AFRICA FOOD REVIEW

REVIEW: Buddha Bar Marrakech

Last month on my trip to Morocco I spent a few days immersed in Moroccan culture in Marrakech.

Travel to Morocco feels like you are in another world of colors, smells and tastes, and reminds me so much of the story of Aladdin. As you wander the markets of Marrakech or journey into the Sahara, it feels like you are traveling back through time and it’s something amazing to be seen.

Morocco is extremely budget-friendly so you can splurge out on five star hotels, the most amazing restaurants in Marrakech or go for a spa day.

Marrakech had been on my must-visit list for years and finally last year I visited the beautiful Morocco. I spent two days exploring Marrakech and two days in the Atlas Mountains at the mountain retreat Kasbah Toubkal.

I had looked at visiting last summer but was told the temperatures where high above 38 degrees throughout the summer, so instead I decided to head over to Morocco during May just before the heat sets in.

The country is at its most beautiful in spring (mid-March to May) when the landscape is green and lush, making for spectacular mountain hiking. Morocco is also lovely in Autumn (September to October) when temperatures are very pleasant. 

Check out my guide to visiting Morocco for more information on when to visit Morocco, where to stay in Marrakech and how to explore the souks. The day we arrived in Marrakech we needed some comfort food and good drinks so we headed to Marrakech’s new Buddha Bar Marrakech.

buddha bar marrakech

Buddha Bar Marrakech

The Experience

Buddha Bar is has restaurants in Paris, London, Beirut, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Kiev, so adding Marrakech to its never ending list of locations was bound to happen sooner or later and they love it here. The restaurant has become one of Marrakech’s most popular restaurants, and is always fully booked on an evening. 

Buddha Bar Marrakech sits in the Hivernage area, the modern contemporary and modern area of the city where you can find high street and designed shop, Western-founded restaurants and lots more.

However, bare in mind Buddha Bar is far more than just a bar, as the name says, it is an immersive experience, with staff waiting on you hand and foot, a cocktail menu as long as your arm, actors, dancers, food which I can only imagine was cooked in heaven and music throughout the evening. 

You don’t just pop here for an hour, you stay here for the entire evening!It is an experience, not just a night out as me and Theo found out when we went for dinner and drinks and were surprised many times as dancers went on staged, fell from the ceiling and musicians moved around the room.

From the moment you arrive you are welcomed by the staff, and taken through the terrace outside the front of the bar. You can choose whether you have a drink outside or head inside for dinner straight away, but as were had just landed and needed some food, we opted for dinner as we were super hungry.

The feel of the bar is swanky, with a hint of traditional Moroccan style, including lanterns and even a red carpet on entry. I felt very glam as we entered this magnificent building, in to the gorgeous hall where the restaurant and bar was located.

Once you enter through the main door you are overwhelmed by the size of this place, it is huge! With seating for over 450 people it is enormous, has super high ceilings and the main centerpiece is the enormous Buddha (I think it’s more than 4m high!) sitting in the middle of the lavish room. 

As we sat down we ordered some drinks, I ordered my favourite: a mojito and Theo ordered a beer. As we sat there taking in the room we were sat in you got a feeling of magic wash over you. In some ways it was actually quite overwhelming…. you didn’t know where to look or what to do…..

buddha bar marrakech

Buddha Bar Marrakech

The Food

The menu promised a journey for your taste buds and I was so overwhelmed it took me a good half an hour to decide on food. In the end I opted for Dim Sum to start which arrived smelling divine, and the sauce was a great addition to the flavours. 

My main involved my favourite Thai dish; Thai Green Curry but had a different take on the dish with my spices and a creamier texture. It was delicious with a rich texture and I gobbled it all up within minutes. From the sushi platters to the Asian steak, the food all looks insane – I wanted to try a little bit of everything!

As we were finishing our main meal we were also lucky enough to get a show on the stage near the massive Buddha, the girls dressed in traditional Japanese clothing and performed Japanese dancing for the restaurant. It was a great addition to the night!

After eating all the food so quickly we were overcome with food and eventually felt so full I could of burst. This meant we had to skip pudding as I was just too full-up! Next time I will take it easy and be sure to try some of the incredible puddings on the menu.

This great venue is an ideal location for a meal with friends, date night with the boyfriend or even an experience evening for the family. It was really a memorable experience, and I wish in some ways me and Theo hadn’t been so tired from our day of travelling as we would have loved to make more of this incredible restaurant.

 

*Thank you to Buddha Bar Marrakech or inviting me for dinner whilst I was in Morocco. All opinions are my own, obviously. Dinner was incredible and I would 100% return.

 

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A Guide to visiting Angkor Wat Cambodia

 

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Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.

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Sophie X

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