Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant

by Cara L.

When I go out to eat, I like to have a positive dining experience. Unfortunately, the rude wait-service at Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant outweighed many of the positive things about the place and made it a poor dining experience. Frankly, I was embarrased to have invited a few of my closest friends to join me here to celebrate my birthday on Saturday. Thankfully the food was good and the bellydancer did a wonderful job given that she danced non-stop between the two dining areas for 20-30 minutes. Trust me when I say that is not an easy task!If you plan to eat at Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant, please note:1. You can all order the royal feast or you can all order dishes from the menu a la cart. They do not allow you to order both ways. This was surprising to me since I did not see this rule clearly written on their menu or website. 2. With the royal feast, each person does not get to choose an individual main course. Instead, a variety of entrees are brought to share.2. We were among the very first people seated for the evening and they only had one diet coke left. Granted, most people probably drink wine with their dinner. However...3. When they say family-style they mean family-style. Plates were not provided so we ended up eating round-robin style. You do get your own bowl of lentil soup, but the Moroccan salad and B'stille appetizer were of the no-fork, eat-with-your-hands variety. Thankfully, forks were provided for the main course and dessert. I'm not a germ-a-phobe, but not having at least my own small plate  to eat from was pushing my comfort limits. The optimist in me says I should probably commend the restaurant for taking measures to reduce the amount of dishes they have to wash which also the reduces the amount of water and dish soap they have to use which ultimately will Save The World!4. They use towels for napkins. Not just any towels, either.  Plain, ugly, white, gym towels. The kind that are obviously worn and snagged in places. It kind of ruined the visual appeal for me.5. The wait staff is attentive. However, it seemed like they were only attentive because they were trying to seat us, feed us, bill us and kick us out the door within a certain amount of time. This is definitely not a restaurant where you can go and expect to have time to savor the moments and  have lengthy conversations over bottles of wine.I have had three separate and wonderful dining experiences at Kasbah Restaurant, also in Seattle (off 85th near Ballard). If you are trying to choose between the two, I would recommend you 'Rock the Kasbah!' hehe.

by Abby H.

It was by far the snowiest night in 20 years, and we all know that terrible weather makes humans feel hungry. What we didn't know was that people who work at Moroccan restaurants come to work, even on days where it's so blustery you feel like the sands of time through the hour glass (these are the days of our lives).What a relief that Marrakesh was open! We were promptly seated by our waitress (and, yes, the outfits come with the job; they are not her own) in a corner by the door. Apparently Marrakesh waits to fill the front room before the back, which is a bummer because it's really cold in the front room. But I was excited to see how the air made the canopy above us wriggle. It's the safest I've ever felt inside a tent in my life.And eating at Marrakesh is somewhat akin to a camping experience. They pour cold water on your hands, your napkin is a towel, and the couches are just as comfortable as the floor.The food was outstanding. Three courses, excellent vegetarian. They seemed to have run out of a lot of food that evening for some reason. I was not disappointed, however, in my flakey sweet and savory veggie-filled bastila with lots of sugar on top, warm lentil soup with excellent spice, and a fresh salad with bread. I was stuffed. And for nearly $30 alone, I wanted to be over-satisfied. But it was well worth the expenditure for a wonderful ambiance, a setting outside of the regular restaurant, generous service and a great case of scoliosis.

by Alexis M.

Two tips: 1. Try the carrot salad--it's the best carrot salad you ever had. 2. Go hungry and you'll still leave feeling fat in a good way. Etc:They wash your hands with rose water, which smells like urine to me, but my girlfriend loves it. She even puts it in her tea. You ask me, tea looks enough like urine without adding a touch of the smell too. (Go coffee and Splenda.)Conclusion:You like puns? Here's one for you: Mo' Rockin'. Yeah, you like that.

by Patricia M.

