CITY GUIDE: Marrakesh

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Marrakesh has become a hub of creative excellence recently, so many POC creatives around the world have either moved there or spend significant portions of the year there. I love to see it! Whatever it takes to reclaim Marrakesh from the hordes of Parisian white middle class.

Annoyingly Europeans come to our cities and see the value in our cultural heritage before we can. Our own communities crippled by difficult economic circumstances have little time to invest in heritage. However things are changing thanks to the efforts of local heroes such as Hassan Hajjaj and a cohort of young Moroccan proteges in film, fashion and cuisine. I’ve rarely witnessed communities as creative and proud of their culture as Moroccans. It’s very exciting!

Marrakesh has a reputation of being a difficult city to navigate. For many heckling and tourist traps creates a perpetual state of unease as you navigate the historic alleys. However don’t let this warp your perspective of this wonderful city. Marrakesh only reveals its truest beauty to those willing to see past its superficial challenges. Leave your cognitive bias and prejudice behind and you will witness truly one of the most incredible cities in the world.

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PREMIUM MOROCCAN: Sahbi Sahbi

I’m not the biggest fan of pretentious food. I’m always searching for that delicate balance between Jedi Master cooking and a genuine warm space. And Sahbi Sahbi is one of my favourite restaurants in Marrakesh.

The warm, textured brick, wood and tiled interior provides the perfect setting for the restaurant’s dadas (home cooks), a formidable team of women drawn from across the country for their deep regional food knowledge and skills.

This is an excellent special place to get a snapshot of regional cuisine of Morocco. Cooked to the highest pedigree.

PAY RESPECTS: JAJJAH by Hassan Hajjaj

Hassan Hajjaj is a worldwide icon and a lot of us in the culture and art space look up to him. He’s a Godfather. It wasn’t just because of his photography shooting the likes of Will Smith and Billie Eilish, but his iconic style fusing Morrocan aesthetic with primary palettes totally became a benchmark for contemporary cultural expression. What I love about him the most is how much he gives back to the creative community. His cafe in London was always a spot to come and connect with him personally and other likeminded artists. He now has a cafe in his hometown Marrakech, giving the same community energy and decked out with his iconic Hajjaj style. Come and pay respects to a legend. If you’re lucky he’ll be there too.

SECRET GARDEN: Petanque Social Club

A beautiful secret garden by Moroccan culinary legend Kamal Laftimi who put Marrakesh on the food map. Outside of the bustling medina its nestled in a peaceful garden in Gueliz. The building is a restored 1930s architectural reserve with mismatched garden furniture under the shade of towering fragrant trees. Its “cool” and “chic” but most importantly relaxed. Come for brunch or sunset.

FIT FOR A KING: Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha

Chef Mustapha once cooked for King Hassan II. That’s his pedigree. Yet humbly returned to cook in the heart of the old city Djemaa El-Fna in an unassuming alley. It doesn’t stop locals and celebrities alike, who scour the narrow streets for him. If you get lost follow the smells of the only two things he cooks: lamb mechoui and beef tanjia. Cooked underground for three to four hours and simply slapped onto a board with freshly baked bread and some spices. This is as good as food gets. Its legacy, culture, simplicity, flavour and history. Come early because its mostly gone by late afternoon.

LEGACY REBRANDED: Bacha Coffee

This is a pretty basic recommendation from me, because its one of my favourite spots but they’re just so many tourists there now. But its too good to be ashamed of. Bacha is a great brand with a great story. Built in 1910 the stunning Dar Al Bascha palace was a hub for cultural and political discourse. The most influential minds would come together over a cup of coffee. After the Second World War it was abandoned, yet some of the vestiges of the glorious building remained. A sad neglected heirloom of a once proud, royal and regal history. It was closed for sixty years until it was painstakingly renovated to its former glory. With the same grandeur and celebration of arabica coffee. I also just love it as a creative project. The branding is incredible. It’s new and old. A prime example of how life can be breathed into our neglected heirlooms.

FULL MARRAKESH LIST BELOW:

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