed contemporary gallery for changing exhibitions by mostly ‘Moroccan and Mediterranean’ artists.

15. Have a belly (dance) full

Marrakchi socialites will tell you that Comptoir is sooo over, but on the right night it’s still the best party in town. From the outside it’s a well-behaved little villa on a quiet residential street, but inside the place buzzes with dressed-up diners on the ground floor, while upstairs is a sizeable lounge filled each weekend night to within a whisper of a health and safety crisis. The crowd is a mix of good-looking locals, sharper expats and wide-eyed tourists delighted to have stumbled on the Marrakech they’d always heard about. Drinks are pricey but the nightly belly-dancers are hilarious.
Avenue Echouhada, Hivernage +212 524 43 77 02. Open 4pm-1am Mon-Thur, Sun; noon-1am Fri, Sat.

16. Find some downtime

Souk weary? Head out of the Medina for some downtime to lie by a pool, eat a leisurely lunch, or take in a massage or two. Le Bled (Douar Coucou, Oasis Hassan II, Taseltanet, +212 524 38 59 39. Open 10am-10pm daily) amid the olive and citrus groves provides a farmhouse ambience. You can lunch anywhere in the quiet gardens and swim all day.
In La Palmeraie, the lush manicured gardens of Jnane Tamsna (Jnane Tamsna Douar Abiad, +212 661 24 27 17) are the perfect retreat from the mayhem of the Medina. Owners Meryanne Loum-Martin and her ethnobotanist husband, Gary are keen art lovers, and there are rotating art exhibitions and and an onsite shop; afternoon tea is also available if you can steal yourself away from the pool.
In indulgent mood? Treat yourself to a day or weekend Spa Pass at La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jedid, +212 524 38 86 00), which gives access to the spa (not including treatments) and the alfresco garden swimming pool. It’s a great way to be pampered in luxurious surrounds without committing to the cost of an overnight stay.

17. Grab a cocktail on a roof terrace

A café by day and restaurant by night, Kechmara also functions well as a lively and convivial bar. There’s a long bar counter to the right as you enter with a tap for bière pression, back shelves lined with spirits and bar stools for perching. The menu lists long drinks and cocktails, which are also served on a spacious roof terrace.
Kechmara 3 rue de la Liberté, Guéliz. +212 524 42 25 32. Open 9am-1am Mon-Sat.
 

18. And relax… at a hammam

Seriously indulgent hammams and spas include those at La Mamounia and Selman Hotels. For those counting the coins, head to Les Bains de Marrakech (2 derb Sedra, Bab Agnaou, Kasbah, +212 524 38 14 28) where the luxurious ambience belies the price of the hammams and massages.
For total authenticity and a thorough scrubdown, head to Hammam El-Bacha (20 rue Fatima Zohra, Dar El-Bacha (no phone).
New spa on the block is Hammam de la Rose (130 rue Dar El-Bacha, +212 524 44 47 69) gaining kudos among customers with its friendly and professional outlook, affordable prices and effective spa products.

19. Join the party

Four key events for the diary: January sees the Marrakech Marathon; in alternate years in February and March, the Marrakech Biennale comes to town; July the National Festival of Popular Arts (www.marrakechfestival.com), a five-day celebration of Morocco’s arts; and December the Marrakech International Film Festival.

