Restaurant Lalla Messaouda

Restaurant Lalla Messaouda is a Moroccan budget restaurant on Avenue Hassan Awal (Avenue Hassan I) in Chefchaouen, in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco. The avenue lies on the edge of the old town rather than deep inside the medina, which makes it easier to reach than most lane-side venues. The cuisine is straightforward Moroccan home cooking, with no Michelin recognition or chef lineage. Signature dishes are the daily tagines and couscous, the two staples of Moroccan dining; the tagine changes with what the kitchen has prepared, so asking what is available is a normal part of ordering. Couscous is traditionally the Friday dish, and this is the best day to try it. The dining room is plain and local in character, with casual dress, a moderate noise level and a clientele that mixes residents and travellers. The beverage programme is simple, with Moroccan mint tea, coffee and soft drinks. Prices are at the budget end for the town, roughly 50-90 MAD (about $5.50-$10) per person for a tagine or set meal, although menus are not published and figures are indicative. Reservations are usually unnecessary and walk-ins are normally accepted; groups can phone +212 5 39 98 95 70. Visitors arriving after the main lunch period may find that some daily dishes have sold out, so earlier visits are generally more reliable. The location on a main avenue means the approach is flatter than the medina lanes, though pavements can be uneven. Visitors combining a meal here with sightseeing in Chefchaouen can walk to the medina entrance in a few minutes, which makes the restaurant a practical stop at the start or end of a day in the town.