Hôtel MarocHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 53 00 75; 7 Rue Rouamzine; per person Dh100, roof terrace Dh50)
A perennially popular shoestring option, the Maroc has the edge on location as it's just a five-minute walk from the medina, Bab el-Mansour and Pl el-Hedim. Friendly and quiet, rooms (with sinks) are simple, and the shared bathrooms are clean. For a 50% discount you can sleep on a mattress on the roof terrace, surrounded by pot plants and washing.
oRyad BahiaGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 81 52 37, 0535 55 45 41; www.ryad-bahia.com; Tiberbarine; s/d incl breakfast from Dh400/650; aW)
This charming riad, a converted family home, is just a stone’s throw from Pl el-Hedim. The main entrance opens onto a cavernous courtyard, which also hosts a great restaurant. Rooms are pretty and carefully restored, and the owners (keen travellers themselves) are eager to swap travel stories as well as guide guests in the medina; Bouchra is a licensed (female!) guide.
The riad also now opens its doors to nonguests for drinks and pastries each afternoon, so even if you don't stay, know that you are welcome to drop by.
Riad d’OrGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0641 07 86 25; www.riaddor.com; 17 Derb el-Anboub; r/ste €50/80; aWs)
This labyrinthine riad is spread over two townhouses, with rooms tumbling around unexpected courtyards and staircases. The mix of traditional and modern-styled rooms caters to all tastes. Many can sleep four or more people and have sitting areas, and provide outstanding value for money. The biggest surprise is hidden on one of the roof terraces: a larger-than-average swimming pool.
Riad LahboulGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0675 71 69 17, 0535 55 98 78; www.riadlahboul.com; 6 Derb Ain Sefli, Rouamzine; s €40, d €60-70, f from €85, all incl breakfast; aW)
A musically minded Moroccan-English couple run this cosy riad, which has six rooms including a larger family room and a couple of others that can be combined to create petite two-bed apartments. Its table d'hôte (set menu Dh200) is a good option as the food gets rave reviews and local wine is served (nonguests welcome; book a day ahead).
If you're lucky, dinner might be accompanied by a performance from the owners. The leafy roof terrace is lovely – you almost feel part of the peaceful Lahboul Gardens, across the road.
Riad El MaGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 51 48 24; www.riad-el-ma.com; 4 Derb Sidi Besri; standard/red r Dh600/700, ste Dh900, all incl breakfast; aWs)
This pretty, traditional riad has a well-restored courtyard patio and a multilevel roof terrace with plunge pool and bird's-eye view of the Medersa Bou Inania. The spacious rooms are named after colours; note the standard rooms are better value than the larger ones as the size difference is minimal. El Ma is French-owned but run by two welcoming local ladies.
The managers offer an in-house dinner menu for Dh150.
Riad YacoutBOUTIQUE HOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 53 31 10; www.riad-yacout-meknes.com; 22 Pl Lalla Aoud; d incl breakfast Dh500-650, ste Dh750-850; aWs)
If you're after a combination of traditional touches and modern flair, you'll love Riad Yacout. Rooms are kitted out with hairdryers, flat-screen TVs and safety deposit boxes, bathrooms are a bit more shiny than those in most riads, and the staff work hard on service. There's a dip pool on the roof, where tables are set out for dinner and lunch.
The hotel is conveniently situated for parking and taxi drop-offs, as it's wedged into the walls of the Imperial City, right on Pl Lalla Aoud.
Riad MeknèsBOUTIQUE HOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 53 05 42; www.riadmeknes.com; 79 Ksar Chaacha, Dar el-Kabir; s €35-40, d €45-50, all incl breakfast; aWs)
This large, airy riad is located amid the ruins of the Palais Ksar Chaacha, in a quiet area near Pl Lalla Aouda where few tourists venture. Rooms are tastefully decorated in a traditional-meets-modern style. It is noted for its restaurant (open to the public) and there's a chic plunge pool right in the colonnaded ruins. Signage is bad; arrange an escort.
