Marrakesh

This 7 course meal restaurant is delicious! You really get the full Moroccan experience. The service is amazing (brings flatbread every 10 – 15 minutes), there is belly dancer, and great atmosphere!
It is a great place if you want to just experience outside of the ‘norm’

The staff is friendly, the food is 7 courses and HUGE servings, great for a large group, and the belly dancer was a nice touch for a fun atmosphere.

When you think of a delicious dinner, does it involve sitting on pillows, eating with your hands, using pita as a utensil? No? Well then you need to go to Marrakesh immediately, because it is going to completely change the way you look at things. This Moroccan restaurant, nestled down a little alley off South Street is hands down some of the best food I’ve ever had.
First– this BYO is AMAZING for big groups. I had my birthday here one year, and they were able to easily accommodate 18 people (granted, I did call a month in advance– I don’t think they could have accommodated us as easily if we tried the week of). They set us up in one of the areas upstairs, where we were comfortably seated around two tables on pillows and benches.
Napkins? Forget about it. They give you a hand towel to place on your lap. After washing your hands with rose water, you are free to dig in (literally) to the amazing six-​course feast that is about to be presented to you. There is no menu– your only options are spicy chicken or not spicy chicken, and lamb or beef.
First up: The Three-​Salad Platter– Cooked Eggplants in Tomato Sauce, Cucumbers and Bell Peppers in Mediterranean Seasoning, Oasis Carrots with Cucumber. Using the pita as both a spoon and vessel, make sure to try a little bit of everything. I happen to like the eggplant the best, but the carrots and cucumbers were also delicious. (And bonus, since you washed your hands at the table, you know that everyone you’re sharing a plate with, because yes, this is served family style, also has clean hands!)
Next, The B’stella– Layered pie with chicken, assorted nuts, almonds, eggs, parsley and onions, topped with confection sugar and traced with cinnamon.
It may seem a little odd to have sugar and cinnamon on top of your chicken and egg plate, but trust me, it works. It’s sweet, but not overly sweet, and the nuts give it a nice crunch. Don’t be scared of this dish.
Third: Chicken with Lemon and Olive, Spicy Chicken in Cumin Sauce, Chicken with Eggs and Parsley Sauce, Chicken with Dates. Be careful, it’s hot! (Temperature wise, not spicy– although they do give you the option to choose spicy or not spicy). Again, using your pita as a tool to grab the food (do you understand now why you have a towel on your lap?) rip apart at this deliciously juicy meat.
Fourth: –Marinated Berber Beef Shish Kebab, Tajne of Lamb with Almonds and Honey, Lamb with Chick Peas and Onions. While delicious, this one is not my particular favorite– I much prefer the chicken, but trust me, it’s still delicious.
Fifth: Couscous Grand Atlas Topped with Vegetables, Chick Peas and Raisins. It’s pretty hard to go wroung with couscous, and when eating this with that chicken… A+.
Finally, dessert: Basket of Fresh Fruits, Hot Mint Tea with Moroccan Pastries– aka Baklava. The tea was the perfect sweet way to end the meal.
And Bonus! On Friday and Saturday nights, there’s a belly dancer! She’s pretty great too. And the thing I love about her, is that she’s a real belly dancer– not just some girl they picked up who likes to dance.
Definitely add this gem to your «must-​eat» list. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

I reserved this restaurant for a work event. I was not informed that they did not take credit cards. What business these days does not take credit cards? So, after the dinner ended, we had to make arrangements to pay the bill another way, which was not fun.
I ordered a projection screen for the evening from a national company that I had used many times before for other events. They provide a return label on the box. All you need to do is apply the new label to the box, call UPS and tell UPS when you will be there for pick up. Not hard, right? Well, the company sent out UPS 7 (seven!) times to the restaurant to retrieve the screen. I called the owner, Riad, myself four (4) times to assist him with getting the projection screen back to the vendor. Long story short, I just paid for the projection screen and all the many times UPS charged the vendor for attempted pick-​ups. If I lived in Philadelphia, I would have taken care of it myself, but I live in California and arranged this meeting from the other side of the country, which I have done many times before with other restaurants.
I cannot say how the food was because I was not there, but as a business, they are sorely lacking.

