Group dinner in Ouarzazate: how to organise it well

Twelve people, one minibus, a driver who needs to sleep, and a kitchen that cooks everything to order. A group dinner in Ouarzazate is mostly a question of logistics. Get the logistics right and the evening looks after itself.

This guide is for tour leaders, travel agents, families on a reunion trip and groups of friends. We write it from our own restaurant, so some details are ours; the method works for any good table in the region.

Book earlier than you think

Restaurants around Ouarzazate that cook to order plan their shopping and preparation around the bookings. For a table of two, a day's notice is usually enough. For a group, it is not.

At La Table du Berbère we ask groups of more than eight to book at least a week ahead. In high season, April to October, and at weekends, earlier is better. Write to contact@latableduberbere.com with:

• the date and the time you expect to arrive,
• the number of guests, adults and children,
• the occasion, if there is one,
• any dietary needs you already know about.

Collect everyone's choices in advance

This is the single most useful thing a group organiser can do. Our menu works the same way for everyone: each guest picks one starter, one main and one dessert from the carte, with mint tea and mineral water included. Preparation takes about an hour and a half once the order is placed.

With fifteen people deciding at the table, that hour and a half starts late and the evening drags. With a list sent in advance, the kitchen starts on time and the first dishes arrive soon after the group sits down.

A simple format that works:

• one line per guest, with a name,
• starter, main with its variation (lemon chicken tagine, vegetarian couscous, fish pastilla, and so on) and dessert,
• any allergy, or "no meat", next to the name.

Send it by email or by WhatsApp to +212 6 61 70 38 86. Collected on the bus in the morning, it takes ten minutes.

Long tables, a private room, or the whole place

Groups usually sit at the long tables of the stone dining room, the kind of table built for families and parties. For a private evening, the room or the whole restaurant can be reserved: company dinners, end of tour dinners, weddings and engagements, hen and stag parties. Ask when you write; the answer depends on the date.

On mild nights some groups prefer the patio. In winter the dining room is the better choice, because evenings around Ouarzazate turn cold quickly once the sun goes down.

Deposit and payment

For groups, private events and certain dates, a deposit may be requested to confirm the booking. The bill can be settled in cash (dirhams, euros or US dollars), by Visa or Mastercard, or by bank transfer for groups, which is often simpler for agencies. Cheques are not accepted. Changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours before.

Coaches, minibuses and drivers

We are at Riad Chay, in the village of Tifoultoute, about ten minutes from the centre of Ouarzazate on the kasbah road, with parking on site. Valet parking can be arranged on request for groups and special occasions; tell us the size of the vehicle when you book.

Two timing points worth knowing:

• Coming back from Aït Ben Haddou, allow about 35 minutes to reach us. Send a message as you leave the ksar so the kitchen can time the starters.
• If the group leaves early for the desert the next morning, book the 6 pm start. The evening stays relaxed and everyone is in bed early. Our note on eating in Ouarzazate before the desert covers the rest.

Mixed groups, mixed diets

In a group of twenty there is always a vegetarian, someone who avoids gluten and someone wary of spices. Every course on our carte has a vegetarian option, and Moroccan cooking is aromatic rather than hot. Put each restriction next to the guest's name and the chef will adapt. Our vegetarian guide to Ouarzazate explains what to ask about broths and stocks.

If the group is celebrating, a birthday, an anniversary, a retirement, our page on birthday dinners in Ouarzazate explains what to mention.

In short

Book a week ahead, send a list of menus, say what the evening is for, and give the kitchen your arrival time on the way. That is most of the work. For a broader view of how dinner works in the region, see our Ouarzazate food guide, or go straight to the booking page.