It was my last night in Marrakech, and I still had the taste of a horrible feast in my mouth from the night before, courtesy of Le Tobsil, supposedly the finest restaurant in the city but perhaps the biggest culinary mistake I’d ever made in my life. So I was looking for some revenge, to say the least. I just wanted a solid meal, and I opted to pass up all the fancy gibberish and get a little dirty. After all, Marrakech isn’t the cleanest city in the world—in  fact, you’ll typically find flies crawling all over the food sold on the streets, and no one even seems to mind.

I had just finished an intense day of haggling for handmade Moroccan rugs in the bazaars and decided to reward myself with a fantastic meal of lamb head and bread in the Djemma el Fna, the central square of Marrakech. While this isn’t your typical restaurant—more like street food—it is quite the thrill ride, and, to be honest, it’s  a much better experience.

When I got to the stalls, I was immediately shocked by what struck me as the Cirque de Soleil of street food. Not only are there innumerable stalls ruthlessly competing for customers yet vending the exact same goods (ironically, just like the bazaars), but the square comes complete with professional-quality street performers, including dancers, snake charmers, and fire belchers. Trust me, these guys are good!—they have to be, to get any money in a place where so many are poor. The glare of flickering lights, the sound of beating drums, and the screams of entertained tourists and competing vendors all combines to create a phenomenal atmosphere, full of energy and life.

As for the food, I really can’t say much other than “Beware”! This is food for the adventurous—I’m talking Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods-style adventurous. You can find just about any part of a lamb you could ever hope to eat (or not), plus some stews, mounds of spice, dried fruits and nuts, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the total will run less than $10, if you get some of each. It’s very dirty food of very low quality, but I have to admit, it was rather enjoyable, even for a gourmet glutton like myself.

I opted to go for the ever-popular lamb’s head. I chose one of the countless stalls and took a seat. When I got my order, I was again somewhat surprised. No fork, no spoon, no knife. Just a bowl of meat and a large round piece of meat. Forget the utensils! You’re going to be going old-school—with your hands, putting everything in a piece of bread. The meat, however, was rather well-cooked, particularly for something that cost me 3 bucks. Moreover, it came with all the most disgusting parts of the animal. I even got to try some brains (which really tasted of nothing—just balls of grease and fat) and eyeballs (odd, gooey texture but not bad—like eating egg whites). And it was extremely filling. Getting a whole dinner for $3—that’s a deal.

For less adventurous eaters, though, you can find some pretty decent fruits and nuts, all of which are extremely fresh. Moroccan stalls, while not serving the most delectable fruits, get their fruit fresh every day, so what you get here is some of the best you’ll taste. And you can get a kilo (2.2 lbs) of just about anything for $5. Of special notes are the fresh dates and the caramelized peanuts (like honey roasted peanuts on crack!).  Moreover, for less than $1.50, you can get a large glass of orange juice that is better than anything you can find in the US.

All in all, then, the Djemma el Fna may not be what you would normally consider a restaurant. In fact, it’s one part circus, one part dirty, cheap food, and one part exotic, outlandish fantasy. It may not be the best food you’ll eat (you’ll definitely be feeling it the next day in the restroom), but it’s an unforgettable culinary experience, much more so than the much pricier restaurants, especially the all-out feasts, for which the Marrakech culinary scene is known. If you have just one night in Marrakech, this is where you must head for food.

Not scored. It’s an unforgettable time regardless of the quality of the food.

55 bd. Mohammed Zerktouni
Marrakech, Morocco

It’s my first night in Marrakech, and I’m looking for a great meal. Tomorrow, I’m going off to the Sahara desert on camel, to live with a desert nomad for a night. I know I’m going to have to rough it for a bit, with very little food in general and probably very little meat in particular. That’s why I really want to get in a good, nice piece of meat before heading off, and in Morocco, there is nothing better than a nice lamb tagine, a national specialty. I do my research, and I finally find the perfect place, Al Fassia.

Having found the restaurant and its address, I begin my trek across town to find it. It takes me a while, as I have to venture outside the center of Marrakech. I finally get there and begin to knock at the door, right at opening time. I wait and wait, knocking louder and louder.

Someone finally opens the door. “We’re closed.” What! It turns out that I’ve forgotten to set my watch an hour back to adjust for the time zone change on my trip to Morocco! Shoot! I’m starving and can barely wait, but I really do want to try the best lamb tagine in town. So I make a reservation and come back in an hour, absolutely famished.

That is the story of how I, luckily, was able to dine at Al Fassia, one of the most exclusive restaurants in Marrakech. After I entered the restaurant, I noticed that numerous diners arrived at around opening time, like I planned to do, but they were turned away for not having a reservation, even though the restaurant seemed absolutely empty. Al Fassia is a rather traditional restaurant. The restaurant is run by a mother and her three or four daughters, and the mother absolutely refuses to allow any diners in without a reservation or to make any changes to the menu. So take note, if you ever decide to come by.

Moreover, it is very hard for an English speaker to get by. Only one of the daughters speaks English, and it is a rather broken version. If you do decide to eat here, French or Arabic is recommended for sure. My failure to communicate resulted, in large part, in rather slow service, since only one woman could really serve me effectively, take my order, ask about my meal, etc.