20. Sleep in Morrocan luxury

Riad El Fenn has received plenty of media attention, partly because it’s co-owned by Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard) and partly because it’s such a fine place to stay. Several historic houses have been joined together to create 24 spacious, luscious jewel- coloured bedrooms that are happily lost in a warren of staircases and courtyards.
The clutter-free rooms are dominated by an Egyptian cotton-swathed bed, standalone baths in some, camel leather-tiled floors and proper-sized desks. The midnight blue courtyard room displays an intriguing scattered collage of Christmas-tree roots that look like small mammal skulls. Despite the grandeur of the architecture and some serious modern art on the walls, the mood is relaxed, with plenty of private spaces, three pools and a glorious rooftop terrace. ‘Fenn’ is the local slang for ‘cool’, and staying here gives you a real sense of tapping into the hip heart of the Red City.
Riad El Fenn 2 derb Moulay Abdallah Ben Hezzian, Bab El-Ksour, Medina. +212 524 44 12 10.
The creation of designer Meryanne Loum-Martin and her ethnobotanist husband Dr Gary Martin, Jnane Tamsna (Palmeraie Douar Abiad, +212 524 32 94 823) is a ‘Moorish hacienda’ with opulent suites and 24 gorgeous rooms, set in five buildings scattered around some beautiful gardens, each with its own pool. The architecture is vernacular chic, coloured in the palest tones of primrose, peppermint and clay and enhanced by Loum-Martin’s own inspired furniture. Surrounding fruit orchards, herb and vegetable gardens provide organic produce for the kitchen.
Peacock Pavilions is a striking, stylish retreat, located just 20 minutes from downtown Marrakech, set in an olive grove, and scented by flourishing rose gardens. Maryam Montague, a writer and human rights specialist, and her husband Chris, an architect, host guests in two large pavilions (which Chris built) set either side of an inviting, sparkling turquoise pool.
Peacock Pavilions is decorated with Maryam’s eclectic global treasures: Moroccan carpets, skulls sporting goggles, wooden fertility sculptures, Swan chairs fashioned from petrol cans, Frank Gehry’s cardboard wiggle chairs, and primary-coloured vintage Malian bread baskets. The atmosphere is very relaxed: sip a cocktail (we love the gin, jasmine syrup and mint) by the pool before dining on doughy olive bread, tender lamb tagine and poached pear while listening to Maryam’s tales of Moroccan magic, legends and myths. The alfresco cinema with its deckchairs is an indulgent perk (and is accompanied by lashings of hot chocolate in winter).
Peacock Pavilions Route de Ourzazate, km18, +212 664 41 46 53.

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Marrakech Wallops The Senses Part 2

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. +

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Marrakech wallops the senses

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

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Dinner For Two In Marrakech

Morocco is famous for its food, and no wonder. It's mouthwatering and eclectic, and there's something for everyone. The best-known dish is the tagine, a filling stew slow cooked in an earthenware pot with a conical lid. In addition to chicken, beef, lamb, fish, or vegetables, tagines often include stewed fruit, olives, onions, or almonds. Many restaurants also serve couscous, particularly as a traditional family lunch on Fridays. The seven-veggie couscous royale, topped with a raisin/onion concoction, is not to be missed.

Brochettes (skewers of meat or chicken) are always a safe bet and are especially popular with the junior set. Harira, a soup made with tomatoes and chickpeas and served with bread and dates, is a warming and often vegetarian alternative. If the food strikes you as a touch blah--you chili fiend!--request harissa, a hot sauce that'll send your taste buds into overdrive.

There's a wide variety of places to nibble and dine in Marrakech, from street stalls to opulent restaurants out of The Arabian Nights. And café culture is omnipresent--thanks, no doubt, to the country's history as a French colony. I provide a range of food choices below, from the super cheap to the save-up-your-pennies splurge. Also included are some non-Moroccan options for those who want to mix it up a little.

Marrakech's bountiful tangerine and orange trees make for fresh juice everywhere. Yay! By day, head to the orange-juice stalls on the Jemaa el-Fna, the city's famous central square. There are dozens of juice stalls, all of which are numbered. I haven't ever really noticed a difference between the juice at No. 1 and the juice at No. 23. So pick the stand with your lucky number and make a beeline. A smile usually gets you a free half refill.

By night, the juice stalls are wheeled away and dozens of open-air kitchens are set up in tidy rows, with communal bench seating. I'm partial to the stall where a chef with a handlebar moustache makes harira. Be sure to check out the stands that specialize in exotica like sheep's head or snails (you slurp them from a cup). Sadly, no beer is on offer at any of the stalls.

On the sidelines of the Jemaa el-Fna is Ice Legend, an ice cream shop. It's particularly enticing for the little ones in the group, but adults too will appreciate a scoop of one of the 50 homemade flavors. Café des Épices, in the medina's spice market, is a charming and aromatic spot for breakfast or a glass of hot mint tea. Further down the medina's serpentine alleys is La Terrasse des Épices in Souk Cherifia. (It's owned by the same guy who owns Café des Épices.) Salads start at just $6.50, and you can bask in the sun on the huge terrace.

