Riad Jahan

We had a fantastic stay at Riad Jahan which further confirmed my trust in Mr & Mrs Smith in delivering the best recommendations every time! A few tips if you are looking to stay here though. Riad Jahan is located in the old town and a car can only take you within a short distance of the hotel, you will have to navigate the rest (approx 100m).

If you go for the free walking tour (with your Smith card offer), make sure you don't get Ahmed, we thought he was probably the grumpiest tour guide in existence! I'm not sure if he is the only guide the hotel use but worth checking beforehand! If you are not familiar with Marrakech, it's worth having a reputable guide to show you where the key landmarks are on the first day, we made the mistake of not doing this and got very lost!

The Riad Jahan is an oasis of calm, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets and kamikaze motorbikes! The staff are fantastic and very welcoming and the whole experience was very good value for money. For the best food in town, you can't do much better than Le Tobsil. Just make sure you're hungry though, as the courses are never ending! Marrakech is not what I would necessarily describe as a relaxing place, but its culture is fantastic, there is so much to see and in the event you do want to put your feet up, the Riad Jahan is the perfect place to escape and chill out!

We ate at Le Tanjia, which is a short walk from the riad. The food was delicious. Everything was fresh and carefully prepared and presented. The lamb and date tagine is worth trying if you have a sweet tooth! It goes particularly well with a bottle (or two) of chilled Moroccan rose. The atmosphere is fantastic within the main restaurant and the downstairs bar – dark, but elegant – a huge Moroccan lantern suspended within the main courtyard gives the impression of a thousand small stars reflecting from the walls (worth seeing, but hard to explain!).

It gets busy so we would recommend booking in advance – we popped in during the day to make a reservation but this could easily be arranged by the manager at the rad. We would recommend asking for a table on the balcony overlooking the courtyard if you want a great view of the belly dancing, which starts at 9.30pm. During the performance, the staff dropped rose petals from the terrace down into the courtyard – all adding to the lasting memories.

If you want a drink afterwards, Kosy Bar is good and is located only a few yards away in the square – if there is space and the night is warm enough, try and get a seat on the roof terrace. Great views over the Medina.

We had an excellent four nights at Riad Jahan. We were so glad that we stayed in this authentic riad rather than a hotel, as we were situated right in the middle of the bustling medina. A great place, very welcoming, the plush decoration and minute details throughout the riad made it a fantastic experience. There are several wonderful restaurants, both 10 minute's walking distance from the riad. Firstly, Le Marrakchi (+212 (0)524 443377), a very smart restaurant located within the busy market square of Djemaa el fna; serves up authentic Moroccan cuisine and we were lucky enough to be entertained with belly dancers! Another restaurant definitely worth a visit is Le Foundouk, hidden away in the middle of the central souks. Thoroughly recommend Riad Jahan!

We went to a vegetarian restaurant called Earth Café at 2 Derb Zouak. The interior needs a serious overhaul but the food is outstanding. I took my non-vegetarian husband and he was raving. The Moroccan owner has had vegetarian restaurants all over the world and now settled in Marrakech. He changes the menu every few weeks. I cannot recommend the food and the hospitality enough!