Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: Jennifer Barthole/ Greyhound The unique experience at Marrakesh includes the lack of utensils and a cleansing of hands with warm water prior to the seven-course meals for each group.

Located on New York Avenue in Washington, D.C., Marrakesh is one of Washington's most remarkable restaurants. It offers a unique dining experience and a taste of Moroccan culture.

For three decades, the restaurant has been critically acclaimed, and it is certainly worthy of that praise. Everything from the atmosphere to the entertainment and the food will leave you anticipating your next visit.

Instantly, the Marrakesh experience begins as you knock on a heavy door outside of the restaurant. A host opens up and invites you in, as if he or she is bringing you into a home. The intimate ambiance continues inside of the restaurant, which can only be described as a Moroccan living room. Couches adorned with oriental rugs are divided into sections for large groups. The walls are covered with richly colored silk tapestries and golden urns sitting on shelves. Soft Moroccan instrumentals and dim lighting add to the cozy environment.

As soon as my group was seated, our waitress sat on a couch facing us and casually took our drink orders. Encounters like this make Marrakesh's staff personable yet professional. Throughout your meal, you may have up to five different servers dressed in traditional Moroccan garb. Each is open to answering questions and explaining the Marrakesh experience.

The most unique feature of Marrakesh is its lack of utensils. Fellow diners share a large plate of authentic Moroccan food which they are encouraged to dive into using their hands. Any inhibitions are erased after a server pours warm water on each persons hands, cleaning them.

Each group receives a seven-course meal (yes, seven) beginning with warm bread and eggplant dip and ending with fruit and baklava. The traditional Moroccan dishes are fresh and tasty. Some of the dishes were spicy chicken in cumin sauce, lamb with almonds and honey and couscous with raisins and eggs. The most interesting was a chicken pastry with nuts, eggs and onions. A seven-course vegetarian option is available as well.

The restaurant is a celebrity favorite as well. Pictures of the owner with everyone from the likes of Brad Pitt to Bill Clinton cover an entire hallway.

For a meal that will keep you full for days and the ultimate dining experience, the meal is prix fixe at $35 a person.

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