Marrakech: Moroccan food

I'm a bit of a foodie, so I obviously need to tell you about the best restaurants we ate at whilst in Marrakech. I've already told you about the delicious birthday lunch I had at Manzil la Tortue, but these two restaurants are in central Marrakech and easier to get to! One is cheap and cheerful, whilst the other has a more sophisticated air - both were delicious and both are, rightly, listed in the top thirty best restaurants in Marrakech (as reviewed and ranked on TripAdvisor, April 2015). Just to note though, neither serve alcohol - this is quite common for restaurants in Marrakech.

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La Perle du Sud, 16/20 Prince Street, Marrakech, Morocco

First up, La Perle du Sud is the cheap and cheerful restaurant we visited - it's situated just off Jamaa el Fna, so is very centrally located.

Starters are priced between 30-60DH (£2-4), whilst mains range from 70-90DH (£4.50-6) - you're in for a bargain!

Olly had one of their specials, a beef tagine, whilst I went for their chicken skewers (left). Two main meals, soft drinks, mint tea and service cost us (a ridiculously cheap) £7 each.

If you're just after a quick, tasty and fuss-free dinner (or lunch), La Perle du Sud is the place to head to. Whilst we were eating, two Moroccan musicians were playing at the restaurant - they were really quite good to listen to!

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Latitude 31, 186 Rue El Gza Arset Ihiri, Bab Doukkala, Marrakech, Morocco

Currently voted the fifth best restaurant in Marrakech on TripAdvisor, Latitude 31 is about a twenty-minute walk from Jamaa el Fna, halfway between there and Jardin Majorelle - don't let that put you off.

Offering sophisticated Moroccan food with a twist, we enjoyed our mojito mocktails - my strawberry mojito tasted, amazingly, just like Opal Fruits (and, yes, I actually exclaimed Opal Fruits rather than Starburst) - with our complimentary amuse-bouches. Complimentary amuse-bouches are always a good start to any meal!

     

I'd already had a pastilla in Marrakech and found it to be disappointingly chewy, but the chicken pastilla I ordered as my starter from Latitude 31 was incredibly soft and tasty, and I adored the balsamic vinegar shot glass dressing. Olly went for their trio of briouates - little parcels of meat, cheese and veggie goodness - for his starter.

     

For our mains, we both had a lamb tagine, but different versions - both were yummy - which came with couscous and tasty home-made bread. Finally, for dessert, Olly picked crème brûlée whilst I had a chocolate fondant. I'm utterly rubbish at describing food, but we had two very happy, and very full, tummies at the end of the night - that's the highest praise that I can give a restaurant, really!

Three courses each with sparkling water, mocktails and service cost us £23 each. I'd recommend booking a table if you want to eat there, and to also take a light jacket or shawl if you go in the evening since the tables are outside.

Are you a fan of Moroccan food? x