Where is your favourite destination and why?
Marrakesh in magical Morocco. It’s such an extraordinary place, only a three-and-a-half hours flight from London yet you feel a world away. The Atlas Mountains frame the city, with an extraordinary medina (old town), windy souks and incredible food. It’s such a shift from my life in London that I find it so easy to switch off. Four days can feel like weeks. It’s blissful.
When was the last time you were there?
I went for a long weekend this spring. Work had been bonkers after the release of my latest cookbook so I wanted time to chill out, eat nice food and catch up with friends.
Where do you like to stay there?
I love to stay in the Medina — I always love the hustle and bustle. I know it’s not for everyone but I love the riads. They are very design-led “townhouses” that are so chilled out. This time I stayed in the iconic El Fenn. It is a hotel to die for. It’s a collection of riads, stitched together beautifully, with many courtyards, picture-perfect pools and a stunning roof top bar. My room (No 26) was jaw-dropping, with a huge four-poster bed, free-standing bath and massive fire. Outside the summer months, Marrakesh can really cool down at night, so lounging in the bath with a glass of red wine and the fire on was perfection.
Your favourite meal there?
When Moroccans travel around, they like to eat, so you get the best food at service station cafés. My favourite is called Bladna. It’s on the outskirts of Marrakesh and serves the best Moroccan food — it’s the closest to home cooking you will find. My favourite is a dish called kefta mkaouara. It’s sort of like shakshuka but with little meatballs in the tomato sauce and eggs.
What would you do if you only had 24 hours there?
I have actually done a 24-hour smash and grab, and it went like this: arrive and have breakfast in the riad, head straight to the Majorelle Garden, a stunning house and grounds created by French painter Jacques Majorelle. You have to pre-book now so be organised, there are no walk-ins. I would then go for a long lunch and wander around the souks to walk it off. Have tea in the riad (they all do fabulous afternoon teas) before heading out for a glam dinner.
Three favourite restaurants?
Chez Lamine — this is a tiny café off the central square that serves lamb cooked in massive pits below the café. You can have méchoui, which is slow-cooked lamb shoulder served in chucks that you pull apart at the table, with loads of fragrant Moroccan cumin to dust over the top. Nomad — this is way more swanky than my beloved café. Perched high above the souk, you can dine on its sun-soaked terrace and feast on plates of modern Moroccan food. L’mida — this is a very cool restaurant in the Medina that serves fabulous modern Moroccan food. I had divine meatballs with yogurt and a lovely zaalouk salad. This is a Moroccan smoked aubergine dip really, this one with loads of feta and pistachios. Yum!
What is the one unmissable thing you recommend doing?
I like to head out of the city and go into the mountains — you can drive about an hour into the foothills of the Atlas and it is just breathtaking. This trip I stayed at Kasbah Bab Ourika, an utterly stunning place perched on a hilltop with the most amazing views of the huge snowcapped mountains. It’s very chilled, super-rural and a perfect place to go walking.
Is there a hidden gem you are willing to share?
Oasis Café tucked behind the Afriquia petrol station on the main road to the airport. The food is off-the-dial good. I love going here for a last hurrah before flying home. They do amazing BBQ, and their chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives — which you get offered everywhere and can often be very lacklustre — is amazing. The recipe is so good that it inspired a traybake in my new cookbook, The Greatest Traybake Cookbook Ever.
Where do you let your hair down?
You really can’t beat a few cocktails at the bar on the roof of El Fenn. It’s very slick and looks a bit like Shoreditch House, with a glistening pool, red and white furniture, and a very cool crowd. If you are not staying there, you can book a table for drinks and/or dinner.
Who do you call to have a good time there?
My wonderful mate Alan Keohane. He is an incredible portrait photographer who shot the travel pictures for two of my cookbooks. Him and his wife Jo have lived there for years and always know the best places to visit.
Favourite shops?
The entire souk is a giant shop — be prepared!
The one thing you would bring home as a souvenir?
I have a collection of Moroccan plates and bowls. I loved all the colours and patterns.
Your favourite beauty spot?
The Mellah in the Medina. This is the old Jewish Quarter. It’s just exquisite and is essentially a bustling market with loads of fruit and vegetable shops, piles of fresh mint and fragrant spices, and just about anything else you would need to whip up a feast. It’s very ornate, with a fabulous wooden cover to keep off that blistering sun.
Your packing essential?
Get an e-sim using the Airalo app. Morocco is not in the Europe zone for phones. This nifty app lets you get online and make calls for the cost of a local sim. You can use Google Maps to your hearts content and not get lost.
Your dress code for the destination?
Colour, colour, colour! So many people take functional hiking clothes with loads of handy zips. Sod that. Morocco is so vibrant.
Have you ever had an emergency incident there?
I have been stuck in a car in the mountains when a massive snow storm came in as we were leaving a village on Toubkal (the highest mountain in north Africa). Pretty nerve-racking as the road was sheer and I hate heights.
Which building would you like to live in?
El Fenn — guys, call me!
Favourite memory?
Having breakfast at a little bread stall just outside the Mellah. I had been travelling around for a few months learning about the food for a book and this was my last breakfast — fried bread called batbout, which you have with local honey and a very strong coffee.
The Greatest Traybake Cookbook Ever by John Gregory-Smith is out now (Penguin, £25)
