May 1, 2020
Today I have a special travel episode for you all about Marrakech. If you’ve been following the pod for a while, you’ll know I’m rather partial to a trip and love to share my experiences of a place and of course, what food and restaurants I enjoyed while visiting. Earlier this year I went to Marrakech for a long weekend so thought I'd give you a taste of the city. It’s such an interesting, bustling place filled with spices, colours, markets, tagines, flatbreads, rugs, leather, gorgeous terraces and plenty of fresh mint tea. I share some of my favourite spots and other general tips and recommendations which I hope you’ll find useful if you’re thinking of planning a trip there (when we can all travel again!).
I‘ll also be speaking to a special guest - Willem Smit is the extremely talented designer and manager of the gorgeous boutique art hotel El Fenn. It was started by Vanessa Branson back in 2004 and after a chance meeting with Vanessa 10 years ago, Willem packed up his life in Amsterdam and moved to Marrakech to manage and take on the refurbishment of the hotel. El Fenn has become a bit of a phenomenon and it’s played a huge part in placing Marrakech on the map as a sought-after travel destination. Check out their Instagram account and you’ll see what I mean - it really is gorgeous, and they have an amazing Moroccan restaurant where we enjoyed the best meal of our trip.
Willem and I chat about life in Morocco and what he loves about living there. He shares some of his local tips and we also speak about the growth of El Fenn and their plans for the future.
Names and links of places I mention:
For a traditional lamb Tangia and flatbread lunch in the souks –
Chez Lamine
Traditional tagine lunch – Terrasse
Bakchich
Delicious lunch/dinner on the most gorgeous terrace - @lmidamarrakech
Dinner and drinks at @elfennmarrakech
is a must (you need to book) – be sure to go in time to catch the
sunset
@nomadmarrakech @lejardinmarrakech @maxandjan and
Atay café
have beautiful terraces and are perfect for a tea/lunch break from
shopping in the souks
Terrasse des Epices
is fab for a sundowner
If you’re after something more upmarket I’ve heard Le Trou Au Mer or
La Mamounia hotel are great for drinks/dinner
If you want a break from Moroccan food, try Limoni (mostly
Italian with a few Moroccan dishes on the menu)