Marrakesh is like a hidden portal, in the fabric of space of time. A winter night’s meal here was unlike any dining experience I have ever shared with friends and family. The air in the room has a tingle of electricity and the kitchen’s food is a special invitation into a different culture. Marrakesh is truly a magical hole-​in-​the-​wall.

Been there twice. Both with larger parties. The staff is friendly and helpful, even the belly dancer. Each dish is flavorful and massive. Try to pace yourself! It is BYOB which makes it that much better.
We went for new years eve and the staff came around with free party hats and noise makers.

The Food:
Best check yourself, before you wreck yourself… this is a seven course meal of pure deliciousness, including deconstructed salads, meat pie (an oddity, but very tasty), chicken, lamb, couscous, and dessert pastries. All of it is screaming with flavors ranging from creamy and savory, to oily and spicy, to fruity and tangy, to sweet and salty ;and all of it tastes freakin’ fantastic. Thus, I am strongly advising you pace yourself. Everything we ate at the restaurant was so unique, each course deserves its own review. Thus, it will have to suffice to say that the meal was excellently prepared and even if the overwhelming amount of food could not be finished, it was taken home.
The Atmosphere:
As this was my first experience with a Moroccan restaurant, I’m not sure if all Moroccan restaurants will have this theme, but the mood was very enchanting, romantic, and relaxed. I highly recommend this restaurant as a place for a romantic or private dinner with your partner. Although passageways are somewhat narrow and it is difficult to see some of the surfaces around you, it only adds to the charming character of the restaurant. The owner and staff put out a true effort to make you and yours feel special. From the secretive entrance off South Street to the rose water hand bath prepared before meals.
The Price:
The prices here are probably the most affordable you will find in Philadelphia for such a foodie experience. A seven course meal for two people (though plenty for 3 – 4) and two rose water drinks was ~$ 74, which included tip.
The Service:
The service was almost as intimate as the restaurant, as your waiter/​waitress typically kneels or sits down before you, carefully explains the components of the meal, and frequently checks in on you. The greeting at the entrance was very personable; a few knocks on the ornate black door will summon the staff to escort in through the drapes and off to a very nice evening.

Marrakesh, which specializes in Moroccan cuisine, feels more like a destination than a restaurant. I came here with a large group for dinner, and we were spread across three round tables on the upstairs level. Instead of individual chairs, we sat on a cuision-​y sofa with colorful pillows. There were rugs covering the walls. Some people complained that it smelled a bit musty… my guess is that the pillows and the rugs are probably dusty and a bit dirty.
Marrakesh offers a seven-​course, ~3+ hour long dinners. You eat everything with your hands, so if you consider yourself a germ-​aphobic, then this restaurant is not the one for you. The dinner started with the Three Salad Platter, which included cooked eggplants in tomato sauce, cucumbers and bell peppers in Mediterranean seasoning, and carrots with cucumber. They serve pita bread that you can use to scoop the dish. My favorite was the eggplants, though it was a bit of a mush. Everything was DRENCHED in oil, so definitely wasn’t the healthiest way to start the meal.
The second course was the B’stella — layered pie with chicken, nuts, eggs, parsley, and onion, topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. This sweet and savory «meat pie» was also my favorite because I’ve never had something like it before. The phyllo dough with sugar was crispy and sweet, while the savory filling of scrambled eggs and chicken balanced the dish.
The first two courses were really slow coming out of the kitchen, but they sped up the three main courses too rapidly. The first was a chicken dish. We got a platter of 2.5 whole chickens with lemon and olive. The chicken was extremely tender, and I liked the lemon and olive seasoning because it wasn’t too overpowering. The second course was cous cous topped with big pieces of carrots and potato. Nothing too interesting, except I wished they had more variety of vegetables. The third main course was lamb with almonds and honey. I liked that the sweetness of honey eliminated that funky «lamb smell.» The meat was also very moist and tender.
For dessert, they brought out a basket of fresh fruits. I thought this platter was completely unnecessary. They were mostly big, hand-​held fruits like banana, apples, and oranges. Who would want that after a whole feast that they just devoured? I feel like it was more for a display than for eating pleasure. We also had a plate of baklava, but I was way too full to eat any of them.
I think the experience would have been better if they skipped some of the earlier courses (i.e. the oily salad platter) and went straight for the main courses.

