Making You Jealous in Meknès, Morocco

So, we are now in Meknès, about 3.5 hours by train from Casablanca and ever so much more likeable.

This is the Meknès medina where we are staying.

Why yes, it is a funky cold medina. Thank you for asking.

And after we arrived yesterday noonish, with the sun blazing down with peculiar ferocity, we retreated into the cool, sheltered laneways of Meknès to find lunch.

We ended up here. It’s the size of your living room and seats about 12. We were the only guests. It was around 2pm, so if there ever was a lunch rush it was over by then. Our solitary status also meant that they had to run out and buy ingredients for everything we had ordered, from the veggies to the viande hachée, which they may have had to hache by hand, now that I think about it.

Everything came very slowly but perfectly formed.

I’m really into low key, casual dining.

And here I am, waiting for Godot and kefte.

Waiting for the elusive kefte.

First came the salads, drizzled with lemon.

Aside from Burma, this was one of the loveliest tomato salads I’ve ever had.

They carved the cukes!

Am thinking maybe the fellow in the medina who carves the tiles for the mosaics made my cucumber salad.

And eventually the soup.

Harira soup on pretty tiles

And then when it was nearly dinner time, the kefte emerged. They were stunning. You could see the perfectly chopped fresh herbs in them.

We waited 90 minutes for this kefte. I think they had to go slaughter a lamb first. And grow the herbs.

Oh, and our riad serves breakfast. It’s a really pretty breakfast. With strong coffee in pretty cups.

Breakfast jams and preserves, prettier than breakfast condiments ought to be.

Pancakes and fresh orange juice!

And then today, we found ourselves a rooftop terrace all to ourselves and ordered the prix fixe, which was basically an excuse to sit and eat and look out over the city all afternoon. Here are some highlights.

Note: I tried to order the camel kefte but they were all out. Pity.

Spicy olives! And Fes beer!

Garlicky eggplant and hot, fresh bread!

In case you wondered what the word for Coca Cola was in Arabic.