Naama

Naama occupies a converted medina house in Bab Doukkala, a few steps from one of the neighbourhood's most established riads. The building is the work of Italian architects who partnered with Marrakchi artisans to produce something genuinely spare and considered: nine-metre ceilings in the main dining room, bejmat and zellij laid with precision, bespoke furniture in muted sand tones, and contemporary light fixtures that use the vertical space to full effect. The result is minimalist without ever feeling cold, a room where the craftsmanship does the talking. Beyond the indoor restaurant, a patio with a pool offers a cooler, more private register, and the rooftop opens onto one of the medina's higher vantage points, with an unbroken line to the Koutoubia minaret and the Atlas behind it. Tafarnout bread is baked in a traditional oven up there, arriving warm at the table. The kitchen runs on a Josper charcoal grill and a menu that sits between Moroccan tradition and the wider Mediterranean. Grilled octopus with Muhammara sauce, aged beef ribs, and aubergine with stracciatella and lemon tahini carry the smoky register, while fresh cavatelli, pulled lamb with coleslaw, and a reimagined chicken tagine with Jerusalem artichoke show the range. The aperitivo course leans Italian, with crab arancini and fried olives setting the tone. Naama works as a place to linger through the whole arc of a day: morning coffee by the pool, an unhurried lunch, and dinner under the open sky when the rooftop cools down.