Riad Chi-Chi

Eating

Like most riad hotels, breakfast is served (included in the price, here) and other meals are available by prior arrangement. You can take your breakfast in the courtyard or the loggia, or up on the roof terrace, depending on the weather. You'll get eggs, fresh orange juice and Moroccan crumpets or pancakes, in addition to the usual continental fare.

When you check in, you'll be offered Moroccan pastries and mint tea - a nice touch - and you'll find mineral water in your room. If you're arriving in the evening and don't want to go out again for dinner, or if you just prefer to dine one evening in the pretty candlelit courtyard, ask ahead for the riad's chef to prepare a Moroccan meal to suit your tastes: tagines of lamb and prunes or lemon chicken with olives, or a vegetarian one if you prefer. We enjoyed a lovely lentil and tomato salad, tasty beef casserole with saffron rice, and crêpes with sautéed seasonal fruit. It's all freshly prepared on site, and not expensive by hotel standards (see Rates).

Most people will head out at least once to the frenzied open-air stalls and grills of Djemaa el Fna, and perhaps dine another evening in one of the more ceremonial Marrakchi restaurants. Beryl recommends nearby Le Foundouk, whose crisp savoury pastries, succulent lamb skewers and rose-petal-strewn desserts taste as good as they look.

For a special celebration, jump on the free shuttle from Dar El Bacha (10 minutes' walk from the riad) to buzzy Bo & Zin, 5km outside town, whose tented garden seating and exotically glowing braziers are matched by the superb (but not cheap) Franco-Moroccan cuisine. It's quite a jet-setty place, filling up after 10pm with cool cocktaily couples from Marrakech and beyond. You'll find foie gras, sushi, crème brûlée and even shark tagine on the menu among the usual brochettes, couscous and pastries.