Wow! What an experience! From the start you don’t know what your in for which is part of the charm. The building has no windows just a large door with door bell. As soon as u open it your in a dream. Amazing authentic décor… This place has been around and family owned for 40 years. You feel your in someone’s home as an honored guest. The service is amazing. 7 courses meal — lucky we were hungry!
1– salads amazing! Loved the eggplant salad the best
2– fill wrapped egg with icing sugar AMAZING! So incredible — taste like cake!
3 — spicy chicken falling off the bone
4 — lamb was authentic soft and full of natural flavor
5 — couscous
⁶⁄₇ — balaclava and fruit
By that time your done, I couldn’t resist but to dance with the belly dancer… How else can you work off all the food?!
Bringing everyone I know here from NY. Worth the train ride just to have this as the destination.

This is definitely a hidden gem! Such an authentic experience.
It was a group of 4 of us and we made reservations the day before. I was very excited because I had never eaten Moroccan food and always up for something new.
When we arrived at this very unique door we had to knock on the door as if we were visiting someone in Morocco. Loved having to do that!!! The man at the door knew exactly who I was. Not sure how but he did.lol. We were seated on the third floor which I never expected because from the outside you would never think there is so much space inside.
OK. So as for menus. There are no menus. They offer a Prix fixe menu which is a 7 course meal. The food is so delicious and flavorful. Something that anyone who may be somewhat of a germaphobe you eat with your hands however the waiter washes your hands with rose water.
It definitely was a great experience and would definitely go back !

Wow, this place is so cool. Unilocal led us here on a quick trip to Phili and I’m so thankful! This semi-​hidden restaurant is a diamond in the rough.
Protocol: Make a reservation and bring cash (cash only). When you arrive ring the doorbell and you’ll get checked-​in. We didn’t know about the doorbell and started walking away because the door was locked. Luckily a sweet man let us in and ushered us up several flights of questionable stairs into a Morrocan fantasy.
Food: It’s a set menu. I liked the first two courses the best, so I recommend eating a lot at the beginning of the meal even though there are many more courses to come.
Atmosphere/​experience: 5 stars
Food: 3 stars

Food: The food was amazing. I went with a party of 5 which seemed to be a great size for this dining experience and everyone of us loved the food. We were all first timers at Marrakesh and we also had never tried Moroccan food and we were all pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was. Standout dishes: the salad (omg so good). The chicken. You can order the chicken mild or spicy or get the spicy sauce on the side. It was amazing and tender. The kabob. We tried lamb and beef which were both very flavorful. The lamb was literally falling off the bone. I highly recommend the lamb. Fresh fruit at the end. Who doesn’t love fresh fruit? You get a total of 7 courses so pace yourself.
Ambience: The restaurant is very intimate. It feels very exclusive especially because of the location. It’s technically a street but it feels like an alley way. I’ve literally walked by this street maybe 200 times and never thought anything of it. They have (I’m guessing Moroccan) music playing which is very ear friendly. The design of the place alone is enough to make you want to go back. It’s beautiful. This place makes you feel like you’re right in Morocco.
Service: The people who worked there were so pleasant and hospitable. Great service.
They are byob so take your choice of beverage and you will surely enjoy yourself. The price is $ 30 – 35 /​person

Soooo in the past I have loved this restaurant! Great food and fun atmosphere. Tonight, however, our experience couldn’t have been more disappointing. We made reservations for a party of 6 and even called to confirm night of. We approached to find ourselves in the middle of a mob. The party next to us was a group of 9. The party on the other side was a group of 16. A group of 4 pushed passed us, also with a reservation. The overwhelmed owner just let in whoever had the strongest push potential. Talk about survival of the fittest! Love the food but not in exchange for my life. Like Seinfeld says– it’s one thing to TAKE a reservation, but you don’t know how to «hold» the reservation, and that’s really the most important part!
Off to find another restaurant for a party of 6, 9pm on a Saturday night…