That being said, Al Fassia was worth every bit of my effort. I had two fantastic dishes that truly gave me a unique taste of Morocco. I started with a pigeon pastilla, basically a sweet puff pastry stuffed with pigeon. Think of it as a sweet pigeon pot pie. That may sound disgusting to some of us Americans, but trust me, it was rather good, as it had the perfect combination of sweet and savory. I did not think that meat would go with pastry, but it somehow did, and the lightness of the pastry complemented the denseness of the meat well.

Next, I moved on to a lamb tagine, which was also very good. It had almonds and raisins, giving it a strong, nutty, sweet taste. Again, the meat was actually balanced by a sweetness that I found quite interesting. Moreover, the lamb was falling off the bone it was so tender, and it was seasoned very well. I’m not a lover of lamb, but this was rather good for a piece of lamb. As for the couscous that accompanied the meat, I really can’t say I cared much for it at all. It just felt tacked, and it was so dry it wasn’t worth eating.

So, after getting stuffed to the brim on fine lamb and pigeon, I left stuffed, ready to survive two days of brutal trekking. It was a great “last” meal, especially for the 40 euros or so I paid in total.
Ambience: 3.5/5.0
Service: 2.0/5.0. Very slow. Also note, there are no English speakers (though I didn’t deduct for that).
Taste: 3.5/5.0
Value: 3.5/5.0
Overall Score: 3.3/5.0. The food was rather good and gave a great take on Moroccan cuisine. However, you may want to reconsider eating at this restaurant if you do not speak French or Arabic, and make sure to have a reservation before going.

22 Derb Abdellah Ben Hessaien, Medina
Marrakech 40000, Morocco

To celebrate the end of my first semester studying abroad in Spain, I decided to do something a little bit exotic, so I headed to Marrakech in Morocco and went on an expedition on camel into the Sahara desert to stay with a desert nomad for a night. Needless to say, when I returned from my trip, I was quite famished. So famished, indeed, that I decided I needed a feast to recover, and Morocco is the perfect place for a feast. In fact, Moroccan fine cuisine is, more or less, an excuse to throw a feast, as waiters typically bring out an endless array of courses meant to satisfy even the biggest glutton.  That’s why, after my exhausting day-and-a-half desert trek, I headed to Le Tobsil, which is considered to be the finest restaurant in all of Marrakech and perhaps all of Morocco.

Before describing the restaurant itself, I should note that the streets of Marrakech are rather dark and dirty. Walking through Marrakech is not the most aesthetically pleasing experience. Upon entering the restaurant, however, I entered a completely different world. The setting was beautiful, in stark contrast to the surroundings. It seemed like a scene from the Arabian Nights, with Moroccan rugs covering the floor, Moroccan style arches, and light solely from candles. It was dimly lit, with rose petals scattered across all the tables. There is thus good reason why many have considered this restaurant to be one of the most romantic in the world. Needless to say, I, coming alone, felt rather out-of-place and a tad moronic, but I didn’t care. I was here for a feast, and I was going to get one.

The service too was impeccable. The waiters were extremely respectful and exceptionally well-trained in French-style service, as the name would imply. Moreover, they even had a few tricks to show. Specifically, for dessert, they brought out some Moroccan mint tea, and, following the Moroccan tradition, they began to pour it by extending the tea kettle higher and higher. While all Moroccans perform this trick, only in this restaurant did I ever see a waiter hold a tray holding a tea cup, move it almost to the floor, and then extend a tea kettle fully the opposite way the whole length of his arms to pour a cup of tea, without spilling a drop at all. It was quite impressive and almost justified the trip in itself!

Nevertheless, as I said, I was here to gorge, and all I cared for was the food. The food was technically served in the traditional three courses. “Three courses,” however, really means 11 separate miniature plates as an appetizer, 3 separate entrée dishes, and some cake and tea. Trust me, even an elephant—or a starving college student—couldn’t finish it all.

The food, however, was horrible in almost all regards. Only 3 of the 11 appetizer salads were any good. Specifically, there was a chutney with jam that was amazing, along with a similar dish of jammed vegetables. As far as the three entrees go, there were two meat dishes: a chicken and a lamb tagine. The chicken was overly salty, while the lamb was okay but not as good as some of the better offerings in town (like Al Fassia’s). The couscous, which is a specialty in Morocco, was actually very good, to be fair. Finally, the dessert was a sponge cake that tasted like nothing, though the caramelized pears that accompanied it were delightful. The tea was even horrible. To top it all off, the unlimited house wine that was provided was outright atrocious, to the point that it shouldn’t even be drunk.

Overall, the restaurant was a disappointment. I asked for a feast, and I did indeed receive one, but half the food was garbage, and another fourth was nothing I enjoyed very much. Worst of all, the menu cost around 65 euros (w/o tax and tip), a price that is ridiculous to pay in Morocco, considering that you can get what is, in my opinion, better food for 2 and a half euros in the outdoor stalls. I will say, though, if you are interested more in the ambience of a restaurant or in great service, or if you are just simply looking for a fantastic date spot in Marrakech, this restaurant cannot be beaten.

Ambience: 4.5+/5.0. Take it to a 4.8 if you like romantic settings.
Service: 4.5/5.0
Taste: 0.0/5.0
Value: 0.0/5.0
Overall Score: 1.0/5.0. Save some money and eat in the stalls at night in Djemaa el Fna.