the best restaurants for romantics in marrakech

the best restaurants for romantics in marrakech

There’s love in the air… In palace mode, in the medina or in town, a selection of addresses for a romantic dinner.

Tigmiza

The setting: We’re delighted to discover the hotel’s brand new restaurant, Libiti, which comes from the Marrakchi expression “libiti- bitou” meaning “what you want, I want”. An excellent summary of the Libiti concept, designed to please. On the interior design front, carte blanche was given to interior designer Selma Laraqui, who drew her inspiration from the land of Marrakech. First of all, its colors, with a range of terracotta shades; then its gardens, with this delicate hanging planter, surrounded by copper-colored mirrors reflecting the red Iranian travertine, laid on the floor like a parquet, both plush and soft. For a romantic dinner, choose the fireplace with its antique wood panelling, or the beautiful glass roof for an evening under the stars. You’ll then be seduced by a squash velouté with saffron and a jben quenelle, before enjoying a medallion of lamb confit, stuffed with mushrooms and a m’hamssa risotto. And to finish? A hazelnut and amlou tiramisu or a surprise lioum tart of the day!

Valentine’s Day menu: A romantic aperitif by the fireplace, followed by a four-course candlelit dinner, concocted with love and passion. 900 Dh for two.

Les Jardins de la médina

The setting: Nestled in the Kasbah district, this former princely residence has established itself as one of the Medina’s most chic addresses. Helmed by the excellent chef Sana Gamas, the restaurant, which was awarded a Gault et Millau toque in 2016, blends Moroccan family recipes with nouvelle cuisine.

Valentine’s Day menu: parmesan cream and porcini mushrooms; duck foie gras duo, quince cream, chocolate sauce; aiguillette of Saint-Pierre, smoked bacon and chicory or saddle of lamb at low temperature, a drop of cauliflower with caramel, glazed porcini mushrooms, strong juice; message in the colors of love Menu: 450 Dh per person, drinks not included.

Sofitel Marrakech

The setting: In the heart of the city, just a few minutes from the ramparts and the medina, the Sofitel offers a chic yet urban break. You can choose between a romantic tête-à-tête at the L’Orangerie restaurant or a livelier evening at the So Lounge, Marrakech’s top night spot.

Valentine’s Day menu: Sofitel offers the same menu in these two very different settings. Amuse-bouche: scallop carpaccio, winter vegetable risotto and crabmeat, Rossini-style tournedos with port poached pears, charlotte with mara des bois strawberry ice cream.

Menu: 700 Dh excluding drinks.

Selman Marrakech

The setting: Who doesn’t know the Selman Marrakech, the palace designed by Jacques Garcia, with its 80-meter swimming pool, pavilions, manicured grounds, princely architecture, oriental decor, long perspectives and symmetry, an abundance of works of art and a stable of Arabian thoroughbreds…

Menu Saint Valentin : Two restaurants, two atmospheres. At Restaurant Le Selman, a violinist and singer provide the entertainment. On the menu: langoustines en papillote, shiitake raviole and wakame seaweed, shellfish emulsion; foie gras and smoked eel terrine, pumpkin chutney with rosewater; black cod laqué, young vegetables glazed with citrus juice and anise star; braised veal fillet, artichokes en barigoule and Bordelaise sauce; lime and ginger soufflé, gazelle horn ice cream. At the Moroccan restaurant Assyl, the menu is free, with entertainment provided by an Andalusian duo and a parade of thoroughbreds.

Le Selman restaurant menu: 950 Dh/person. Assyl restaurant menu: 550 Dh.

Le Petit Cornichon

The setting: We owe it all to Selma Laraki, interior designer at Aqsel. Light wood, blue and yellow tones, portraits of animals dressed in Renaissance style… This place is like no other. And we love it! As for the cuisine, chef Manaf El Bloul worked at the Royal Mansour gastro, and Erwann Lance, the owner of the premises, also worked at the Royal Mansour. So you can expect a palace-style menu and service, without the stuffiness.