This place has it all. Fantastic experience, food, atmosphere, and service… and its BYOB too!
Located in an ally, you really have to know where you’re going. You must knock on the door (i felt so VIP) and then they’ll welcome you in. Once you’re inside, the place opens up. It felt like I was in Marrakesh — low tables, couches, pillows, and beautiful décor. Someone [the owner maybe?] explained the courses to us and even adjusted the menu because we weren’t eating red meat.
You start with washing your hands, and then they give you a towel to use throughout the meal. FYI: you eat with your hands, don’t ask for utensils.
1. Started with veggies and pita. There are three kinds [eggplant, cucumber, and carrot] and they all taste so good and so different.
2.Flaky pastry covered in powdered sugar and stuffed with chicken and egg. This plate came out piping hot, so it took a while for us to dig in. It was a nice mix of sweet and savory.
3. Spicy chicken. dare i say it? BEST CHICKEN IN THE CITY. Its fall off the bone, tender, packed with flavor and spices goodness. I could have jussst had the finger lickin good chicken for my meal.
4. Hummus — this was the replacement for the lamb/​beef kabobs. It tasted like authentic hummus. None of sugar and random flavors. Simple and delicious.
5. Cous Cous — I’m not a fan of cous cous, so I can’t really give an good review for this dish. sorry!
⁶⁄₇ Baklava, Fruit, and tea. — Baklava was a 5/​5, i dont think there is any place in the city that has something that even taste close. The fruit was a little bruised, so we didn’t go for that. And the tea was hot, sweet, and a perfect way to end the meal.
Rose water: simple, sweet, delicious drink. Very Moroccan. A nice way to clear the palate in between dishes.
To sum it up. try everything because its good. Pace yourself, relax… its A LOT of food. and most importantly, enjoy the experience!

This is really an experience, one not to be rushed or be in a hurry to get out of. Let’s begin with the fact it is a BYOB with that in mind please pace yourself, not coming from my own experience or anything. The meal starts with a rose water hand wash and towels. You are given a large towel which i chose to just lay across my lap 1. I am clumsy 2. i was drinking 3. you use your hands to eat. Knowing this ahead of time I was a little scared being repulsed by double dipping (as I’m sure most people are) and finger licking but overall its not hard to use your pita in a hygenic way. By the time the fruit bowl came out we were all about to burst but made some room for feeding grapes off the vine. I really had a great time.
I love herbs but was a little nervous that everything would be entirely over seasoned, I was pleasantly surprised because each plate was deliccious and I even find myself craving it here and there. This was my first experience with Moroccan food so I had no idea what to expect. My favorite was the baked chicken with the spicy sauce which we ordered on the side just to be safe. Also, the baklava was what dreams are made of. Overall, the food, service, and experience were amazing and super fun. I think this would make an amazing first date. The belly dancer was so fun and friendly.
I suggest ringing the door bell versus knocking because I kept knocking and knocking and no one could hear me, i rang the door bell once and they opened the door immediately. It is CASH ONLY so plan accordingly.

This place was one of the most random place I encountered in Philly. I did not expect this at all. It was introduced to me by a friend. You have to knock the door to put your name on the waiting list and you have wait outside. This place gets packed so either go early or go late if you are not willing to wait more than 40 minutes. This is an experience that you have to check out.
Food: (⁴⁄₅) they have a fixed me $ 25 menu and it is 7 course meal. The quality of the food was very good. Everything seemed to be homemade and it was a pretty decent size portion for two people.
App: eggplant cucumber salad and carrots, chicken stuffed wit some pastry
Entrée: quinoa, chicken, beef tenders.
dessert: a bowls of fruit and baklava.
Overall, i have no complain about the food except that I wish they had more exotic type of desserts and be a bigger portion.
atmosphere: (⁵⁄₅) it is a cozy two place and you can literally sit and see everyone surrounding you. It is very turkish like. The decoration is very middle eastern. It flows really well with the food that they are serving.
Service: (⁴⁄₅) I have no complain about the service. He was very attentive and explained every item and how the service works in terms of the 7 course meal. His professionalism and representation of the restaurant image was impeccable.

