Le Jardin is a moroccan restaurant in Medina, Marrakech.
Kamal Laftimi's emerald-green oasis hidden in the Marrakech souks, Le Jardin plates Moroccan classics and bistro food in a 16th-century riad.
Signature dishes: Tanjia served in clay urn, Club sandwich frites, Mint tea
Must order: Tanjia, the clay-urn lamb served straight from the amphora, with khobz bread.
Tip: Reservations don't take; arrive before 13:00 for lunch or you wait. Chameleons live in the lemon trees.
Address: 32 Souk Jeld Sidi Abdelaziz, Marrakech 40000
Cafe Arabe on Rue Mouassine has plated Italian-Moroccan fusion in Marrakech's medina for over 20 years; a rare alcohol-licensed rooftop near the Koutoubia.
Signature: Ricotta-spinach cannelloni, Couscous aux sept legumes, Italian wine list
Order: The cannelloni, then climb to the rooftop for Koutoubia sunset; alcohol-licensed.
Tip: The downstairs courtyard is mister-cooled in summer; the rooftop is best at sunset for the Koutoubia silhouette.
Limoni in north Marrakech medina is a quiet riad-kitchen running honest Italian pasta and pizza around a courtyard with a heavy old lemon tree.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Wood-fired pizza, Lemon tart
Order: Whichever fresh pasta the kitchen made that morning; ask the server for the day's batch.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Find the door via Sidi Ben Abbas mausoleum; phone the riad if you get lost in Diour Saboun.
Pepe Nero plates Italian-Moroccan dual menus in the courtyard of Riyad Al Moussika, a former pasha's palace five minutes from Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Italian or Moroccan tasting, Tiramisu
Order: Pick the Italian or the Moroccan menu, not both; the kitchen executes each tradition cleanly when it commits.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve courtyard seating; the indoor salon is the rainy-night fallback.
Cafe Arabe on Rue Mouassine has plated Italian-Moroccan fusion in Marrakech's medina for over 20 years; a rare alcohol-licensed rooftop near the Koutoubia.
Signature: Ricotta-spinach cannelloni, Couscous aux sept legumes, Italian wine list
Order: The cannelloni, then climb to the rooftop for Koutoubia sunset; alcohol-licensed.
Tip: The downstairs courtyard is mister-cooled in summer; the rooftop is best at sunset for the Koutoubia silhouette.
Limoni in north Marrakech medina is a quiet riad-kitchen running honest Italian pasta and pizza around a courtyard with a heavy old lemon tree.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Wood-fired pizza, Lemon tart
Order: Whichever fresh pasta the kitchen made that morning; ask the server for the day's batch.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Find the door via Sidi Ben Abbas mausoleum; phone the riad if you get lost in Diour Saboun.
Kechmara on Marrakech's Rue de la Liberte runs an all-day bistro-bar with rooftop terrace; 70s interior, alcohol licence, and busy jazz nights in Gueliz.
Signature: Burgers, Tapas, Daily blackboard plates
Order: The all-day burger and a glass of Moroccan red on the rooftop; live jazz some nights.
Tip: Open till 02:00 with food till 23:30; the rooftop fills first, the gallery-floor bar is the late seat.
L'Annexe in Marrakech's Gueliz is a French Mediterranean bistro on Rue Moulay Ali, owner on premises, plating Southern French classics and the best aged beef.
Signature: Aged beef, South-of-France classics, House charcuterie
Order: The aged beef is what locals come for; the South-of-France charcuterie board is the starter.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Book one of the four window tables for the best people-watching on Moulay Ali.
Mama Afrika in Marrakech's Gueliz plates Afro-fusion under tribal-art ceilings, with a vegan-friendly menu and Monday-night live reggae-jazz Mama Jam sets.
Signature: Afro-fusion bowls, Vegan plates, Tropical salads
Order: The Afro-fusion bowl of the week; the vegan menu is one of the deepest in Gueliz.
Tip: Monday live music nights fill up; reserve. Vegetarians can build a full meal across the appetizer list.
Pepe Nero plates Italian-Moroccan dual menus in the courtyard of Riyad Al Moussika, a former pasha's palace five minutes from Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Italian or Moroccan tasting, Tiramisu
Order: Pick the Italian or the Moroccan menu, not both; the kitchen executes each tradition cleanly when it commits.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve courtyard seating; the indoor salon is the rainy-night fallback.