Dinner Friday night with 7 of friends.  We were seated immediately at a nice corner table that accomodated us nicely.  A couple people from our party were still trying to find parking, but the server hustled us on to ordering, washing our hands and our first course. Her manner was that of a prison warden or a lunch lady!The food was awful!!! Bland, cold and tossed at usas if we were playing air hockey.  I did enjoy the belly dancer, she was very friendly and got many of the diners to join in her belly dancing fun.  I would not ever go back however.  I paid $40 for a bad dinner and some bubbly.

by Elise L.Inna B.Don L.Denise E.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an expert on Moroccan food. And yet... this place feels a bit dated. You know when you walk into a place and go, "Huh, this place tastes like the 70's." Well, I think Marrakesh tastes like the 80's. Not in a bad way, just in that sort of "We've been cooking this stuff for the last 25 years like this, not changing anytime soon" sort of way. And, some of it shouldn't be changed. The lamb we had was fall-apart tender. The Bastilla tasted apparently just as my boyfriend remembered from when he was a kid - powdered sugar and all (I kind of think powdered sugar, phyllo, chicken and egg is weird, but to each their own). And the six-year-old twins we took here for their birthday had a blast with the phyllo dough and eating rice with their hands. (To the couple sitting next to us who were obviously out on a date: Sorry. I wanted to get them in and done with eating earlier, but they were still full from cake. I hope you didn't get too much rice on your nice shoes). But, a few dishes fell flat. Their daily fish with tomato wasn't all that well spiced. The phyllo-wrapped moussaka potatoes, while a fantastic indulgence of carbs, felt like it was missing something - and tomato sauce with a couple of strategically placed green olives wasn't it. I'll end by giving this piece of knowledge gained from my first trip to Marrakesh with just the boyfriend: When it came time for the waiter to wash our hands after the meal, our waiter decided to give me a "little extra." As in, he squirted orange blossom water all over my chest. Seriously. For your own sake, ladies, do not wear low cut tops to Marrakesh.This was my fourth and I'm quite sure last visit to this restaurant.The atmosphere is great, eating with my hands is fun, the hand-washing part is neat, and I love having several courses.The service has varied from good to kind of lacking. I've been as a 2 person group, a 6 person group, and twice as a ~15 person group. The best times have been with the 6+ because that way we get to try a variety of different main entrees (instead of just two). Seeing the belly dancer is fun, but you have to make sure you're there on the days she performs (Wed-Sun) AND be there when she actually performs (today we got there at 8:30pm and apparently she danced at 7:30pm). Oh, and don't forget to make reservations (especially for a big group)!As for the food... well... I enjoy the salad, the lentil soup, the savory powdered sugar ground meat item, the mint tea, and sometimes the dessert (tonight's milk pudding was quite good but the chopped apple last time was odd). The main courses, however... I don't know. The first two times I was very impressed, but now I think the food is just okay and I feel a bit bad when the bill comes. It just seems like there are so many more great places in Seattle where I can get better quality for the same price (or less) and walk away feeling perfectly satiated instead of feeling like I over-ate because all that food was in front of me and because I enjoy eating with my hands.It was good while it lasted, but this relationship ends here. Best luck to you, Marrakesh. Last week I returned for another wonderful girls night event..... and this time several of the girls… What a fun dining experience! Went here for the 2nd time with a large group for a birthday party, and we were in time for the bellydancer (830 on Saturday nights). When you walk in, you'll feel transported back to the days of yore, as they have the interior DARK and made up to look like you are in a large tent. You sit around circular tables, complete with floor cushions, and the experience is very "Indy Jones". You'll wash your hands in a large pot, as there aren't utensils - your hands are your instruments! We opted for the "royal feast", which is a 5 course meal. The one drawback is that its pre-fixe, but that also takes a lot of guesswork out of the menu. There's a LOT of tabouli options, but there's also plenty of meat for you carnivores. The honey/prune chicken is sweet..almost TOO sweet. I'm also picky about lamb, and the eggplant-lamb combo is quite tasty. The meal comes with a great mint-tea at the end, to wash down this interesting dessert cup of chopped apples. There's a variety of spices in there that I can't name, but definitely add to the exotic. The Moroccan beer is worth trying, but at $5 a bottle skip it and just enjoy the FOOD.The bellydancer is quite skilled and puts on a good show - several people - including one from our group (not me) - got up and danced with her. Good for a group, or as a couple!This place is really all about the experience. The food is great and the service was excellent too, but the thing that will keep me coming here is the unique experience they offer. Sitting on the floor and eating with your hands. The funny thing is I don't even like eating with my hands--I get teased for eating chicken wings with a fork and knife, but it sure was fun. Our waitress was pleasant, witty and made me feel very comfortable with the menu. Dress appropriately for sitting on the floor and making a huge mess.

by Kristin W.