There are four upscale restaurants in the Old City that I happily recommend. The stylish Kosybar, on the place des Ferblantiers, has a mix of Moroccan and continental offerings, as well as inventive cocktails. By day, you can watch huge storks in their nests from the upstairs terrace. Swanky Le Tanjia, a restaurant with rose-filled fountains, is nearby. The Sunday brunch is excellent, as is the tender monkfish available at lunch or dinner. Another chic spot in the Mouassine district is Café Arabe. This Italian-owned riad(courtyard home) boasts not only a restaurant serving homemade pastas from $9, but also a hip rooftop bar. And in the Kasbah area is Tatchibana, where you can break out of the norm with sushi and other Japanese delicacies. Tatchibana is open only for dinner except on Sunday, when it offers lunch, too.

Some of Marrakech's coolest eating spots are in the newer parts of the city. In Guéliz, Kechmara has mid-century modern decor with ever-changing art, and a sunny terrace that's a good choice for breakfast and lunch; the restaurant does a fine mixed grill for $12. Café du Livre, also in Guéliz, has free Wi-Fi and a selection of English-language books for you to peruse while ordering coffee, lunch, or an early dinner (entrées from $8). Sushi is served during the evening from Thursday to Saturday, but the café is open only until 9 p.m. And the colonial atmosphere at Grand Café de la Poste provides a nice backdrop for excellent salads, starting at $10, as well as hot meals. Enjoy a Casablanca beer on the covered veranda.

In the majorly upscale category is Le Bis-Jardin des Arts, a new restaurant with gorgeous decor. The delicious entrées start at $17. For other überglamorous experiences, hop in a car and head to the city's outskirts. Restaurant L'Abbysin is at the stunning Palais Rhoul, a luxurious palace hotel. The sleek, white outdoor venue is photo-shoot worthy, even if the nouvelle cuisine is more passable than memorable. The Crystal Restaurant Lounge, in the trendy Pacha complex, has artful food arrangements almost too pretty to eat. Make reservations for Friday or Saturday night to listen to jazz.

·  Ice Legend52 ave. Bab Agnaou, Jemaa el-Fna, 011-212/24-44-42-00

·  Café des Épices 75 Rahba Lakdima, place des Épices, 011-212/24-39-17-70, cafedesepices.net

·  Terrasse des Épices Souk Cherifia, Dar el Bacha, 011-212/76-04-67-67

·  Kosybar47 place des Fer­blantiers, Médina, 011-212/24-38-03-24, entrées from $19

·  Le Tanjia14 Derb J'did Hay Essalam, Médina, 011-212/24-38-38-36, le-tanjia.com, monkfish $14

·  Café Arabe184 rue el Mouassine, Médina, 011-212/24-42-97-28, cafearabe.com

·  Tatchibana38 Bab Ksiba, Kasbah, 011-212/24-38-71-71, tatchibana.free.fr, sushi plate $20

·  Kechmara3 rue de la Liberté, Guéliz, 011-212/24-42-25-32, kechmara.com

·  Café du Livre 44 rue Tarik ben Ziyad, Guéliz, 011-212/24-43-21-49, cafedulivre.com

·  Grand Café de la Poste blvd. el Mansour Eddahbi at ave. Imam Malik, Guéliz, 011-212/24-43-30-38, grandcafedelaposte.com

·  Le Bis-Jardin des Arts 6-7 rue Sakia el Hamra, Semlalia, 011-212/24-44-66-34, lebis-jardindesarts.com

·  L'AbbysinKm 4, rte. de Fes, 011-212/24-32-85-84, palais-rhoul.com, entrées from $19

·  Crystal Restaurant Lounge blvd. Mohamed VI, Zone Hôtelière de l'Aguedal, 011-212/24-38-84-00, pachamarrakech.com, entrées from $10

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Discover Marrakch in 36 Hours

IN 1939, George Orwell wrote of Westerners flocking to Marrakech in search of “camels, castles, palm-trees, Foreign Legionnaires, brass trays and bandits.” Ever since, the city has been ravishing visitors with its teeming souks, ornate palaces and sybaritic night life. In recent years, a succession of high-end openings and restorations — most notably, the lavish reopening of the hotel La Mamounia — has transformed the city into an obligatory stop for jet-setters. Yet despite Marrakesh’s new cachet, the true treasures of the enigmatic city still hide down dusty side streets and behind sagging storefronts.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) MEDINA, REFINED

