Café Arabe (Marrakech, Morocco)

184 Rue Mouassine
Marrakech, Morocco
Tel. 024 42 97 28

Looking for a bit of serenity from the hustle and bustle of the medina? Located within the medina is Cafe Arabe - a mix of both Italian and Moroccan cuisine. We didn't get a chance to eat any of the food at Cafe Arabe because we enjoyed the food at the Djemma el Fna so much, but we enjoyed the ambiance at the restaurant.

Walk through the main doors of the restaurant and you are greeted by a hostess, who will then walk you through the 3 levels of this restaurant.

Complimentary olives are given to all who want to sit and relax at this laid back oasis in the middle of the medina.

After having dinner at the Djemma el Fna, we had planned to lounge and relax at Cafe Arabe. After taking a look at the menu we decided to have some Moroccan whiskey (mint tea) and a honeydew smoothie.

Here is the view from the top floor of the Cafe Arabe. The restaurant designer did a fantastic job with the decor and layout of the restaurant. The top floor is a great place to lounge and relax while enjoying a few drinks.

One of the rooms on the second floor of the restaurant. Again, beautifully designed. Can't you just imagine belly dancers roaming the room?

Cafe Arabe is what you imagine much of Morocco to look like. What's ironic is that most of Morocco doesn't look like this but I like to hold onto these lasting impressions. Arriving in Marrakech a few days prior, we were unsure of how the next few days would be. Reflecting back on our trip with the scams and scares that we experienced, it was all worth it in the end.

Food Stalls at the Djemma el Fna (Marrakech)

Location: Djemma el Fna - Center of all the action.

At the Djemma el Fna, you'll get to witness the snake charmers, fortune-tellers, dancing monkeys, women wooing other women into getting henna tattoos, medicine men, games, and even a tooth doctor selling teeth (?) or providing consultation.  Besides all the crazy action, eating at the food stalls in the Djemma el Fna is a must to experience fully the Moroccan culture and taste.

But be prepared for those hardsellers who try to compete with one another to get you to eat at their stall: "Finger-licking good!!!" they shout. Like Medusa, these food hawkers will try to lure you in with their eye contact, but the intoxicating aroma of grilled meats and deliciousness is what eventually draws us in. Walk around to all the stalls and figure out what you like.  It may be overwhelming at first, but eat where the locals eat and follow their lead.

Glasses of mint leaves and huge sugar cubes waiting for the hot water for tea.

Snails anyone??? We couldn't muster up the courage to try these just yet.

Upon the recommendation of our Riad manager and the apparent long lines at Stall #14, we decided this was the our spot. We all sat very, very close to one another since they try to seat as many people as they can. Eating in the Djemma el Fna food stalls is not a place where the claustrophobic would feel comfortable. We enjoyed #14 so much that we ended up eating here two nights in a row.

Everything is made right before your eyes. They first flour the fish and calamari and then place them in the oil until they come out crispy, deep golden pieces of deliciousness.

Fried whole fish, chunks of fish flesh, calamari rings, and fresh fried french fries are the specialty of Food Stall #14.

Khobz (1DH) and Salsa (4DH)
As with all Moroccan restaurants, the traditional khobz is served with pretty much all meals. #14 also gave us a plate of crushed tomatoes and spices. Very similar to salsa, that is to be eaten with the fish and calamari.

French Fries (4DH)
The french fries or should I say Moroccan fries were delicious. The fries were made with 100% all natural potatoes that were cut, deep fried, and then salted.

Fried Fish (14DH)
At #14,  you have the choice of either small whole fried fish or chunks of pure fish. Not wanting to deal with bones and digging through the fish, we went with the fried fish chunks. With a squeeze of lemon and a bit of  salsa, these fried pieces of fish were absolutely delicious!! Perfectly cooked to a golden brown, the fish was still moist and not dried out.

Fried Calamari (25DH)
The calamari were equally as delicious as the fish. Like the fish, the calamari was perfectly cooked and texturally, was spot on. None of this rubber band, super chewy calamari at this stand.

Following the tried and true technique of eat where the locals eat,we ended up choosing #31 as our next culinary destination. #31 had smoke and flames that both visually and aromatically lured us in.

Stall #31 specializes in grilled meats. We saw that most people at this food stall were ordering these little merguez style sausages on the link. Guess what we did??

Each order of sausages comes with khobz and the salsa like sauce. The sausages had a nice smokey smell and flavor from the grill and were very well seasoned. Not sure what kind of meat these sausages were, could have been lamb. These little sausages had a nice snap to them because of the natural casings.

Here is a closeup shot of the sausages in all their glory. As you can see from the picture these were definitely not lean or fat free sausages. The locals would use their hands (the right hand, not the left) to use the khobz to sop up the fat and juices from the sausages. Do as the locals do.

#5 known for its Harira soup which is the traditional soup of Morocco. The soup is typically eaten year around but is especially eaten during dinner in the holy Muslim month of Ramadan and also served after special occasions. (Thanks Wikipedia).

Harira (3.5DH)
Harira is typically made with tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and an assortment of herbs and spices. The Harira is slightly thickened with some type of flour. The soup is slightly hearty due to the beans and the thickness of the soup. The tomatoes and other spices give the soup a nice depth to it. My only complaint was that the soup was slightly underseasoned.  Luckily, the soup comes with a little bowl of salt.

One of our favorite experiences and treats was the extremely inexpensive and satisfying orange juice carts.   There were tons of carts serving refreshing, freshly squeezed OJ. Drinking the sweet juice was one of the most satisfying experiences because it was so hot in Marrakech. And for only 30 cents, who could beat that. And I must add that the guy serving us was overqualified (looks-wise). Anyway, after you're done drinking the great OJ, you set the glass back and can't help but breathe out a sigh of satisfaction and smile.  [Note: Not sure how thoroughly they clean the glasses, but it was worth it].

