La Mamounia Hotel Grounds & Restaurant Le Francais

No doubt, La Mamounia is one beautiful hotel. Just a few minutes walk away from the bustling Marrakech medina, it’s a breath of fresh air with its Moorish opulence.

From its beautiful hallways to the garden, from the rooms to the common areas such as the pool and the spa and the lounge area, one can sense this palatial hotel is fit for royals. The boutique boasts a range of knick knacks exclusive to the hotel… plus a bunch of loved names like Christian, Louis and Chanel.

The imagery and artwork is fantastic. There’s a lot of contrasting colours that shout rich Moroccan culture. From the sculptures to the velvety fabrics, tiles and lamps and cedar awnings and walls… it’s an amazing place to get lost in. The Arabic-Andalusian architecture the hotel exhibits is absolutely world-class and a feast for the eyes.

The gardens are my favourite area, in particular, the orchard. Trust me, from day to night, you can smell exotic floral aromatics that’s just an olfactory party.

Dining in La Mamounia is also quite a treat. There are four restaurants to choose from. Le Marocain, which has its own building near the orchard, transports you the the heart of Moroccan hospitality. The feminine L’Italien is set in a magnificent lounge with a 300-year history. Le Pavilion de la Piscine has amazing pool views and provides an awesome setting for the hotel’s luscious Sunday brunch.

But with French being one of my favourite cuisines of all time, there was no way I was not going to opt for the refined and elegant Le Français.

I’m not a huge fan of bread in Morocco, particularly because I find the consistency a bit too dense for my liking. So it was refreshing to have a decent basket of warm, freshly baked, crusty yet pillowy bread. And the olive oil was fab!

After learning about and sampling a lot of Moroccan wine, there was no doubt that tipple of the night was another local rosé. The Volubilla Gris from Domaine de la Zouina was aromatic and crisp, with good acidity.

The amuse bouche was a serving of foie gras paté with a small but most flavoursome piece of cured meat. A small parmesan crisp balanced the flavours surprisingly well.

A starter of white asparagus (420 MAD) was one of the daily specials and I couldn’t pass it up. Beautifully presented in utter simplicity, the stalks were perfect. There’s a gorgeous crunch on the bite, but a softness on the chew that made it so delicate. I adored the flavour which hinted bitterness, sweetness and freshness at the same time.

The herb-infused Hollandaise was pretty good too!

Next up were the seared scallops (340 MAD). Grilled to perfection and topped with beautiful foie gras, the molluscs had a nice smoky taste. The garnish of corn mush heightened the natural sweetness of the seafood but the red porto jelly gave the dish a much needed hint of acidity.

One of my favourite dishes of the year so far was a plate of blue lobster (420 MAD) from Agadir. The meat packed a stunning, fresh flavour that brought me back to sea. Served with slices of pumpkin, bordelaise, jus and gem lettuce, I was initially skeptic of the overall taste… but it worked perfectly. The sweet lobster shone like a star and the garnish really elevated its beautiful taste. Ten out of ten.

A bit more classical was the roasted beef filet (360 MAD), pont-neuf potatoes, green asparagus and sauce au pouvre. This was not an innovative dish, but they cooked the meat beautifully: rare as asked. Possibly one of the best pieces of meat I’ve had in a while.

Dessert came in the form of strawberry parfait. Not too sweet and propped with a mountain of whipped cream, it was hard not to like.

But I couldn’t pass up on something a little up my alley…

Chestnut cream choux, salted caramel and dolce de leche ice cream. I mean… this dessert was absolutely a dream and I didn’t want to wake up.

Choccy to go with coffee and tea afterwards!

Post-dinner, the vibe by the terrace becomes the perfect setting for digestifs. The faint sound of cicadas play a triumphant orchestra whilst guests enjoy a cocktail or two; and the faintly-lit backdrop of palm trees provide a perfect stage for people-watching stories. It’s almost otherworldly, just as the rest of the hotel itself.

They do make a kickass flavoured martinis particularly the apple & espresso ones. I have to mention the black russian as well, which was pretty neat and potent!

In the mornings, it’s a really beautiful place to dine al fresco. They have fantastic fruit juices and smoothies that can totally wake you up, ready for a new day of exploration.

And what about service, you say? Let me tell you, I’ve not seen such great personable service from hotel staff before and since La Mamounia. Definitely top notch Moroccan personality.

Rates

Rooms in La Mamounia range from around £400-600 a night depending on size and views. Frankly, the rooms are not as large as you may expect, but oh they’re pretty. They also have day rates from £50 - 180 if you just fancied to go for spa or sports or access to the pool. Dining at Le Francais will cost you an average price of £120 for a three-course meal plus drinks.

Frankly, I think for a luxury hotel and for the topnotch experience, this is quite a bargain!

Overall, I was really impressed by La Mamounia. It’s quite otherwordly and definitely an experience you can’t miss when you’re in Marrakech.

La Mamounia
Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid, Marrakech, Morocco
www.mamounia.com

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Have you been to La Mamounia? Did you enjoy it as much as I did?

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Honey de Gracia