Since its start 1923 the legendary La Mamounia has been the retreat for aware celebrities like Yves Saint Laurent, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger among many others. After three years of extensive renovation led by the acclaimed interior designer Jacques Garcia the doors were opened again in the autumn of 2009.

Four new restaurants were made as well; Le Pavillon de la Piscine, Le Marocain, L’Italien (consulted by the Italian top chef Alfonso Iaccarino) and Le Français (consulted by the French top chef Jean-Pierre Vigato). All four restaurants are managed by the Executive Chef who does an excellent job in making all restaurants deliver top quality day after day. La Mamounia is a big hotel with 120 chefs working for the whole hotel and 18 chefs led by the young and ambitious Chef de Cuisine Charles Bertrand working for the hotel’s French signature restaurant Le Français.

La Mamounia is the best hotel in Marrakech, but it is overpriced and unfortunately Le Français is a bit overpriced as well and way more expensive than most other restaurants in Morocco. You will probably spend at least 200 Euros per person when you dine at Le Français. The food served is good and sometimes much better than good and the service on top level, but it is still difficult and does not make sense how Le Français can be more expensive than most top restaurants in London to mention one example.

Head Sommelier Manuel Schott does an excellent job in pairing the Moroccan wines with the French cuisine so let him choose what to drink if you like to try out the local wines. The menu is crafted well indeed by Jean-Pierre Vigato and executed most times close to perfection by Chef de Cuisine Charles Bertrand and his team.

We can recommend you to start off with some cherry tomato tart with anchovies and feta cheese and after that proceed with fork crushed potato with caviar, chives and sour cream, which is delicious. If you like to have some fish we can recommend the Atlantic turbot with zucchini squash and flower, tomato confit and lemon butter and if you like to have meat you should order the milk fed veal chop that comes with potato gnocchi and sauce “Bourguignonne”. There are many other delicacies to choose as well and as always it depends on season what is served.

Since its reopening La Mamounia has established itself as the hotel to stay at during your visit to Marrakech and that is deserved, but it is a bit overpriced so consider alternatives before you go all in at Le Français. Winston Churchill said about the hotel that it is: ” The most lovely spot in the whole world”. La Mamounia and Le Français is not the loveliest spot in the whole world, but it is still great!

Written by Andy