Café des épices review: our verdict
A straw hat borrowed to shield against the sun on the terrace sums up Café des Épices, a spot designed with the comfort of those arriving from the narrow alleys in mind. From above, the view sweeps past the souks to the mountains, snow-capped in winter on clear days. The menu stays true to a well-run midday canteen: sandwiches, market salads, hummus, tagines, served with traditional bread.
You can sit here in pairs during a full-day tour, in a group of ten without the room feeling crowded, or early in the morning for a traditional Moroccan breakfast in a Moroccan salon, suitcase still in hand. The team, smiling, readily adapts dishes to tastes and dietary restrictions, and an Eastern-style Virgin Piña Colada with vanilla refreshes the afternoon. However, it's a bad plan for a quick lunch: the service takes its time, and you may need to wait a bit before getting a table.
The dish to order: a tagine, the one with chicken and preserved lemon at the top of the list. The best time slot: lunch, when there's almost always room, even if you have to wait a little. The best tip: the terrace rather than the dining room, for the view.