Riad FelloussiaGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0676 98 77 17, 0535 53 08 40; www.riadfelloussia.com; 23 Derb Hammam Jdid; d €70-100; aW)
A well-located riad, easily accessible from Rue Dar Smen, Felloussia wins points for its roof terrace view over Pl el-Hedim, where hours could be spent just watching the nightly circus. There's a small, lush inner courtyard inhabited by tortoises, and traditional furnishings throughout. This riad can be booked online for half the advertised price, making it an excellent deal.
The largest ground-floor room has a mezzanine sleeping level that's like Marmite: guests either love it or hate it.
Ville Nouvelle
Its proximity to the CTM bus station and train stations can make the ville nouvelle a convenient place to bed down if you're arriving in town late at night – but bear in mind you'll spend your time travelling back and forth to the medina each day, as that's where all Meknès' attractions are.
Hôtel MajesticHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 52 20 35; 19 Ave Mohammed V; s/d incl breakfast Dh288/376; n)
Open for business since 1937, the Majestic is one of the best deco buildings in Meknès. Rooms are comfortable, if a little small, and soundproofing isn't great, but there’s plenty of character to compensate. A quiet courtyard, a roof terrace and friendly management, plus Majestic's location near the train station, make this a decent option.
Hôtel PalaceHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 40 04 68; 11 Rue Ghana; s/d Dh180/230; pW)
The dour look of this hotel from the outside is matched by the dour staff inside, but the Palace is actually surprisingly good value: large airy rooms have attached bathrooms and many come with a teeny balcony. The trade-off for the price is ancient furnishings, and no restaurant, bar or breakfast.
Hôtel de NiceHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 52 03 18; [email protected]; cnr Rue Accra & Rue Antsirabé; s/d from Dh427/534; a)
Friendly management helps elevate this hotel, but on the downside it still suffers from the same affliction as many other ville nouvelle options: the smell of lingering cigarette smoke. All rooms have a TV, a safety box and a hairdryer, and some have a balcony; decor is a little dated. The hotel has a pleasant bar in which nonguests are welcome.
Hôtel AkouasHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 51 59 67; www.hotelakouas.com; 27 Rue Amir Abdelkader; s/d Dh360/446; as)
This friendly, family-run hotel has a little more local colour than its rivals. Rooms, while not huge, are modern, serviceable and very fairly priced. The place also has a restaurant and nightclub (midnight til 3am), both serving alcohol. Breakfast costs an extra Dh40.
Hôtel Bab MansourHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 52 52 39; [email protected]; 38 Rue Emir Abdelkader; s/d incl breakfast Dh399/525; aW)
It’s a fine line between tasteful and characterless and, while comfortable enough, the Bab Mansour lacks personality. Rooms are a little old-fashioned and the hotel suffers from an all-pervasive smell of cigarette smoke. That said, it’s well run, with everything you’d expect in a tourist-class hotel; there's a bar, a restaurant and a nightclub (midnight to 3am) on-site, all serving alcohol. Wi-fi in reception only.
Hôtel RifHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 52 25 91; [email protected]; Rue Accra; s/d Dh618/736; aWs)
The four-star Rif is a bit of a chocolate-concrete monstrosity from the outside, but inside it's got some charm, particularly in the traditional Moroccan salon oozing with pretty zellij tiling. The courtyard pool is good for dipping toes in, but as it’s overlooked by the bar (nonguests welcome), female bathers will feel exposed. Breakfast costs Dh50 extra.
Le Jardin de Ryad BahiaGUESTHOUSE€€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 55 45 41; www.lesjardinsderyadbahia.com; Rte Agourai; r incl breakfast Dh700-1200; aWs)
The owners of Ryad Bah
ia also run this airy, suburban house on the outskirts of Meknès. The lovely garden has a large pool, and there's a hammam (Dh350) and sauna that uses natural Moroccan beauty products. The modern house has nine bedrooms with balconies, and relaxing, traditionally styled living spaces. Cooking classes are a speciality (Dh400 per person).
