Tag: african

If you get sick of Marrakech souvenir stall sellers hounding you about entering their shop to check out their buckets of spices, genuine Moroccan argan oil, handmade leather goods, or gimmicky knick-knacks that will end up gathering dust on your shelves at home, you can always walk twenty minutes up the road from the main square in the Medina to what is known as “New Marrakech”.

Here you might still be followed by guys on the street trying to sell you a watch or belt, or insisting that they shine your shoes for a fee (guys, I’m wearing sneakers. Shoeshine is entirely unnecessary.). But you can also make the most of air-conditioned shopping malls and centres where shop assistants won’t follow you around the store insisting that you try everything on. It’s honestly a bit of a relief to not be hounded and to just have some room to breathe as a tourist.

There’s plenty of cafes in the area where you can grab a casual bite to eat of mainly quite Westernised food. There’s pizzas and sandwiches galore. If you want something a little more local but still accessible, Cafe Mama Afrika is a great choice.

While it’s always well-patronised by young holidaymakers taking advantage of the cheap drinks on the menu, it’s also popular with locals with a few younger and more modern Moroccan couples dining there.

I made the most of their non-alcoholic drinks – there’s plenty of fresh juices on the menu, but I chose the Coconut Kiss cocktail of pineapple, banana and coconut milk. Like a tropical party in your mouth, only tastier.

We got the traditional Moroccan khobz bread of course, that’s a given.

This was a nice surprise though – a little appetiser of marinated olives to start. I liked the green olives which had a little extra chilli spice stuffed into them, but found the black olives a bit too sour for my liking.

I chose their healthy vegetarian menu option of the Mama Detox, which actually turned out to be a surprisingly Asian-African fusion kind of dish. The peppers, onion and pineapple was fried in a sauce not dissimilar to a Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, and served on a bed of white rice. With some slices of fried eggplant and a healthy sprinkle of cheese on top, it was a deliciously tempting dish – I could have eaten much more! This is of course, not to mention its entirely adorable presentation as a mini-map of Africa!

K chose their fish dish – the Reggae Fish of plump juicy fish fillets wrapped in deep-fried Vietnamese rice paper. Served on top of a bed of lettuce leaves and a little scoop of corn and cucumber salsa, the fish was enhanced by the drizzle of sweet teriyaki-esque sauce on top. Yet another nod to Asian-African fusion that works extremely well!

This little stray cat takes up its residence in Cafe Mama Afrika, winding his way through peoples legs under tables and standing up to place his front paws on your lap in a reminder of ‘hey I’m here, feed me!’. I gave him some pieces of fish fillet which he gobbled up hungrily!

Cafe Mama Afrika is a reasonably-priced cafe bordering old and new Marrakech, offering local cuisine with an international twist. It’s nothing fancy but it is hearty and filling, and the whole cafe is very relaxed so it’s very possible to just grab a seat and while away the afternoon with a few drinks. Take a break from the hustle (and bustle) of old Marrakech, and chill out at Cafe Mama Afrika.

Cafe Mama Afrika is located on Rue Oum Errabii Gueliz in Marrakech, Morocco.

Walking through Marrakesh in search for a meal can be particularly difficult as a traveller who stands out as being quite physically different. Getting accosted by restaurant managers on all sides who try to convince you to enter their restaurant for yet another overly expensive and under-flavoured chicken tajine or cous cous is one of the downsides of being a tourist in Marrakech.

There are however, nice restaurants and cafes that employ less heavy-handed techniques to attract diners – clever branding, location, atmosphere, and innovative menus for example. Nomad is one of these cafes, a very cool hipster cafe with a fantastic rooftop terrace overlooking the markets, waiters who spoke impeccable English, French, Arabic and Berber, and a menu offering modern interpretations of traditional cuisine – and more than just tajines as well! The stair to the terrace are a little bit hidden as Nomad doesn’t have any space on the ground floor, so make sure to look them up on Google Maps before heading out!

We were lucky enough to have a private table on the terrace, separate from all the diners. It’s a cosy little table for two under an awning in one of the few nooks, facing out to the markets and Marrakech Medina rooftops for a great view. If you want to enjoy a quiet relaxing meal without other tourists right next to you, this is the table.

Enjoying some unseasonably warm weather in Marrakech, we started by sharing a summery mixed fresh fruit juice. Strawberries are very much in season in Marrakech in February, so this was a blend of strawberry, orange and apple – lovely, refreshing and quite sweet.

You get the Moroccan khobz bread served with every meal. Nomad’s khobz was particularly tasty with a light semolina dusting outside and a nice hard and chewy crust.

This Shaved Cauliflower and Fennel Salad may be the dish that finally makes me fall in love with cauliflower as a vegetable. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve always eaten cauliflower, whether in stir fries or bakes. I’ve even used it as a rice substitute in fried cauliflower rice. However, this is the dish that’s made me fall in love with raw crunchy cauliflower in a salad – lightly dressed with a herb dressing and flavoured with spicy rocket and sweet strawberries, it’s a deceptively simple but delicious salad. This is definitely one to try making at home!

We share the Courgette and Feta Fritters as well – quite soft and not quite as crispy on the outside as I would like. However the mint yoghurt sauce definitely manages to lift the whole dish – it’s refreshing and adds an extra zing to the fritters. It’s simply so delicious that I end up dipping my khobz bread into it afterwards to make the most of the dip!

We ordered one main to share – the Chicken Tajine. I know I spoke disparagingly about tajines earlier in this entry, but this is the dish that proves to be the exception. While it’s a tajine dish, it’s not actually served in a tajine. Instead, the chicken is plated up with a delicious little cup of buttery herbed cous cous, as well as an incredibly hot harissa and a fragrant chermoula on the side. The chicken itself is fall-apart amazing, with a tenderness that was unmatched by any of the other many chicken tajines we had during our stay in Marrakech – and the sauce was unparalleled as well. I’d go as far as to say that this is one of the best chicken tajines in the whole city!

Nomad advertise their artisan ice-creams, so we order some scoops to try for dessert – an Amlou ice-cream and a Smooth Spiced Chocolate Sorbet. The Amlou ice-cream is quite nutty, a great blend of both almond and argan nut sweetened subtly by some local honey. The spiced chocolate sorbet is the clear winner though, with an initial rich dark chocolate flavour that’s slowly taken over by a long-lasting subtle chilli burn.

Just for good measure, we order one more dessert – a Flourless Orange Cake. The cake is very almondy – the almond flour used in place of wheat flour is very evident here. This isn’t a downside though, as it ends up working very well with the whipped cream on the side as a lovely moist orange cake.

Nomad is the type of classy cafe where you can be assured of a modern Moroccan meal, free of hassling waiters and sub-par tajines. Instead, you’re guaranteed a lovely relaxing meal in a great location – and if you don’t want to have a meal, you can just sit back and relax with some drinks as well! They’re very relaxed in that way. They are a little pricier than your average street-side Moroccan restaurant, but it’s worth the extra expense for a better experience. Nomad is a must-visit when you’re in Marrakech!

Nomad is located at 1 Derb Aarjan in Marrakech Medina, Morocco.