A la carte: spider meat, textured avocado, yuzu and ginger juice; potato gnocchi with black truffle; lobster linguine; roasted scallops, mhamssa risotto with black truffle; back of wild sea bass…

Tasting menu, 390 Dh.

Black truffle menu: Dh490. A la carte: around 450 Dh.

Le Grand Café de la Poste

The setting: A retro chic atmosphere for this timeless place, almost identical to what it was at the turn of the century. Formerly a café, hotel and postal relay, the Grand Café de la Poste boasts a nostalgic feel for the 1930s: leather club armchairs and sofas, velvet banquettes, postcards from the turn of the century… For a romantic moment, we prefer the hushed atmosphere of the upstairs lounge, with its intimate little corners and fireplace. Ultra cosy!

A la carte: Plates to share… or not, such as charcuterie and cheese boards, spring rolls, foie gras, oysters and salmon tartar. For dessert: French toast, chocolate cake, apple tart, Grand Marnier soufflé…

Plates from Dh65 to Dh265. Desserts from 75 to 95 Dh

Amanjena

The setting: A voyage of the senses in a majestically refined Arabo-Moorish setting… The Amanjena Moroccan restaurant is set around a patio flooded with light and surrounded by century-old olive trees. Authentic dishes delicately concocted according to the codes of Moroccan haute cuisine. Enjoy briouates, seafood pastilla, shrimp salad with chakchouka, beef shank tangia, saffron-marinated monkfish brochettes, roast cockerel, salmon tajine, couscous royale, roast shoulder of lamb with saffron sauce…

A la carte: The restaurant also offers the menu of the new Mediterranean concept Arva. A culinary experience interpreted by Executive Chef Gianluca Re Fraschini – he has worked with such culinary greats as Gualtiero Marchesi, Angelo Paracucchi, Pierre Gagnaire, Michelin Pierre Orsi, Albert Roux… – in harmony with the spirit of traditional Italian cuisine. No wonder the Ferragamo family, owners of the famous Italian brand, personally called on his creativity as private chef for several summers, for their villa in Chianti, Tuscany!

Average bill: Dh600 excluding drinks

La Cour des Lions

The setting: Who doesn’t know Le Mansouria in Paris? A benchmark in the world of Moroccan gastronomy, it owes its reputation to its chef: Fatéma Hal. For over thirty years, she has been offering her guests “a cuisine of love and patience”, based on forgotten traditional dishes. Generous, varied, savory and sweet, her cuisine plays on a range of spices to create the perfect harmony, to set the right tone. Today, Fatema Hal officiates at La Cour des Lions, the gourmet restaurant of the Palace Es Saadi. We particularly like its spaciousness and panoramic view of the Marrakech gardens.

Valentine’s Day menu: small Moroccan salads as starters – zaalouk, roasted bell pepper salad, pumpkin jam, spinach leaves… -, pastilla with saint pierre, labraniya from Oujda – shank tajine with eggplant flavored with lemon and caraway -, red fruit heart flavored with rosewater and crispy chebakia.

480 Dh / person.

Royal Mansour

The setting: The most chic, the most luxurious, the most sumptuous… Enough superlatives, the Royal Mansour can’t stand comparison. In the bars and lounges of what is neither a hotel nor a palace, but a destination in its own right, the experience is resolutely singular. With panels of mosaic, mother-of-pearl and sycamore, the cigar bar is like a marquetry box in which you can isolate yourself to enjoy a cigar or an armagnac. But our preference is unhesitatingly for Le Bar, an immaterial space made of reflections and infinite perspectives with a plant decor, a celestial vault with reflections of gold and silver… Above all, it’s the quintessence of luxury that we savor here.

