maQam

maQam brings traditional Moroccan cooking and hospitality into the heart of the Habous quarter. It occupies a restored riad on Place de la Mosquée, rebuilt by craftspeople under the direction of its founder, the architect Raouf Arabany, who grew up in the nearby Derb Sultan district. The idea is to evoke the Morocco of past decades, through the architecture, the decoration and above all the food.

The kitchen draws on family recipes. Expect the dishes that define Moroccan home cooking: tagines, couscous with seven vegetables, pastilla and harira, the spiced soup that is especially associated with Ramadan. Because it opens from the morning, maQam also works as a tea salon, with its own tea menu, and it serves brunch formulas in the riad's patio. This makes it a flexible stop at almost any time of day while you explore the quarter.

The building is part of the appeal. Beyond the patio there is a panoramic terrace and a rooftop called Le Stah, which looks out over the flat roofs of the Habous, a view few visitors get to see. On a clear late afternoon it is a lovely place to sit with tea before or after a walk through the arcades below. The decoration is refined and traditional, and the atmosphere is calm compared with the busy streets of the city centre.

The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 23:00, and closed on Mondays, so plan your Habous visit accordingly. Booking is a good idea for lunch and dinner at weekends, and reservations can be made by phone or email. It is a good choice for families and for travellers who want an authentic Moroccan meal without the formality of a hotel dining room.

maQam is on the mosque square in the Habous quarter, a short taxi ride south-east of the city centre. Combine a meal here with a wander through the Habous souks, the bookshops and pastry shops of the quarter, the Mahkama du Pacha and the small Dar Al Ala museum of Andalusian music. The walls of the Royal Palace are close by, and taxis wait near the edge of the quarter for the ride back.