A secret garden in the heart of the medina; this tranquil riad is a lush, green oasis far from the fray. This characterful property was once a retreat for the pasha of Casablanca. Facilities include a mini art gallery, and colourful suites feature Uzbek textiles and Indian quilts.
A five-minute walk (downhill) from the nearest taxi drop off point at Sidi el Khiyat. It occupies a quiet corner of the old city, which can be extremely useful if you find the tangle of streets and human traffic claustrophobic. But, it’s still an easy stroll from several good restaurants and the two main shopping streets: Ta’laa K’bira and Ta’laa S’ghira.
This lovingly restored property – bought by the Biehn family, who hail from Provence – once belonged to the Mokri family (Tayeb el Mokri was the Pasha of Casablanca), whose main palace, the Palais el Mokri, is just down the road. Jardin des Biehn was originally given to the pasha’s younger brother Abdellah as a summerhouse. Since he spent most of his time in Monaco, Tayeb eventually asked if he could use it as his own verdant retreat and brought in his own craftsmen to re-create the same motifs and patterns here as in the main palace.
The Biehns have done an admiral job of maintaining its original character while creating a boho vibe that attracts an eclectic mix of well-travelled guests and locals who stop by for lunch, dinner or drinks.
It already has plenty of places to retreat to within the garden itself, ranging from the sunny roof terrace furnished with candy-striped deck chairs, to shady corners beneath creepers and vines disturbed only by the chirruping of local song birds. There’s a mini art gallery to peruse, and a micro-boutique where you can pick up an Artisan Project beach towel trimmed in neon, or a dashing lounge coat cut from antique fabrics gathered from all over the world.
There is a discreet plunge pool set just off to one side of the very intimate hammam, an extended dining terrace under the giant olive tree, and five new suites in an annex that will also hold a function room suitable for mid-sized celebrations. Brilliant for a fairytale wedding in an exotic setting.
The garden currently has 10 rooms and suites, each of which stand-alone, like a mini-riad. They all have a secluded outdoor space and are individually decorated with lavish use of colour, texture and textiles such as richly detailed antique suzani (textiles) from Uzbekistan and hand-stitched Indian quilts.
To stay here is to journey around the world in all its technicolour glory, which complements the property’s regal features perfectly. The most dramatic of these rooms is the Pasha Suite, which comes with a canopied bed and a full size, bright green Turkish bath. It’s hard not to fall in love with a place so generous with the eye candy.
The Café Fez is arguably one of the old city’s most popular haunts as much for the space as for the food. A desubtleful spot for a long, lazy lunch al fresco washed down with a glass or two of cold Moroccan rosé, but just as delightful cosied up in the blush-coloured dining room. Dishes are unpretentious and satisfying, ranging from classic tagines, and swordfish in beurre blanc, to filet steaks with morels and cream.
The menu changes daily and is open for lunch and supper. Breakfast is a generous spread of breads and pastries, a fruit platter, eggs on request and coffee that rather refreshingly comes in a no-nonsense mug.
Not bad, although steps rising into the garden from the entrance would make wheelchair access a little tricky. Once inside there are bedrooms at garden level along with most of the other facilities so you don’t feel you miss out on anything.
This is a peaceful place where people come to contemplate the surrounds as much as admire them. Marauding youngsters aren’t ideal, but if well-behaved they’ll be welcome.
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