Citynights MARRAKESH
Head into the city for everything from Moroccan feasts to clubbing

AS with most aspects of Marrakesh life, the epicentre of the night scene is DJEMAA EL-FNA. Head to the terrace of the eccentric, old-school CAFÉ DE FRANCE for a bird’s eye view of the square switching to night mode. They do food on the first terrace, but the lesser-known drinks-only upper level affords the best views.

After watching stalls spring up across the square, you’ll soon get an appetite from the wafting grill smoke. So slip down and check out the options, before plonking yourself on one of the communal benches for a tasty Moroccan feast that’s both touristy and local at the same time.

If you fancy alcohol with your meal, head to LE MARRAKCHI, a fun restaurant that enjoys sweeping views of the square. Its lamb and chicken tagines are excellent and you can order dishes à la carte. You won’t be able to do that at LE TOBSIL, and you probably won’t be able to move after the full-on set-menu feast. Other chic options include DAR YACOUT, with its impressively theatrical service, and PALAIS SOLEIMAN, which is as palatial as it sounds. One stunning, but little-known, gem is ZIWANA. An Antoni Gaudi and César Manrique-inspired wonderland, it stages fashion parties and launches, as well as catering for much smaller groups for dinner, too.

Serious clubbers will want to check out PACHA, a taxi ride and a world away. This cavernous haunt lives off the brand’s global reputation a bit, but the music is spot on and the expense is often worth it. Although, I much prefer THEATRE, a funky UK-style house club where locals usually outnumber tourists and no one cares how well or even how dirty you dance.

The Marrakesh Gig
Jad Mahal

Marrakesh doesn’t have any world-class live music venues to speak of, and usually the only music you’ll hear is on the streets and at the bars of international chain hotels. However, help is at hand for music fans at restaurant JAD MAHAL. À la carte tagines and couscous hit the spot, as does the international comfort food. Belly dancers and a wacky live band later on add spice to one of Marrakesh’s leastpretentious fun nights, as the band churns out cover versions and Arabic sounds.
FONTAINE DE LA MAMOUNIA. TEL: +212 (0)24 436 984. LIVE MUSIC AT WEEKENDS AND SOMETIMES DURING THE WEEK, TOO.

Marrakesh
On the Cheap

Cheap eats can be found on Djemaa El-Fna, and around the city look out for stomach-testing little tagine joints. Try pastilla, in its purest form – a tasty pigeon pie ideal for filling up budget-conscious travellers. Bargain hard when shopping in the souks, starting at least 50% lower than what you have been quoted, and using the old “walking away” technique to get the price you had in mind all along.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 5:17 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.