Valentine’s menu: La Grande Table Marocaine and Sesamo have thought of lovers for a Valentine’s evening like no other! At the Moroccan restaurant: blue lobster, zucchini and red mullet tajine, durum wheat couscous with verbena and king prawns, artichoke tajine and duck kefta. To finish, chocolate fuseau and garden mandarin. In the Italian restaurant: potager d’amour, fried mandarin shrimp, spaghetti with smoked butter, red turnip ravioli, veal milanaise, tiramisu sweet, spiced cream and caramelized puffed rice.

Menus: 1,500 Dh / person.

Mandarin Oriental

The setting: The Mandarin Oriental plays the sobriety card. Moroccan craftsmanship is sublimated and discreet when it comes to letting in the light. Influenced by the Medersa Ben Youssef, interior architects Dorothée Boissier and Patrick Gilles imagined an entrance dominated geometrically by black and white. Dark wood columns and lintels, and zellige-like marble patterns on the floor and walls, watch over an elegantly gilded pool. There’s no need to overdo it, as the view of the gardens and outdoor pools will delight visitors. Conceived as a home-away-from-home, the palace is all about luxury, travel and relaxation.

Valentine’s Day menu: For Valentine’s Day, Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech promises to bring sincere and profound romance back to life. An experience that begins in the intimacy of the restaurants, at Mes’Lalla or LingLing. In a blissfully romantic atmosphere, guests will savor delicious creations that are as tasty as they are aesthetically pleasing. Finally, one lucky couple drawn at random will receive a gift from Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech and Acqua Di Parma, as a souvenir of this pleasant moment.

Menu: 780 / person with two glasses of champagne.

Soleiman Palace

The setting: A 19th-century palace like no other. Enameled zelliges, elaborate ceilings, sculpted frescoes, Baccarat chandeliers, velvet benches from Genoa, Napoleon III armchairs, Art Deco tables… It’s in a chic yet relaxed spirit that guests of the palace can now enjoy refined Moroccan cuisine.

Menu: Three menus (not just for Valentine’s Day!) at 350, 450 or 580 Dh are available. Choose from monkfish serpentine with spicy emulsion, stuffed fish tagine, royal couscous with seven vegetables, lamb shoulder, crunchy milk pastilla, glazed nougat with candied eggplant, baghrir stuffed with fruit… Or experience Moroccan refinement in all its splendor.

The Oberoi, Marrakech

The setting: The Oberoi Marrakech, the city’s newest luxury hotel, is full of surprises. Grandiose architecture, exceptional craftsmanship… Imagine the Merdersa Ben Youssef, this 14th-century architectural gem, reproduced almost identically. That’s exactly where you’ll be transported. And that’s not all… On your right, an immense cypress-encircled pool, dubbed the “Grand Canal”, offers visitors a most romantic perspective. It is said to have been inspired by the Alhambra, or perhaps the Taj Mahal… For while the architecture is unquestionably inspired by Moroccan tradition, it should not be forgotten that the Oberoi group is Indian.

Valentine’s Day menu: Roasted scallops, lobster pastilla, artichoke velouté, sea bass, lamb mrouzia, red fruit tajine at Moroccan restaurant Siniman. Oysters, duo of langoustines, pan-fried foie gras, Alaskan crab… at the Tamimt restaurant.

Menus: 1,200 Dh / person with a glass of champagne.

La Trattoria

The setting: A wonderfully romantic place that welcomes you in its fireside lounges or by the pool, among banana trees, palm trees and yuccas. A veritable plant paradise (covered in winter) in the heart of Guéliz, hidden away in an Art Deco villa.

A la carte: refined Italian cuisine with octopus carpaccio, salmon tartar with candied fruit, linguini with squid ink, fillet of bass with lemon and pistachio, tiramisu and homemade ice creams… the real dolce vita!

Starters from Dh120 to Dh140, main courses around Dh220, pasta from Dh130 to Dh150.

