If the substantial French expat community still likes a taste of Gaul at places like the Grand Café de la Poste and Chez Pascal, trendy tables like Le Foundouk, Riad Tamsna, and Le Comptoir offer good (if rather deracinated) world-food menus. Insisting on confidentiality, another hotel manager observes that some of the female cooks who do the city’s best food are increasingly reluctant to work in tourist settings because they’re being discouraged by the fundamentalist imams in some local mosques.
“Competition for good Moroccan chefs is ferocious,” says Jill Fechtmann. “Chef poaching is a major local problem—there are simply not enough of them to go around.”
Meanwhile, reservations have become essential at all Marrakech restaurants, especially places like Al Fassia, a clubby place that pulls a stylish mixture of expats, politicians, and local power brokers, and that is locally considered to be the best non-touristy Moroccan table.
Happily, however, there are still ways to escape the madding crowds in Marrakech and also eat superb local cooking. Weather permitting, book a rooftop dinner for two at Angsana Riad Si Said (011-212-24-421-979), where exceptionally talented young chef Malika Rhali cooks some of the best tagines in town, including what just might be the best dish in Marrakech right now—a sublime tagine sucré, which is made with lamb, honey, almonds, raisins, garlic, and saffron.
Al Fassia 55 Boulevard Zerktouni (011-212-24-434-060)
Riad Noir d’Ivoire 31 Derb Jdid Bab Doukkala (011-212-24-380-975; noir-d-ivoire.com)
Angsana Riad Si Said 1-2-4 Derb Abbes El Fassi (011-212-24-421-979; angsana.com)
Grand Café de la Poste 127 Ave. Mohamed V (011-212-24-433-038; grandcafedelaposte.com)
Chez Pascal 96 rue Mohamed El Baqal (011-212-24-447-415)
Le Comptoir Ave. Echouhada - Hivernage (011-212-24-437-702; comptoirdarna.com)
Le Foundouk 55 Souk El Fassi (011-212-24-378-190; foundouk.com)
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