Restaurant Morisco

Restaurant Morisco is a square-side restaurant at 51 Place Outa Hamam, the main plaza of the Chefchaouen medina in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco. The place is a social centre of the old town, overlooked by the kasbah and the Great Mosque, and Morisco's terrace gives diners a seat on that scene. The cuisine is Moroccan and international, aimed at a mixed crowd of local families and travellers, and it carries no Michelin recognition or chef lineage; the appeal is location and breadth of menu. Signature dishes include ftour beldi, the traditional Moroccan breakfast of breads, olive oil, cheese, olives and jam served with tea or coffee, along with shawarma and a short run of Italian dishes for visitors wanting something familiar. Ftour beldi is the item that best suits the setting, since a late breakfast on the square is a long-standing Chefchaouen habit. The dining room character is informal: tables spill onto the plaza, dress is casual and the noise level is moderate to lively, mixing conversation, tea glasses and the activity of the square. As elsewhere in the medina, the beverage programme leans on mint tea, coffee and fresh juices. Prices sit in the mid-range for the town, roughly 80-150 MAD (about $9-$16) per person, though menus are not published and figures are indicative. Reservations are normally unnecessary and walk-ins are usually accepted, though terrace tables are the first to go at midday and in the early evening during the spring and autumn peaks; the phone number is +212 5 39 88 23 23. Because the square is the town's hub, the restaurant is easy to find and is one of the flatter approaches in the medina, although the surrounding lanes remain cobbled.