Dar Essalam — Restaurant in Marrakesh Prefecture

This experience isn't a normal restaurant - it's more like a dinner and a show. Not that it's a bad thing in itself, but it should be communicated much better in order to align expectations with the customers.

As such, I'll divide my review into four - venue, entertainment, service, and food quality.

Venue: Definitely the strongest point of this restaurant. It used to be a palace, the entire place is beautifully decorated, and it really improves the atmosphere. However, the venue is completely inaccessible to handicap, it requires few minutes of walk from the car or taxi, and had many stairs. Worth noting if that's relevant for you.

Entertainment: There's a belly dancer show which is very pushy and tries to force guys to dance with her and tip her with bills in her bra. Perhaps that's the norm in Morocco, I don't know, but I've personally never seen it anywhere else in belly dancing shows. Feels cheep and disrespectful. The music isn't traditional at all, it's played on traditional instruments but includes a weird mix of Arabic music from other countries, Greek music, pop songs, Christmas music, soccer songs, etc. - completely unrelated to one another, and without any connection or theme. In general, the music is super loud, and blocks any attempt to communicate. I guess that's what some people are looking for, but we didn't enjoy it. The rest of the shows aren't exciting in my opinion, but are relatively nice and set a good atmosphere. Same note about being too pushy, though.

Service: Hardly any service whatsoever. We got a chance to order after waiting for over 20 minutes, and the order arrived almost two hours afterward! Every time we tried to catch the attention of the waiters, they were either too busy dancing and entertaining the guests, or straight up ignored us. Eventually we had to calculate the check ourselves, and once we finally got to grab a waiter passing next to us in order to pay (while he objected and tried to get away!) - we decided not to leave a tip at all. To be fair, it's been a Friday night, but also to be fair - the place was almost half empty.

Food quality: Personally tried the salads, grilled meats, and rice. Others in the table ate the Kuskus and Tajin dishes. The consensus in our 11 people group was that for the most part the food was terrible. No flavor. The meat was dried and burnt. Rice was unsalted and inedible. Some dishes arrived cold. All 'vegetarian' dishes were clearly cooked with chicken or beef broth. Salads were ok I guess, but nothing to write home about - my wife (with Moroccan heritage) makes much better Moroccan salads and Kuskus.

Bottom line: it's a tourist trap. If you really want to come, eat something before and only get drinks and...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at an incredible restaurant that left me absolutely speechless. From the moment I walked in, I was captivated by the perfect balance of a warm and inviting ambiance, coupled with a stunning interior design. Let's start with the food - culinary excellence at its finest. Every dish I had the pleasure of sampling left me craving for more. The flavors were so well-orchestrated, with each ingredient expertly combined to create a gastronomic symphony. The menu featured a diverse range of options, catering to all palates, and the presentation was truly a work of art. Now, let's talk about the ambiance. As soon as you step foot inside, you're enveloped in an atmosphere of sophistication and elegance. The lighting is dim, creating an intimate and romantic aura. The seating arrangement is carefully laid out, providing privacy while still allowing for a communal dining experience. The attention to detail in creating this ambiance truly impressed me. As I dined, I was treated to an exquisite showcase of dances that added a touch of cultural vibrancy to the evening. The dancers were incredibly talented and their performances were simply mesmerizing. It added an extra layer of entertainment to the already perfect evening. Much credit must also be given to the amazing staff. They were attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. They effortlessly guided me through my dining experience, making recommendations and ensuring that my every need was met. Their expertise and genuine passion for their work contributed greatly to the overall excellence of the restaurant. The music played throughout the evening was perfectly curated to complement the mood and vibe of the restaurant. It was a blend of classic favorites and melodious tunes that created a lovely background soundtrack to the entire experience. It never overwhelmed the conversation and added just the right amount of liveliness to the ambiance. Lastly, the interior design deserves special mention. The attention to detail is truly commendable. The combination of luxurious materials, tasteful color palettes, and elegant furnishings gave the space a feeling of opulence without being ostentatious. It was tastefully decorated, with carefully selected art pieces and subtle accents that enhanced the overall aesthetic. My experience at this restaurant was exceptional. The food, ambiance, dances, attentive staff, music, and interior were all on point. I left feeling not only satisfied but also in awe of the incredible attention to detail that was evident in every aspect of my evening. I highly recommend this establishment to anyone seeking an unforgettable dining experience. Love...

Venerable old guest house, situated near the Jemaa, so expect noise at night - lots of it. Faded glory probably describes it best. Hitchcock filmed The Man Who Knew Too Much in their restaurant downstairs. The daytime staff were kind and enthusiastic, but could not get the TV working over two days, even though we switched rooms. Our major problem was cigarette smoke which seeped into the room the first night. LIke being in a room with a smoker. The stairwell leading up to us was difficult to breathe in. It seemed to come from an employee room at the base of the stairwell. They moved us up to a slightly higher floor, and it was better but not great air quality. Breakfast was limp, lame, cold - there were no staff to cook when we came down at 810 am; they seemed caught off guard. I asked them to them to heat the cold pancakes; the guy touched them with his hand to confirm I was not mistaken; then brought them later cold again; skipped that. The desk team was nice about getting us a 150 dirham private bus to the airport on leaving. 10dirham tax on leaving was a surprise; but no biggie. (there are money change places nearby). Interesting experience; breakfast in the main square from open-air vendors would be superior to this. The smoke problem was bad - no recompense was offered,...