Palais Sebban, Marrakech

Hidden behind the narrow alleys of the Laksour quarter, just a few minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa, Palais Sebban is a 19th-century palace turned riad hotel and restaurant. The building belonged to a prominent Moroccan family and retains its three original patios, carved plaster friezes, zellige tilework, and painted cedar ceilings. Dining here means Moroccan gastronomy — lamb tagine, chicken pastilla, couscous — served in a flower-filled courtyard beside an infinity-edge pool, on a rooftop terrace overlooking the medina's skyline and the distant Atlas Mountains, or in a candle-lit interior salon. Every Friday evening a live Moroccan trio and oriental dancer transform dinner into a cultural celebration. The restaurant is open to non-resident guests for both lunch and dinner.