Hôtel MaltaHOTEL€€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 51 50 20; www.hotel-malta.ma; 3 Rue Charif Idrissi; s/d from Dh620/840; aW)
The Malta sets its aim a little higher than most other ville nouvelle hotels, which is reflected in the price. The spacious rooms are comfy and have satellite TV, though they may never win any design awards. A highlight has to be the entertaining bar with disco lighting, trussed up like a Moroccan palace with palm-tree columns. Breakfast is Dh50 extra.
Meknès Ville Nouvelle
4Sleeping
1Hôtel AkouasD3
2Hôtel Bab MansourD3
3Hôtel de NiceA2
4Hôtel MajesticC2
5Hôtel MaltaA1
6Hôtel PalaceA2
7Hôtel RifA2
5Eating
8Central MarketA1
9Marhaba RestaurantC2
10Palais Hassani du PouletA2
11Restaurant GambrinusA1
6Drinking & Nightlife
12Café OperaB1
13Café TulipeC1
5Eating
There's not much variety in the Meknès restaurant scene – expect to find tajines, pastillas and couscous, and then more tajines, pastillas and couscous. Most of the best medina restaurants are to be found in riads, many of which open their doors to nonguests if you book ahead.
Medina
Restaurant OumniaMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0694 22 64 37; 8 Ain Fouki Rouamzine; set menu Dh95; hnoon-11pm)
Thank goodness for this low-key restaurant, which is one of the only places in Meknès to eschew the standard Moroccan menu in favour of more unusual dishes, and will serve them alongside local beer or Meknès wine should you be hankering for it. The beef is particularly good, such as kamama (beef with tomatoes and honey) and kababe mardoure (beef kebab with egg).
Sandwich StandsFAST FOOD€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Pl el-Hedim; sandwiches around Dh30; h7am-11pm)
Take your pick of any one of the stands lining Pl el-Hedim (look for the ones grilling to order), and sit at the canopied tables to watch the scene as you eat. There are larger meals such as tajines, but sandwiches are the speciality. The friendly banter from the staff trying to pull you in to eat will keep you entertained, too.
Restaurant Riad MeknèsMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 53 05 42; 79 Ksar Chaacha; 3-course set menu Dh100-110; hnoon-3pm & 7-10pm; W)
While all the riads in the Meknès medina have lovely restaurants, this is a great option for nonguests because its lush green courtyard with cacti garden and towering ruined walls is just so atmospheric. The menu of salads, tajines and couscous is simple, but it’s all delicious and served with care and attention. No alcohol.
Ryad BahiaMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 55 45 41; www.ryad-bahia.com; Tiberbarine; mains from Dh90, set menus Dh160-190; hnoon-3pm & 7-10pm; W)
Nonresidents are welcome to eat at the restaurant of this riad (book well in advance), and it makes a pleasant evening dining spot with its candlelit tables around the courtyard. The menu is typically Moroccan, but everything is tasty and served and presented nicely.
Restaurant YahalaMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0649 98 88 16; [email protected]; 10 Rue Sidi Amar Bouaouda; mains Dh60-95; W)
There's a nice atmosphere at this petite restaurant, where chatter wafts down from the family kitchen in which the mother is cooking up a storm while her son bustles about eager to please diners downstairs. Everything in the white stuccoed dining salon is bright, clean and modern, though lacking in natural light, and the Moroccan dishes are cooked fresh to order.
Restaurant Mille et Une NuitsMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 55 90 02; off Pl el-Hedim; mains Dh75-95; hnoon-10pm)
Easily located off Pl el-Hedim, this friendly family restaurant feels like somebody's home that has received a glamorous makeover as a Moroccan palace – which is exactly what it is. It's a bit dark inside and ever so slightly shabby, but the traditional salon seating makes for a comfy lunch spot and the Moroccan fare on offer is very tasty.
MEKNèS MARKETS
Covered MarketMARKET
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Pl el-Hedim; h8.30am-10pm)
This is the place in Meknès to get fresh produce, and is virtually a tourist attraction in itself, with its beautifully arranged pyramids of sugary sweet delicacies, dates and nuts, olives and preserved lemons in glistening piles. There’s good-quality fruit and veg here, as well as meat – the faint-hearted may choose to avoid the automated chicken-plucking machines at the rear of the hall.