For sheer energy and intrigue, few places rival the labyrinthine souks of Marrakesh’s fortified old city. Skullcapped artisans sweat over ancient lathes while overdressed French tourists haggle over inlaid cedar boxes and silver lamps. In recent years, up-and-coming designers have opened fashionable boutiques in the Souk Cherifia that put a contemporary twist on Arab-Andalusian motifs. Lalla (Souk Cherifia, First Floor, Sidi Abdelaziz; 212-661-477-228; lalla.fr) opened in 2008 and carries slouchy Mauritanian leather handbags that are carried in stylish London stores like Paul & Joe and Coco Ribbon. The designer Marion Theard recently opened La Maison Bahira (Souk Cherifia, First Floor, Sidi Abdelaziz; 212-524-386-365; maison-bahira.com), which sells her signature handwoven textiles, hammam towels and embroidered pillows. For a break from the haggling, stop by Le Jardin (32 Sidi Abdelaziz, Souk Jeld; 212-524-378-295), a cafe that opened its doors last month and is owned by Kamal Laftimi, a young Moroccan also behind the popular Café des Épices and Terrace des Épices.

7 p.m.
2) SQUARE PLATES

Djemaa el Fna, the main square of the Medina, is a motley tapestry of life, where shoppers wade through a chaos of fortune tellers, snake charmers and pushy henna painters. But it’s also one of the best places to get acquainted with the rich flavors and textures of Moroccan cuisine. Go at sundown to the square’s myriad food stalls, when hundreds of gas lanterns light up billows of steam. Ignore the men trying to divert traffic to their particular stall, and grab yourself a seat where there are plenty of locals. A good starter is a bowl of snails in saffron broth, from one of the snail stands on the eastern end of the square (10 dirhams, about $1.23 at 8.2 dirhams to the dollar). Follow that with a lamb couscous doused in harissa at one of the stalls on the north end (30 dirhams). Adventurous eaters should try one of the mutton stalls near the square’s center, where everything from sheep’s brain to skewered heart is sold.

9 p.m.
3) BOOZING à LA CHURCHILL

Le Bar Churchill, in the resplendently renovated La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jdid; 212-524-388-600; mamounia.com), is a perfect spot for rubbing shoulders with the well-heeled set. Named for its most famous patron, Le Bar Churchill escaped the hotel’s face-lift largely unscathed, and still drips in supple black leather, leopard skin and polished chrome. If you’re seeking belly dancers, Le Comptoir Darna (Avenue Echouhada; 212-524-437-702; comptoirdarna.com), a French-Moroccan brasserie in the up-and-coming Hivernage quarter, offers one of the city’s best floor shows, a hip-shaking affair that spills down the central staircase and into the dining room.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) SOUK CHEF

Can’t get enough tagine? Learn to make it yourself at Souk Cuisine (Zniquat Rahba, Derb Tahtah 5; 212-673-804-955; soukcuisine.com), one of several Moroccan cooking workshops that have cropped up in recent years. Run by Gemma van de Burgt, a Dutch expatriate, the half-day workshop (10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) starts with a visit to the Rahba Kedima market to forage for quince, argan oil and other Moroccan ingredients. Classes convene in the courtyard of an old riad, where budding chefs learn how to make dishes like lamb tagine and raisin couscous, culminating in a four-course lunch on the terrace, served with mint tea and wine (40 euros).

3 p.m.
5) MANICURED JUNGLE

French colonialism still informs facets of the city, and the melding of French and Moroccan sensibilities is perhaps most beautifully expressed in the Majorelle Gardens (212-524-313-047; JardinMajorelle.com), a 12-acre botanical garden in the French district of Gueliz. The cobalt-blue gardens were designed in the 1920s by the painter Jacques Majorelle and are filled with palms, yucca, lily ponds and a huge variety of tropical flowers and cactuses. They later became the backyard of Yves Saint Laurent, whose deep love for Marrakesh is evident in his personal collection of Moroccan crafts and textiles on display in the adjoining Islamic Art Museum.

