Marrakesh ... what a city! The few days I spent there were pretty much a full-on explosion of the senses: the smells, the heat, the colour, the sounds ...
For the first few hours I was a bit awestruck. ... The medina, or old town, was like nothing I'd ever seen. If you could rub out any sign of phones and satellite dishes, you could easily believe you'd stepped back 200 years. The winding narrow alleys, the street vendors, crowded markets and brightly coloured cones of spice are so exciting, and I love that there is a real sense that human hands, not computers, make the country rattle along. There are men working in shops, banging out tin pots, women weaving rugs and dudes knocking out the most painstaking, but genius, breads and pastries.
Where jamie went
Al Fassia – 55 Boulevard Zerktouni, Guéliz; +212 524 38 38 39
website
You can eat in Marrakesh for next to nothing, but if you want to spoil yourself and try something really special then this place is one of the coolest in the city to eat. It's completely run by women and the food they serve – from the delicate little salads and hearty main courses – is first class. Finish up with a glass of mint tea for the proper Moroccan experience.
The Mellah market is in the old Jewish quarter. There are tiny shops like these ones selling vegetables, spices, and the most incredible little desserts. Go and wander around, it's like Aladdin's Cave in every store.
Meshoui lamb
Near the entrance to Djemaa El-Fna (the main market square in the medina) there's an alley with five or six meshoui lamb stalls. The guys that run this stall let me hang out with them for an hour and watch them make this delicious Moroccan dish. I sat down in the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant next door and ate one of tastiest lamb sandwiches I've ever had. Believe me, it's worth trying.
Djemaa El-Fna
This is probably the most famous market in Marrakesh and it really comes alive in the evenings. You can easily spend an entire night here wandering from stall to stall. Start with a lovely orange juice from stall 40 like I did, then move on from there. Don't eat a whole dinner, just have little tastes: there are grilled meats, steamed snails, lovely desserts... Let's just say you won't go hungry.
Jamie Magazine city guide
Eat & drink
Café des Epices 75 RahbaLakdima, Medina; +212 24 39 17 70, cafedesepices.net.
Terasse des Epices 15 souk Cherifia, SidiAbdelaziz, Medina; +212 24 37 59 04, terrassedesepices.com. The grown-up sister of Café des Epices offers French-Moroccan food such as anchovy tart, harira (chickpea soup), pastillas and vegetable salads. The casual-chic and comfortable feel of the low roof terrace, charming staff and chilled lounge music make it a pleasant place to wind down after a hectic day in the souks.
Chez Tariq Omar 10 Rue Ben Aïcha, Guéliz; GSM 061 34 00 03. Rue Ben Aïcha is the street of grilled meat. It's slow in the day but at night the grills get going and smoke and sizzles fill the air. Take a seat at one of the plastic tables on the footpath, select what you want from the cabinets – or leave the ordering up to the staff, who'll send out dishes until you've had enough. What you'll get is smoky, spiced meat (some offal, such as kidneys, or brains cooked in eggs), salads and breads – and an army of street kittens, mewling for your scraps.
Le Grand Café de la Poste Cnr Boulevard El MansourEddhabi & Avenue Imam Malik, Guéliz; +212 24 43 30 38, grandcafedelaposte.com. A bistro-oasis in the new part of town. Sit outdoors watching the street-scene or retreat to the quiet, colonial-style indoors: cane chairs, palms, white tablecloths, soft jazz. Classics on the menu include salad niçoise, grilled sardines and tart tatin.
Café du Livre 44 Rue TarikIbnZiad, Guéliz; +212 24 43 21 49, cafedulivre.com. Another quiet haven. Browse books – new and used; fiction and non; in English and other languages – then settle down to read over a coffee and cake. Wifi is available, as are books about Morocco for further research, and the café holds events such as author talks, too.
Shop
Herboristerie Ben Ali Tidrarine Rue de Commerce 55, Mellah; GSM 067 34 69 89. Want some fragrant reminders of your holiday? This cheerful vendor in the spice market sells containers and sachets of bright harissa, delicate dried rose petals, ubiquitous ras el hanout and other spices (as well as soaps and incense).
Essence des Sens 52 FhalChidmi, QuartierMouassine, Medina; GSM 076 96 31 07, nectarome.com. One of the many shops selling soaps, washes and treatments. Don't go home without some of the fabulous, zingy mint soap – sure to wash away post-holiday blues. Also popular are the local argan oil-based products.
Atelier Moro 114 Place de Mouassine; +212 24 39 16 78. You'll have to keep an eye out for it, and may still walk by it twice, but ring the doorbell and be invited up the stairs to Colombian-born designer Viviana Gonzalez's boutique. She sources fashion, accessories and interior items from local craftspeople – and abroad. Prices are fixed and more expensive than the souk, but the pieces are unique.
Do & see
GallerieRê Résidence Al Andalous, 111 Angle Rue de Mosqueeset Ibn Tourmert, No 3 Guéliz; +212 61 14 55 95, galeriere.com. One of the few, but growing, number of contemporary art galleries in Marrakech, showcasing the work of local and European artists.
Jardin Majorelle Avenue Yacoub el Mansour; +212 24 30 18 52; jardinmajorelle.com. Created in the 1920s by French artist Jacques Majorelle, then owned by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, this beautifully tranquil botanical garden just west of the Medina is home to groves of bamboo, cactus and agave and a stunning cobalt-blue pavilion.
Light Gallery 2 DerbChtouka, Kasbah; +212 24 38 45 65. Part exhibition space, part design shop, Light Gallery brings new art to the old city of Marrakech.
Accommodation
Riad El Fenn Derb Moullay Abdullah Ben Hezzian, Bab El Ksour, Medina; +212 524 44 1210, riadelfenn.com. Vanessa Branson's converted riad is the chicest place to stay in Marrakech, complete with works by leading artists such as Bridget Riley and Ron Mueck. Guests sleeping in the huge beds in the open suites are left a breakfast of tea, coffee and sweet pastries each morning, or can head up to the roof terrace for views of the Atlas Mountains and something more substantial. There's a cinema, restaurant and bar, hammam, pools and three courtyards for afternoon tea. Make sure you test out the chef's skills at least once – they use produce from organic gardens and offer snacks or more polished fare at dinner. Great if you want to be close to the action but shut it out at the end of the day.
Beldi Country Club Km6, Route du Barrage, Cherifia; +212 5 24 38 39 50, beldicountryclub.com. This development 10 minutes' drive from the city is ideal for those who want a bit of respite from the hustle and often frantic bustle. The modern-rustic look of the rooms complements the low-lying buildings and gardens, and there's a good spa and treatment facility, as well as a large pool that guests and visitors can use. Beldi also showcases local industries, with in-house craftspeople who weave and make ceramics on site (while cooking their lunch in the kiln). It's worth a visit to see the artisans in action.
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Getting there
Flights Easy Jet flies to Marrakech daily from London Gatwick. easyjet.com
More information
Log on to visitmorocco.com for tourist information about Morocco and Marrakech.