Central MarketMARKET
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; h7.30am-2.30pm)
A good place to shop in the ville nouvelle, with a variety of fresh-food stalls and some imported foodstuffs.
Ville Nouvelle
Marhaba RestaurantMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 23 Ave Mohammed V; mains from Dh25; hnoon-10pm; W)
This retro canteen-style place – the essence of cheap and cheerful – is hugely popular. At lunchtime, go for the freshly grilled meats. Later in the day do as everyone else does and fill up on a bowl of harira and a plate of maâkouda (potato fritters) with bread and hard-boiled eggs (served from 4pm) – and get change from Dh15.
Restaurant GambrinusMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 52 02 58; Zankat Omar ibn Ass; mains Dh50-70, set menu Dh77; hnoon-6pm & 7-10pm)
A good place for Moroccan food in a diner that doesn't look like it's changed much since the first Gambrinus rocked into town from Czechoslovakia in 1914 – the owner's immigrant past is something of a surprise considering the cuisine on offer. It’s perennially popular with locals, who come for tajines such as rabbit and kefta (grilled minced beef or lamb with herbs and garlic), grilled lamb and steaks.
Palais Hassani du PouletFAST FOOD€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4 Rue Tetouan; mains from Dh28; hnoon-1am)
Although tajines and couscous also feature on the menu, there's just one dish being served up at this popular fast-food joint: steaming piles of rotisserie chicken, chips, bread and salad. Choose between a streetside table on the covered terrace or a cool spot in the air-conditioned salon at the back. Order from the table, but pay at the counter by the door.
6Drinking & Nightlife
It’s a popular adage that Meknès has more bars than any other Moroccan city. However, it's still difficult to find a place to drink alcohol in the medina, where there are no bars. Restaurant Oumnia serves beers and local wines with meals.
Many ville nouvelle hotels have bars and a few even offer nightclubs (generally midnight to 3am).
Cafe Restaurant Place LehdimeCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Pl el-Hedim & Sidi Amar Bouaouda; h10am-10.30pm)
Come dusk, this succession of roof terraces with front-row seats onto Pl el-Hedim is the place for young, trendy Meknès locals to come for a sundowner coffee. Courting couples vie with groups of friends for the best tables (at the very top) from which to watch the sun brush the Imperial City walls and Bab el-Mansour with gold. Service is slow at peak times.
Café TulipeCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rue de Tarfaya; h5.30am-11pm; W)
The Tulipe is a much more modern affair than most Moroccan cafes, with a large shady terrace and very decent coffee. It’s one of the most pleasant spots in which to kill an hour or two, and the patisserie on offer (sweet and savoury) is delicious. Pick from the sweets counter and then order drinks and pay at the till.
Café OperaCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 7 Ave Mohammed V; h6.30am-11pm)
Airy and old-fashioned, this grand cafe is a classic,
and among the most popular for Moroccan men to sip their mint tea. Sitting outside and people-watching is a great breakfast pastime. There's also a patisserie inside.
Pavillon des IdrissidesCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 147 Dar Smen Lahdim; mains from Dh55; h9am-11pm; W)
This rooftop cafe-restaurant has a coveted view overlooking Bab el-Mansour but it's not much of a dining spot: come for a quick coffee or fresh juice at sunset, like the locals do.
3Entertainment
Institut FrançaisPERFORMING ARTS
( GOOGLE MAP ; %05 35 51 65 00; [email protected]; Rue Ferhat Hachad; h9am-12.15pm & 2-6pm Mon-Sat)
The centre of Meknès’ cultural life, with films, plays, concerts and exhibitions. There's also a garden cafe.
7Shopping
While the souqs of Meknès aren’t as extensive as those of Fez or Marrakesh, the lack of hassle can make them a relaxed place to potter around looking for souvenirs. A particular speciality of Meknès is silver damascene, where metalwork is intricately inlaid with silver wire. There's a handful of good-value carpet shops opposite the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 63