Table talk: A spot of SLOW food in Marrakech

The organic restaurant has devised a new raw menu (for starters and desserts), with locally grown and sourced ingredients. It’s a lighter approach to local dining and a welcome relief for stomachs sick of heavy dishes.

The drinks

Lagon et Jardin whip up a mean smoothie. A fresh apple, pear and spirulina mix was one of several on offer when we visited and sitting in the Moroccan mid-day heat felt a lot better with one of these in hand. The hotel’s going for the feel good factor without compromising on flavour and the ice cold smoothies definitely hit the spot.

The food

The restaurant has a huge raw salad bar where you can mix and match your own salad for starters, accompanied with eggs, tuna and other protein hits. The hotel sources much of the fresh fruit and veg from local organic farms and there’s a range of oils and dressings also all locally made. It’s tempting to fill the oh-so-deep salad bowls to the brim with a rainbow selection of fresh veg, but bear in mind these bowls are massive.

The organic menu veers off into poached John Dory fish for a main course, beautifully rested on chargrilled spring onions, not quite raw but delicious nonetheless. However, you could quite easily find yourself full with just a starter and dessert, especially as the latter is a wafer thin pineapple carpaccio that comes dotted with raspberries and mint. So simple, so fresh, so utterly moreish.

The vibe

Be warned, you’ll want to dive right into the glistening pool if you pop over for lunch. Bring your swimmers if you’re going to stay and loiter in the sun. Really you want one of the al-fresco tables on the terrace overlooking the hotel’s extensive gardens. It’s a welcome blast of greenery and a lovely quiet spot after a few days of the dusty hustle and bustle of Marrakech’s medina.

The sustainability bit

The hotel sources much of the fresh fruit and veg from an organic farm on site and there’s a range of oils and dressings also all locally made. Lagon & Jardin follows the S.L.O.W food approach (sustainable, organic, local and wellness focussed) with a commitment to provenance that’s unusual in Marrakech.

When to visit Lagon & Jardin?

Marrakech is an all year round destination. Temperatures tend not to dip below 14 degrees in the winter but it's best to avoid the height of summer.

Where is Lagon & Jardin?

Within the gorgeous gardens of Es Saadi Marrakech Resort in the Hivernage neighbourhood.