Petromin Service Station Restaurant Al Baraka

I'm not a Tagine expert but I saw the thing Andi Oliver did on the telly about it and I just knew I had to go there..... The Goat Tagine was definitely the best I have ever had and has given me a benchmark for all the others I'm going to try...... I ve had about five more since and it's still by far my favourite..... I'll be going back there in a week or two....

Visiting Morocco from UK. Stopped here for dinner. Delicious. Good amount of parking space + place to pray + great food choices. Will recommend this place for your next food stop!

Top place for tajin and grill. One of the best I have tried eaten in Morocco 🇲🇦. Must visit

Amazing food here, love the grilled meat

One of the best meals of my life!

I've eaten at some of the best restaurants around and this place blew my mind!

Yes. It's in a service station on the Fez road out of Marrakech. Yes, it's not swanky or Michelin.
Yes, the menu is limited.
Yes, it doesn't serve alcohol.

So what?

Here it's all about the food. And what food!!

I had a beef tagine with prunes, Berber bread and mint tea. The pics below are a before and after. I think this was for two, but I polished most of it off, it was so delicious.

I'd seen Andi Oliver and Fred Sirieix report on it for the BBC {it's on youtube, go find it) and had filed it away as a possible food destination. My hotel for a few days in Morocco was outside Marrakech and on a taxi ride into the Medina I spotted Al Baraka and decided to go there for dinner.

I was excited and skipped lunch and was so pleased I did. If you're going, do the same. Portions are HUGE!

It's a 20 minute cab ride out of the centre (don't forget to negotiate!} and you'll get a quizzical look from the driver. Why is this tourist going there?

On arrival, it was clear why that look came about. I was the only non-Moroccan in there. It's obviously not on the tourist itinerary!

I walked into the restaurant {you can sit outside) and was greeted by one of the {very} smart - and hugely professional -waiters, sat at a table and ordered a mint tea. I have good French and no Arabic, and not all the waiters speak English.

When the pot came I asked what was on today and he recommended the beef tagine, so I jumped in and ordered it as I'd not had any beef on the trip {lots of lamb & chicken}.

It came quickly {the BBC show shows how they make the tagines in the traditional way in the open kitchen over hot coals} and smelled incredible. And to be clear, the taste was even better.

The beef {some on the bone} was tender and aromatic, the prunes added a rich sweetness and the onions....... Oh, the onions. Incredible. Yes. ONIONS! You'll never taste anything else like them.

And the bread. Superb and authentic. Great texture and taste. And generous. A huge flatbread.

This is the real deal. Not some idea of what tourists might like. Spicing was expert and delicate and the flavour was rich and rounded.

So, yes. I heartily recommend this place. It's an amazing meal.

And cheap. The bill came to around £11! Really.

Interestingly I took a guide out of the city one day and told him I'd been to Al Baraka. He was amazed. I was the first of his clients in 10 years who'd gone there by themselves! He told me it was the best food in Marrakech and it was where he took his family on special occasions. He was mightily impressed.

So go!!!

As a group we had seen the BBC cookery program showing the Al Baraka motorway restaurant and thought it a good idea to give it a go. So glad we did. Meals of tagines of chicken, lamb and fish are available. The chicken and lamb are excellent, but ease be aware they are exceptionally filling, especially if you have chips, bread (careful with the flatbread as the stones it is cooked on may stick and will give your teeth a problem, but it is good!) and a salad. Ice creams are actually a yogurt based ice and really good and the coffee is in tiny cups and very strong. If I was coming back to Marrakech, this would be a must visit, but done golf in Morocco, so on to somewhere different next time.

Not a place I would have stopped to eat on my own, but leave it to a local to find the best food. The restaurant was clean with good service and great food. Definitely helps to have someone who can speak French or Arabic, but everyone was very kind and helpful. The food was delicious and fresh. Well worth the short drive out of Marrakech.

It was definitely worth to stop and take lunch there. Recommended!

The best tagine i have ever had

Bon coin, hight services ...

Best Food

Yes place

Top.

Delicious food!!!

Super

Good service !

Excelent

Good

Top

Air de repos sur la sortie de Marrakech vers Fes, offre la possibilité d'une évasion loin de la ville pour déguster des tajines et grillades avec un bon verre de thé à la menthe.