I don't know where to start. I made the mistake of coming here with my boyfriend for my birthday after having a positive experience at one in Spokane about 5 years ago...Anyway, this place is cramped, crowded, too dark and loud. The food was  ok but horribly overpriced. Seriously. 40 bucks for some meat and bread? The belly dancer was ok but I have to say, not even hot. If I was going to hire someone to dance around with their boobs in people's faces while they eat I would hire a hot chick.I give it one star for some of the cool seating and decorating, I guess. Really more because Yelp does not allow less than one star.The absolute worst part, and I mean, made me want to pull my F**ing hair out, was the other people dining there. Huge groups of giant obese women and men all being loud and obnoxious and taking pictures. In a dark restaurant, every 5 seconds, taking myspace pictures. This just pushes me off the deep end. I hate when people do that. They were all older, too-maybe even into their 30's! "oh, look at me eating at some awesome place that has carpet on the wall oh woweee'I guess that would have only been acceptable if their adventures leading up to their meal at the Marrakesh for dinner that night involved one of the various raves in central district, every bar down 2nd ave and slight mental retardation.I will not return here. Ever.

by Ted T.

Marrakesh is one of those interesting novelty restaurants that manages to survive in the middle of downtown.  The experience (hand washing, sitting on the floor, eating with your hands, etc) is fun and doesn't feel too forced.  It's a fun place to go with a group as the atmosphere and communal eating becomes a catalyst for good conversation.The service is hit and miss.  The first time I went the server was outstanding, attentive and very good at her job.  The second time, the server we had was ok, but considering we were one of two tables, it was a bit odd how often he just seemed to disappear.The food, like the service, is hit and miss.  Some of the dishes are delicious like the sweet and savory appetizer (don't remember what it's called) and the chicken with honey and prunes.  Other items are merely ok like the chicken with preserved lemon and olives (a bit on the dry side).  Though the $18 price tag on a 5 course meal (soup, salad, appetizer, main course, dessert) is one of the best values in Belltown.Overall Marrakesh is good, but not great.  If the food quality was a bit more consistent, I would definitely bump it up to 4 stars.  Either way, if you haven't gone, I would recommend going at least once and trying out the 'experience'.  Some may  love it, some may hate it, but in my opinion, it is a welcome part of the Belltown restaurant scene and I wouldn't mind heading back to give it yet another try in the near future.

by Naoko S.

Great experience. Atmosphere is very,,,Moroccan? tho i don't know what i should expect a Moroccan atmosphere. Very neat tho. Great for a big group gathering (looked like).The food is tasty. The dinners are priced $17.50. Or you can do $19 per person Feast. A good sized (just want to say not huge) Main but plus,1. You get to wash your hands at the table because you eat with your hands (kool!) and your napkin is a towel.2. Sharing starts with an appetizer salad for the table you eat with bread (yum!) and also a bowl of soup for each.3. Another Pie like sweet and savory appetizer to share. (i was kinda full at this point)4. Entrees arrive. Everyone shares.5. Wash hands again and prepare for the dessert.6. Dessert -the apple something was very refreshing i loved the texture of the diced apple w/ some sweetness added- and Mint Tea.Also belly dancing while u tackle the food with your fingers.It was awesome.I ordered the server's favorite, Chicken Honey and Prunes, and it was goooood.

by David W.

Definitely an experience. The atmosphere is great, the service is wonderful. However, this is not an in-and-out convenience restaurant: it's a full course meal and takes well over an hour to enjoy everything.Live dancers in the evening, too. All their chicken dishes were amazing. The seating is nontraditional, hence why it is an experience. Also, the other patrons were very private, and not full of poser trendies.

by Mindy W.

Theres not much to say about Marrakesh that hasn't been said. It's not a meal, it's an experience.They're very accomodating to vegetarian/vegan diners, which I thought was great, and the food was superb. We got the five course meal when we went, and everyone loved it. The lentil soup was outstanding, the carrot/eggplant dip (I forget the name) was really good, the b'stilla was so-so. I got vegetarian b'stilla while the boys got the regular chicken, and they liked mine more. The main courses were AWESOME. I got the vegetarian couscous, and it was mind-blowing. My husband got some sort of chicken leg.. thing.. that he loved. Our friends got the chicken couscous and the lamb, and they both liked theirs too. The dessert, a diced apple dish, was refreshing and the perfect way to end the meal.And the rose water they washed our hands in lingered for hours, mmm.Overall, it was a wonderful meal, a wonderful experience, and we'll definitely be back.