Romantic dinner in Ouarzazate: an evening for two

Most couples who come through Ouarzazate are halfway through something: a road trip from Marrakech to the dunes, a honeymoon loop through the south, a long weekend stolen from work. The evening is often the only unhurried moment of the day. That makes it the one worth getting right.

A romantic dinner in this region is rarely about chandeliers. It is about light, quiet, and a kitchen that is not rushing you. Here is how we would plan one.

Start before dinner

The hour before you sit down matters as much as the meal. In the late afternoon the earthen walls of the kasbahs turn orange, then red, and the air cools quickly. Watch it from somewhere high: the ramparts of Kasbah Taourirt in town, the shore of Lake El Mansour Eddahbi, or a rooftop in Tifoultoute facing the old kasbah. Our guide to rooftop dining covers the seasons and what to bring for cool evenings.

Then go to dinner without crossing town in the dark if you can avoid it. A good table ten minutes away beats a famous one forty minutes away.

Choose the table, not just the restaurant

When you book, say where you would like to sit. The difference between a table in the middle of a room and one by a window is the difference between a meal and an evening.

At La Table du Berbère, couples can ask for one of three places:

• By the window in the stone dining room, among the lanterns, with the wrought iron and the trees outside. The warmest choice in winter.
• On the patio, under the parasols by day and the stars after dark, with candles on the table.
• On the roof, when the night is clear and the heat of the day has gone. Ask about it when you book; it depends on the weather.

We write this journal, so read our own suggestions with that in mind. The principle applies anywhere, though: a good restaurant will tell you honestly which table is quietest that evening.

Say what the occasion is

Many couples keep quiet about a honeymoon or an anniversary, out of shyness. Say it. It takes one line and changes the attention you receive.

Write it in the notes field of the booking form, or send a WhatsApp message to +212 6 61 70 38 86. Candles are on every table once the sun is down, and roses can be arranged if you ask ahead. If you have something else in mind, a particular table or a small surprise, ask what is possible rather than assuming.

If you are celebrating a birthday or an anniversary with friends or family around you, our article on birthday and celebration dinners goes into the practical side.

Order ahead, then forget the clock

Nothing spoils an evening for two like forty minutes of waiting while the conversation runs dry. In kitchens that cook to order, a tagine needs time. Our menu takes about an hour and a half to prepare once ordered, which is why we suggest choosing your dishes when you book.

Each of you composes a menu: one starter, one main, one dessert, with mint tea and water included. For two, it works well to choose differently and share a little:

• A mosaic of Moroccan salads to start, served to share, or crisp briouates.
• One Berber tagine, perhaps the lemon chicken, and one pastilla, sweet and savoury, dusted with cinnamon.
• Orange with cinnamon to finish light after a long dinner, or Moroccan pastries with the tea.

The full carte is online. When everything is chosen in advance, you arrive, sit down, and the evening runs at your pace.

Stay for the tea

In southern Morocco the meal is not over when the plates go. Tea comes in a silver pot, poured from a height so it foams, and nobody brings the bill until you ask for it. If the night is clear, go up to the roof afterwards: away from the lights of town, the sky over Tifoultoute is full of stars on most moonless nights. The ritual itself is described in our piece on mint tea in southern Morocco.

A few practical points

When to book. In high season, April to October, and at weekends, book 24 to 48 hours ahead. A particular table is easier to keep when we know early.

What time to arrive. Dinner is served from 6 pm to 10 pm. In spring and autumn, arriving around sunset gives you the best of both: the light, then the candles.

Getting there. We are at Riad Chay in Tifoultoute, about ten minutes from the centre by car or taxi, with parking on site. The contact page has the map.

Still deciding where to eat on your first night? Our Ouarzazate food guide explains how dinner works in town and in the villages around it.