Mark Bibby Jackson spends 48 hours in Marrakech Morocco exploring rooftop dining at Dardar, street food at Mazel and Italian flair at Pazza — then escapes to the Agafay Desert for a star-lit night at Inara Collection.
It’s been twenty years since I last wandered through Marrakech, a city of rust-red walls, jasmine-scented courtyards, and the constant thrum of life echoing from its souks. Two decades later, I return to find a city that has grown — more polished in places, more confident — but still gloriously itself. The tourism infrastructure may be slicker, the menus more multilingual, but Marrakech hasn’t lost its intoxicating, sensory overload. And nowhere is that evolution more delightfully evident than in its food.
Here’s how I spent 48 hours in Marrakech eating, exploring, and escaping — from rooftops to desert tents — in a city that remains a feast for all senses.
Dardar – Where Gastronomy Meets the Skyline
There are rooftops, and then there is Rooftop Restaurant Dardar — a secret lifted above the tangled alleys of the medina, with views that sweep from manicured gardens to ancient minarets and the ever-iconic Koutoubia Mosque.
But Dardar is more than a pretty perch. Beneath hand-carved chandeliers and across tiled tables that gleam like jewels, it serves a confident reinvention of Moroccan classics. I start with a chermoula-marinated sea bass, delicately grilled and served with saffron-infused vegetables, followed by a vegetarian tagine bursting with sweet carrots, courgette and preserved lemon. The flavours are bold but balanced — this is Moroccan cuisine refined, not restrained.
As the sun drops and the medina’s muezzins rise in a choral call to prayer, the restaurant’s soft lighting and panoramic views make it feel almost cinematic. This is not the Marrakech of memory — it’s the Marrakech of now.
Mazel – Street Food, Elevated
Lunch the next day is casual but no less satisfying at Mazel, a street food haven with two locations — one near Place des Ferblantiers, the other in Bab Ksour. This is where Moroccan favourites get a relaxed, modern twist.
The setting is breezy and bohemian, with antique mirrors, exposed brick and a rooftop that looks out (once again) onto the Koutoubia. The menu is a crowd-pleaser: pitas filled with grilled vegetables, falafel, spiced tuna, or herbed couscous bowls topped with roasted cauliflower and pomegranate seeds. It’s comfort food, elevated — perfect for recharging after a morning of haggling and heat.
The ambience is as warm as the spice blend in your bowl. Mazel feels like the kind of place you discover on a whim and then return to with purpose.
Pazza – A Slice of Italy, Medina Style
In the golden hour before sunset, I stroll over to Pazza, Marrakech’s newest Italian darling, hidden near Place des Ferblantiers and hemmed between the Bahia and Badi Palaces. It’s not what you expect in the medina: a blue-washed garden, terracotta pots, Mediterranean plants, and a mood that is half Amalfi, half Atlas.
On the menu? Freshly made pastas like “Illico Pesto” and “Boloss” (a cheeky Bolognese), alongside vegetarian “pazzas” — pizza sandwiches bursting with mozzarella, aubergine and basil. I sip on a floral orange blossom limonata, polish off a plate of garlicky tagliolini with green beans and mint, and finish with the cheekily named Tiramisouk — a mascarpone-laced ode to both Italy and Morocco.
It’s relaxed, full of laughter and quietly exquisite. A testament to Marrakech’s growing confidence in mixing flavours and cultures.
Inara Collection – Silence, Stars and Desert Stillness
But to truly understand the rhythm of Marrakech, you need to leave it — if only for a night. Just under an hour away lies the Agafay Desert, and within it, the Inara Collection: a luxury camp stitched into the stony hills and pale sand.
My tent is a dream: woven Berber textiles, cloud-soft bedding, and a private terrace that opens onto a view of infinite sky. There’s no WiFi — only wind, stars and stillness.
Dinner is taken by firelight, where a gentle feast of grilled fish, harira with lentils and spiced root vegetables is served under a canopy of stars. Later, I listen to a trio of Gnaoua musicians playing trance-like rhythms by the embers, while a pot of mint tea steams in the cool desert air.
It’s a full circle moment: from the rooftops of Marrakech to the silence of the Sahara, each place a layer of Morocco’s vibrant, evolving story.
48 Hours in Marrakech : the Basics
- Dardar Rooftop Restaurant: Contemporary Moroccan cuisine with fish and vegetarian highlights. Sunset bookings essential.
- Mazel: Two locations; ideal for modern Moroccan street food with plenty of vegetarian options and rooftop seating.
- Pazza: Laid-back Italian restaurant in a blue garden near the palaces. Perfect for pasta lovers and relaxed evenings.
- Inara Collection: Luxury tented camp in the Agafay Desert. Offers full-board and organised transfers from Marrakech.
Main image and image of Dardar: It’s Me Louis Photography-Dar Dar Marrakech-itsmelouis.com