Five stars for what was probably the best UYE ever (and I say that as a former host of many!)! But in a lot of ways I could also give five stars for Marrakesh being one of the most unique and sightly secretive dining experiences in all of Philly.
I’ve long heard the legacy of what it had to offer, and was ecstatic the moment that I heard that Sari had it potentially lined up as a UYE Destination. And it didn’t hurt and most assuredly confirmed that i’d be going when I heard that my friend Anastasia was to be the belly dancer for the evening.
When I arrived I somehow discovered a new part of a Philly area that I’ve been familiar with for decades, and almost couldn’t even figure out how to get through the front door. Yet when I did and shuffled my way up the stairs, not only did I come across a plentiful room filled to the brim with Unilocalers, I came across the West Philadelphia Orchestra getting ready to play a party across the hall. Marrakesh is just one of those places!
For $ 25 plus tax & tip we all had our hands washed in rose water, were handed sufficient towels per Hitchhikers right; and were served some five plus courses of succulent chicken served as both spicy whole and baked into filo dough, savory lamb, hummus, many salads, delicious injera that served as our forks, and then some. While I’ve had better in similar packages, it was delivered in a tasty and extravagant fare that made it something to be experienced. And they also made sure that the vegetarians and vegans of tour group were presented with an equal amount of courses.
It could be the fact that we were a party of 25+, but the one slight flaw was that the room layout did feel like things would be cramped even if we weren’t that large of a party. But it could have also just been the fact that my friend was delivering a tremendous dancing performance and calling for people to learn, and many people were calling my name to join in, I could hardly move because I was trapped in the lavish corner. If you plan on or expect to dance be prepared to sit toward the end of one of the tables, and get ready to savor what might be the best interactive dining experience that you can get in Philly.

Marrakesh is a total package dining experience. Not only do you get to eat authentic Moroccan cuisine, you get to enjoy a cultural experience as well.
You may have walked past Marrakesh or the surrounding streets many times without even realizing it was there, like I had prior to this visit. It’s nestled on Leithgow Street just a notch off of South Street. Forget South Street or even the rest of Philadelphia for that matter. You are about to step into a different world. To enter you must ring the doorbell on the side door.
I felt more like I was going to a house, than a restaurant; especially with the shower located in the restroom on the second floor. During my entire visit, I never felt like I was at a restaurant. I felt comfortable and relaxed. Maybe eating with your hands with a towel on your lap has that effect.
I found my group of fellow Unilocalers in a cozy private room. The room had four tables with booth seating along the outskirts of the room. Ottoman like chairs took up the rest of the space for the rest of us. With such a large group in not the largest of spaces, it got loud.
Our meal started with customary hand-​washing and we were even entertained twice with a belly dancer. After placing our order, the food kept flowing. The service was probably the most unobtrusive service I’ve ever had. As one dish was placed in front of us, another was seamlessly removed. I felt like royalty or at least someone enjoying a nice meal at someone’s dinner party. The regular dining formalities I’m used to were thrown out the window, and it was fantastic!
As I’m sure you’re aware, this $ 25 prix fixe menu has seven courses and you are welcome to BYOB. While it was a ton of food, I walked in the door absolutely starving and walked out not overly stuffed. I believe most people left absolutely full, so maybe the tip is to come in extremely hungry. Here’s a little rundown of dining experience:
Course 1: Three-​Salad Platter– The eggplant is phenomenal (and messy). Luckily you have some assistance from the pita to eat it. The cucumbers and bell peppers and carrots and cucumber were good, but the eggplant stole the show.
Course 2: The B’stella– As someone who doesn’t normally love sweets but loves cinnamon, carbs and meat, this dish was a winner. This dish was dough filled with chicken, nuts, almonds, egg, peppers and onions. It was really hot at first, but once you cracked open the shell and let it cool down, it was easier to eat. I had some pita saved from the first course, so I found it easy to break off a piece and rest it on the pita while it cooled down. Truly a sweet-​savory delight.
Course 3: Chicken– So here’s where the choices began. You can either get chicken with lemon or spicy chicken. My group opted to get the spicy chicken with the cumin sauce on the side. The chicken was melt in your hands and then melt in your mouth good. The spicy sauce had a nice kick without being overly spicy to me. I still had some pita leftover so I did a little dipping with the sauce.
Course 4: Beef or Lamb– My table got a little creative here and asked for half portions of both the beef and lamb. The beef was served shish kebab style, and to be honest, not my favorite. It was a little well done, and I struggled a little to get it off the stick resulting in a pepper flying into my husband’s wine glass. Sauvignon blanc tastes best with a little pepper anyways, right? The lamb was perfect. Even the non-​lamb eaters thought it was delicious. It was tender and took on the flavor of the chick peas and onions without having an overwhelming lamb flavor.
Course 5: Couscous with veggies, chick peas and raisins– This was probably my least favorite dish from the main meal. It was a little blander than other couscous dishes I’ve tried in the past. I would have been disappointed if this was the only thing I ordered, but everything was a hit thus far in the evening. They did give us spoons at this point, so don’t worry about eating the little grains with your hands.
Courses 6 & 7: Dessert– I’m assuming the tea, fruit and pastries count as the sixth and seventh courses. At this point in the evening, my bottle of wine had been consumed and I wasn’t counting the dishes, and am making this assumption while referencing the menu. I’m not a tea fan so I passed. The pastries were little crisp triangles that reminded me of baklava. The fruit came out frozen was a little hard to eat. I nibbled on a strawberry and took a banana for the road since the majority of the group passed on the fruit. Perhaps the fruit was customary, but I thought a little unnecessary. If it’s part of the traditional meal then no harm, no foul.
To sum it up, I had delicious food and hours of fun. It’s an experience not to be missed in Philadelphia, especially if you go with an adventurous group of friends. While I couldn’t imagine going to Marrakesh every Friday night, I can definitely pick a handful of occasions that would be a perfect fit.