Eating at the food stalls was one of our favorite experiences on the trip. During the day, the Djemma el Fna is a wide open space, but at night this wide open space becomes the culinary and social epicenter of Marrakech. This is one experience that is not to be missed!

Le Gran Balcon Café Glaciers (Marrakech, Morocco)

On our last night in the magical Marrakech, we went up to Le Gran Balcon Café Glaciers for a drink and to soak in the views of the bustling medina.  This is one of the larger and popular terrace cafes, overlooking all the action in the Djemaa el Fna. It's a great vantage point to view all the snake charmers, watermen, chefs, henna tattoo artists, etc. The large roof terrace is the place to have some drinks, hear the prayer calls, and take amazing photographs.

The drinks are more pricey than the other Marrakech spots, but you're paying for the view and the experience. I recommend coming right before sunset, so you'll see that beautiful orange glow from the sun, and also feel the active heartbeat of the Djemaa el Fna coming to life as the night moves in.

Djemma el Fna beginning to come to life.

In order to enjoy the rooftop terrace and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view, you are required to, at minimum, purchase a drink. I decided to try out this apple soda which was actually quite good, though a bit on the sweet side.

View of the Djemma el Fna with all the food stalls and the heartbeat of the square at rapid thump.

If you are looking for a restaurant or cafe with a great view of the main square, Le Gran Balcon Café Glaciers is the place you are looking for. Go to the cafe to lounge and soak in the atmosphere. As stated,  prices are higher than the other cafes and restaurants. But the view is worth the price.

Chez Chegrouni (Marrakech, Morocco)

Location: Northeast corner of the Djemma el Fna.

With our assortment of guidebooks in hand, we flipped through the books to see what wise nuggets of restaurant wisdom these guidebooks would suggest. Chez Chegrouni is often mentioned due to its excellent location. After making our way through the somewhat maze-like souks (shops that line the streets), we worked up our appetites.

Here is the view from the restaurant looking out into just one part of the Djemma el Fna.

Since we were in Morocco, we must do as Moroccans do and drink the Moroccan Whiskey. The tea is made with green tea leaves and mint leaves and stems and A LOT of SUGAR. Moroccans pour the tea by raising the teapot as high as possible, (like a few feet from the cup high) and pouring the tea into the little cups. This technique aerates the tea and in my opinion, looks pretty cool too.

Vegetable Couscous
Hmmmm...what to order??? Dilemmas, dilemmas???? Sarcasm if you didn't catch that. It isn't a tough decision when most restaurants only serve either couscous or tagine. The vegetables where cooked until super soft and the couscous was still fairly fluffy.

Chicken Tagine
Since we ordered the couscous, the only other option was tagine. The chicken tagine was served with onions, lemon, olives, and chicken. Everything in a tagine gets heavily cooked until completely braised. The lemon added a nice bit of flavor to this tagine.

With our bellies full and our bodies rested, we were ready to battle the blazing sun and do some more exploring.

As stated before, we are not that familiar with Moroccan cuisine and I am definitely no authority on it. Overall, we thought the food wasn't bad nor was it delicious. The prices at Chez Chegrouni are very reasonable as are the majority of restaurants in Marrakech. The location and the reasonable prices make this restaurant a popular one.

Restaurant Tiznit (Marrakech, Morocco)

Place Jemaa El Fna
Kassabine No28
Marrakech, Morocco

Arriving into the bustling city of Marrakech and checking into our Riad, we decided to explore the Medina (inside the walls of Marrakech). We had done our homework prior to arriving into Marrakech and read about the various scams to be aware of. I won't bore you with the details but, we only got scammed TWICE during our first hour or two in the city..... We somehow managed to find our way to back to our Riad without getting scammed again and debated locking ourselves in our tiny Riad for the next three days.

TNT Adventures...TNT Adventures...we said to ourselves. This isn't TNT UNadventures... Somehow we managed to build up the courage to leave our Riad. I think it was after we realized that we would have to eat eventually and our stomachs were growwwwwwlinggggggg.

After chatting with one of the 30 or so orange juice stands in the Jemma El Fna, we asked him for a restaurant recommendation within the square. He pointed us to Restaurant Tiznit. Tiznit is actually a city in Morocco that is known for its silver, daggers, and sabres (Thanks Wikipedia). 

Walking up the stairs to Restaurant Tiznit, we noticed that this restaurant was Tiziny, as in tiny. With about 5 to 6 tables. 

Every meal we had in Marrakech started or incorporated a piece of bread or known as khobz. Moroccans will use the bread to scoop the sauces and meats. Typically the bread does not come out warm.

Complimentary bowl of lentils. Another staple of Morrocan cuisine is the lentils.

Tagine de Beouf (60 DH) 
When you think Moroccan food, most people think of tagine and couscous. The beef tagine was made with beef, potatoes, and olives. I am definitely no Moroccan food expert, but I thought the tagine was good. Nothing all that exciting but good.

Couscous Morocain (50 DH) 
Craving some vegetables, we decided to order a vegetable couscous. The particular version had chickpeas, carrots, some zucchini type veggie, stewed raisins and onions. The couscous itself was light and fluffy, and the sweetened onions and raisins added a nice sweetness to the dish.
 

Overall, our first official Moroccan meal at Restaurant Tiznit was a fairly positive one. Nothing was extraordinarily delicious, but everything we ate was pretty good. Once again, I am definitely no Moroccan food connoisseur.