maison mk

Eating

Early morning coffee is left outside your door at 6.30am, in a tasseled thermos flask. Breakfast is then served when you want it, and can be taken on the roof (a little chilly until the sun has had time to warm the city) or in the ground-floor restaurant, Gastro mk. They alternate between Moroccan and French days. Moroccan days include the msimmen homemade pancakes and Moroccan breads. French days have fabulous baguettes, pains aux chocolat and pastries. Both days have homemade yoghurts, fresh eggs, just-squeezed orange juice, and fruit salad using the seasonal local fruits.

Lunch can be taken in the restaurant or up on the terrace under the welcome shade of a sun umbrella. Dishes include home-smoked salmon, barbequed skewers, pan fried red mullet, and mint pannacotta.

Dinner is a lengthier affair (typically 5 courses). The Moroccan-French fusions are unique and tasty, but unpretentious. Examples include stuffed courgette on a herb gnocchi, fillet of beef tagine with prune puree, minted pineapple lassi with verveine foam and banana bavarois. Dinner starts at 8pm and guests are invited for drinks on the roof terrance from 7pm, which lends a social atmosphere to the evenings. They limit external guests to just 10 people per night meaning that guests take priority but there is always a buzzy vibe.

For ultimate flexibility there is also a 24-hr snack menu including club sandwiches, croque monsieurs, and mozzarella and tomato salads.

A complimentary afternoon treat is served daily at the riad - homemade cake or tart and mint tea (aka 'Moroccan whisky', incredibly sweet but a good reviver after a morning in the market). Drinks are available throughout the day; each room has a minibar with soft drinks, and beer, wine, champagne and 'honesty' bottles of spirits (gin, whisky, rum etc) are available. Just ask.

If you want a change of scene, there are plenty of great restaurants nearby, and Estelle can arrange tables at each, and transport to and from if required. We spent a nice evening at Le Comptoir, which was definitely European priced, but had great food and belly dancers (not too cringey). Be aware that most bars / restaurants in the medina don’t serve alcohol, but there are a few exceptions, and Estelle can advise.