The whole idea of this place slightly terrified me ahead of Sari’s UYE last weekend. For the most part, I’m incredibly picky and also have the tendency to eat veeeeery slowly. Sharing a plate with a bunch of people? Would I get my money’s worth?
Well, yeah. And more. This was an amazing meal! I even liked the eggplant… for the first time!
By the end of the night (shout-​out to the lemon chicken and beef skewers and BYO wine and umm everything else), I was beyond stuffed and happy.
Thanks, Sari, for putting this Unilocaly night together, and thanks to the Marrakesh team for being so hospitable to our group! I’ll definitely make it back to this great spot at some point in the future.

I am normally not a fan of prix-​fix menus, as they tend to be too limiting of choice, and suggests a kitchen unable to handle more options. But, when that standard menu comes in 7 courses with additional vegetarian alternatives, and is packed into a Bedouin’s tent of a restaurant, complete with belly dancing, baklava and honey tea, I can make an exception.
This is multiplied many fold when your 40 closest friends are packed into a carpet clad room with barely enough room to sit down, and an ambient noise level loud enough to make talking to anyone but those right next to you impossible. Yet, with enough wine and North African music to alter consciousness, this becomes an all-​consuming environment that transports you out of South Street and into the dark, mystic souk casbah of one of the ancient cities of Morocco.
Marrakesh takes finger food to the ultimate. From cool salads, to roast chicken, cumin lamb and grilled beef, cous-​cous with veggies, the only thing between your fingers and the searing meal is the thin pita used to pinch, lift and stuff in your face. Failing that, be prepared for first degree burns.
The large metal serving trays kept coming with more food. We all appreciated the concession to the use of towels to cover laps and wipe hands. Some of the braver souls accompanied our graceful dancer as she gyrated her hips, abdomen, shoulders and arms with cymbals ringing. Some of our folks really knew how to move. Impressive.
Stepping back out onto Leithgow Alley after 4 hours within this transporter, it took a few moments to reorient myself to being back in Philadelphia after our wild ride.
Marrakesh is not just a restaurant, it is a magic carpet.