You could confuse it for just another coastal tourist spot on the back of Jemaa el Fna, the endlessly fascinating UNESCO-listed square in Marrakech, but Chez Chegrouni needs to be taken seriously. Even Michelin-star-winning chef Richard Neat has stood in line and missed the pleasures of the bottle to taste the easiest of traditional Moroccan food, because you can’t book and there’s no beer. Service is as unfrilly as food and decor: on a paper napkin and plates, you compose your request – couscous with chicken and steamed vegetables, harira soup based on lamb, a tagine with lamb and prunes, or maybe only an omelette and salad – come as and when they are sent by the kitchen. Regulars are divided into those who want to ascend to the top floor and feed with a view down to the busy square, or those who prefer to stay on the narrow terrace on the ground floor and brave the barrage of allusions. You’re unlikely to be there for as long as you want, everywhere you go, and this isn’t a place to stay: after you’ve eaten, people in the line can start agitating.
Chez Chegrouni, 46 Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech (00 212 24 6547 615).
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