5 p.m.
6) A FOCUS ON BERBERS

After being marginalized for centuries, Berber culture is now a cause célèbre for Moroccan gallerists and historians. The Maison de la Photographie (46 Ahal Fès; 212-524-385-721; maison-delaphotographie.com) opened last year in a restored fondouk, or traditional inn, and is devoted to documenting Berber life in the Medina. A 4,500-photograph collection includes rare glimpses of Jewish Berbers and a fascinating assemblage of glass plates dating from 1862. The museum is crowned with a roof cafe, which offers stellar views of the Medina. The 40-dirham ticket also gets you into Ecomusée Berbere de l’Ourika (Vilage de Tafza, Route de l’Ourika, Km. 37; 212-524-385-721; ecomuseeberbere.com), a new museum 23 miles outside the city that captures life in a traditional Berber village.

8 p.m.
7) FROM BEIRUT, WITH LOVE

If the city’s hotels have gone upscale, the dining scene has gone through the roof. Marcel Chiche, a restaurateur and local night-life titan, recently opened Azar (Rue de Yougoslavie, near Boulevard Hassan II; 212-524-430-920; azarmarrakech.com), a splashy Lebanese restaurant that draws a party-ready crowd. The shimmering design of the dining room is the work of Younes Duret, a rising French-Moroccan designer. The modern Lebanese dishes include eggplant caviar with sesame crème (40 dirhams) and a rotisserie chicken (140). After dinner, take the Astroturf-carpeted elevator to the downstairs bar, where the city’s beautiful people dance to live Arabic pop music.

11 p.m.
8) NORTH AFRICAN NIGHTS

Though Gueliz still buzzes with bars and clubs, the newer action is clustered in the industrial Hivernage district. One of the most fashionable spots is Lotus Club (Rue Ahmed Chawki; 212-524-431-537; riadslotus.com), a laid-back restaurant and nightclub styled as an urban retreat. On the weekends, 20- and 30-somethings mingle under floral-kitsch white lamps as D.J.’s mix electronic beats with Bollywood pop.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) SWEAT ROYALLY

In the land of a thousand hammams, mega-spas seem to get larger by the day. It doesn’t get more lavish than the Royal Mansour (Rue Abou Abbas el Sebti; 212-529-808-080; royalmansour.com), a fortressed pleasure palace consisting of 53 riads connected by tunnels that is owned by King Mohammed VI. Women in elaborately embroidered caftans lead visitors through a palatial foyer into private chambers where treatments include an aromatic massage with argan oil, from 1,200 dirhams.

Noon
10) BOUTIQUE SHOPPING

Tired of haggling? Head to the fashionable boutiques that have opened recently along Rue de la Liberté in Gueliz. Moor (7 Rue des Anciens Marrakchis; 212-524-458-274; akbardelights.com) sells leather floor pillows and stylish tunics under a ceiling covered in giant white lanterns. Though the name of this children’s shop is unwieldy even for French-speakers, La Manufacture de Vêtements Pour Enfants Sages (44 Rue des Anciens Marrakchis; 212-524-446-704) carries everything from handmade Moroccan pajamas to colorful stuffed camels. A common complaint among Marrakesh art collectors is that all the good young artists decamp to Europe. But new galleries like David Bloch Gallery (8 bis Rue des Vieux Marrakchis; 212-524-457-595; davidblochgallery.com), which specializes in street art, have become a platform for up-and-coming French and Moroccan artists. The gallery, housed in a stark concrete block covered with colorful graffiti, creates yet another level of contrast in the ever-evolving city.

IF YOU GO

The boho-chic Peacock Pavilions (Kilometer 13, Route de Ourzazate; peacockpavilions.com), opened this year, sits on an 8.5-acre grove just outside the city. It’s made up of two stunning pavilions. The smaller, 1,300-square-foot double-room pavilion costs 350 euros a night, $460 at $1.31 to the euro; one of the rooms can also be rented for 150 euros.

After a three-year renovation by the Parisian architect Jacques Garcia, La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jdid; 212-524-388-600; mamounia.com), originally opened in 1923, has never been grander. It now has indoor and outdoor pools and Michelin-starred chefs, not to mention helicopter rides over the Atlas Mountains. Rooms from 665 euros.

In a renovated traditional riad well-situated within the Medina, the welcoming and affordable Riad Dar Khmissa (166 Derb Jamaa; Arset Moussa Lakbira; 212-524-443-707; dar-khmissa-marrakech.com) offers seven comfortable rooms and a lovely roof terrace. From 50 euros, including a delicious home-cooked Moroccan breakfast.

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