Dar Moha

Description:

• This restored riad has been offering one of the city's most distinguished dining experiences for almost 10 years. The riad -- whose past residents include the secretary to the Pacha el Glaoui of Marrakech and French designer Pierre Balmain -- is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.

  The interior rooms are elegantly furnished with antique Asian art and furniture, but for the majority of the year the back garden is where you'll want to be. Ten-meter-high (33-ft.) walls, painted in Majorelle Garden blue, surround a central swimming pool. Candle-lit tables, covered with rose petals, are spread around the pool, shaded by a garden of giant umbrella trees, banana palms, and bougainvillea. Uniformed, friendly, English-speaking waiters and live yet unobtrusive Gnaoua and Andalusian music complete the ambience.

  Then there's the food. Chef Mohammed (Moha) Fedal worked in Switzerland for 14 years and offers a delicious set menu of what can only be described as nouvelle Marocain. Familiar dishes have been given a distinctive twist such as the beef tagine with figs and walnuts cooked with cinnamon and argan oil, and a vegetable couscous topped with caramelized pumpkin and raisins. The portions are an agreeable, rather than overwhelming, size, and an entree of meze is a meal in itself. Dessert is also a delight; I recommend the chakchouka saffron-stewed apple. Vegetarians won't have a problem here; just be sure to let your waiter know at the start of the meal. Lunch time can get quite busy with groups, so I suggest coming in the evening to make the most of both the setting and cuisine.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010