Photography by Svadore
Walk down a rabbit hole of dark alleys and step into a dark entrance were you are greeted by a beautiful candle lit courtyard surrounded by orange pillars, intricate archways, a rose petal fountain and candle lit tables. Dar Cherifa offers a local and romantic dinner in the oldest riad in Marrakech.
We were certain we were lost..we had made a reservation for the restaurant and were told there would be a man who would escort us to the property since it was a bit difficult to find. With no man insight and a dark alleyway in front of us, we skeptically walked down what seemed to be a rabbit hole of alleyways that seemed to get darker and darker, narrower and narrower. We kept following the signs for Dar Cherifa, until we encountered a man who escorted us to a large wooden door that opened to the property. We stepped into the dark entrance and were walked to a beautiful candle lit courtyard surrounded by orange pillars and walls, intricate archways, a rose petal fountain and candle lit tables.
Dar Cherifa is a 500 year old (16th century!) riad that has been beautifully restored. It is considered the oldest riad in the Marrakech medina since the Saadian period. Aside from the breath taking architecture and zen ambiance, Dar Cherifa serves delicious locally cooked cuisine for lunch and dinner. I had eaten a late lunch and Patrick wasn’t feeling so well, so although I wanted to try everything on the menu, I settled for some of their famous Cous Cous (known by some as the best Cous Cous in the medina!). It was to say the least-divine. See below for a quick video of Pat and I anxiously waiting for our Cous Cous:
I enjoyed my tender and freshly made Cous Cous while listening to songs such as Cheap Thrills and Thinking Out Loud, but remixed Arabian-style (solely acoustic)! They even threw in a few Game Of Thrones and Hobbit songs to add to the ambiance. The candle light and music made for a very intimate and romantic dinner. Following my Cous Cous, I decided to make space in my stomach and indulge in some dessert for once. I ordered the crème brûlée and let me just say that although crème brûlée is a specialty in Morocco (you will see it on almost every menu), this was by far the BEST crème brûlée I had while in Morocco. Highly recommend it!!
Dar Cherifa boasts one of the most romantic and exotic terraces in Marrakech. If you are not a guest at the Riad, you can’t go up to terrace for pre-drinks, but they let you go up for a post-drink after dinner. Unfortunately, Patrick wasn’t feeling so well so we skipped the terrace. I highly recommend that anyone who visit Dar Cherifa go up to the terrace at night to view the stars and enjoy a quick night cap, while overlooking the ancient medina from the oldest Riad in Marrakech.
- Dar Cherifa, 8, Derb Chorfa Lakbir, Mouassine, Medina, Marrakech; +212 5244-26463; Dar-Cherifa.com
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