Travellers to Marrakech in the era of mass tourism, or at least those fortunate enough to have an invitation to the pasha’s palace, often talked in hushed tones regarding the sumptuous banquets. The pasha has vanished, but the banquets remain, now served in ‘palace restaurants,’ of which there are many, including Stylia, Dar Marjana and Yacout. Le Tobsil, the old medina palace whose rooms and tables – white clothes, rose petals, large brass candelabra – couldn’t be more romantic, is the most trustworthy and one of the most impressive. As far as food is concerned, chef Fatima Mountassamim prepares like an angel, so it’s better to be prepared for indulgence. The fixed menu consists of a tableau of salads, replaced by a tableau of pastries (pigeon, fish or vegetable), another of golden roast lamb tagines, and another of fruit and pastries. It’s more than anybody, of course, should or could have consumed, but that’s the idea. To be spoiled, you come to Le Tobsil.
Le Tobsil, 22 Derb Abdellah ben Hessaien, Bab Ksour, Marrakech (00 212 2444 4052)