Othello

The setting: You’d be hard pressed to imagine what lies behind this small door in the heart of the Palace Es Saadi… A surprise when you open it: a delightful room of rare intimacy is reflected in the candlelit glass roof, as if dancing in the bamboo of the landscaped garden. Light oak and brass furnishings have been designed to accommodate the twenty or so guests. Its rounded lines transport us into a world of haute Sicilian gastronomy. On the floor, a carpet with blue-gray fish scale motifs reminds us that this world will be above all marine. For it is to Venice that Othello transports us.

A la carte: Fancy an intimate meal with Venetian flavours? This is the place. The restaurant sets the bar very high, offering a cuisine that only a handful of the city’s palaces are able to offer. Insalata di Polpo, crudo di branzino, spaghetti alla “Granseola”, risoto alle Seppie in Nero, fritura di Calamari, fegato alla Veneziana con polenta alla griglia… a gastronomic journey guaranteed!

Antipasti: from Dh160 to Dh280, primi piatti: from Dh200 to Dh320 (half portions available), secondi piatti: from Dh240 to Dh290, desserts: Dh120.

La Paillote

The setting: Imagine an immense garden planted with olive trees, a few club armchairs and, inside, an “Out Of Africa” atmosphere with ceilings over six meters high, producer-style chairs and a huge fireplace… You can’t help but love this ultra-cosy atmosphere for a tête-à-tête dinner by the fire.

Valentine’s Day menu: Porcini velouté with pan-fried foie gras or perfect egg or marinated tuna. Paleron cooked for fifteen hours or fillets of sea bream or duck breast. For dessert: a whole range of dishes!

390 Dh per person, drinks not included.

La Trattoria

The setting: A wonderfully romantic place that welcomes you in its fireside lounges or by the pool, among banana trees, palm trees and yuccas. A veritable plant paradise (covered in winter) in the heart of Guéliz, hidden away in an Art Deco villa.

A la carte: refined Italian cuisine with octopus carpaccio, salmon tartar with candied fruit, linguini with squid ink, fillet of bass with lemon and pistachio, tiramisu and homemade ice creams… the real dolce vita!

Starters from Dh120 to Dh140, main courses around Dh220, pasta from Dh130 to Dh150.

Dar Moha

The setting: Who hasn’t heard of its legendary talent and unrivalled cuisine? To dine at Dar Moha is to enjoy the charm of the place: a bubble of tranquility on the edge of the medina, in the green of a pretty patio with a zellij swimming pool. On the plate, exquisite flavors flatter the palate: pigeon pastilla with cinnamon, foie gras couscous with argan oil, sea bass tajine with a mosaic of vegetables, chakhchoukha with apples and saffron, melon couscous with thyme honey… Always subtle compositions blending avant-garde and culinary tradition.

Menu: You’ll taste fourteen small salads with Moroccan flavors before choosing your pastilla, tajine or vegetarian couscous before indulging in a dessert… The price? 530 Dh.

Le Palace

The setting: somewhere between the boudoir spirit of a Marquis de Sade and the hip ambience of Costes. Black velvet banquettes guarded by family portraits from another era, delicate Murano chandelier lighting highlighted by a dozen candles and, in the center, an immense glass-clad bar… Wherever you look, each object seems to respond to another in an ideal of advanced aestheticism. And don’t forget the DJ’s playlist, which gives your dinner a very special flavour. When the sound gets a little louder and the beautifulls start to crowd in, you settle into a velvet banquette to finish the evening sipping cognac, armagnac or whisky, under the eye of a black-and-white Yves Saint Laurent. And you’d be forgiven for thinking that the man would have loved this place, with its elaborate aesthetics and just the right amount of mischief…

A la carte: sea bream carpaccio, lobster salad, langoustines en papillote, prawn risotto, tournedos rossini, duck parmentier, roast sea bass, sole meunière… And for dessert: crêpes suzette, vanilla tiramisu, Paris Brest…

Starters from 110 to 240 Dh, main courses from 170 to 240 Dh, desserts from 70 to 100 Dh.