The most luxurious hotel in Marrakech, the Royal Mansour offers its guests not just a room but entirely private riads complete with private pools, courtyards and dedicated staff on call 24/7 to tend to your every whim and desire. Featured on BBC’s Amazing Hotels program I had a sneak peek into this incredible hotel and was dying to visit. Unfortunately I had prior accommodation arrangements plans during my time in Marrakech, but I couldn’t resist visiting the stunning hotel and indulging in one of their incredible afternoon teas.
Once you arrive and enter the enormous cast iron gates you will instantly understand why the Royal Mansour has such an incredible reputation as everywhere you look is beautiful and every detail has been carefully taken care of.
For your afternoon tea experience you can choose between sitting in the bar or in the open air lobby. As we visited mid-afternoon when the heat was starting to die off for the day we opted for the lobby where beautiful fountains flow alongside intricate mosaic floors.
Royal Mansour offers three different types of afternoon tea depending on your preference – Moroccan (traditional Moroccan pastries and savoury pancakes), British (finger sandwiches, scones and cakes) or French (savoury toasts and a selection of pastries and chocolates). I chose the French version being lured by the mention of salmon and foie gras toasts and I definitely didn’t end up disappointed with my choice!
For once I opted against champagne to accompany my afternoon tea, instead going for an intriguing Moroccan white wine, although Morocco isn’t known for its viticulture, when in Rome (or Marrakech!). The wine was very pleasant, made from a local grape with strong similarities to a Chardonnay.
The afternoon tea is presented on a lovely little silver stand, one per person starting with chocolates at the top (although perhaps leave these to finish the meal), three toasts below, and a plethora of pastries at the bottom, yum.
The three little dainty toasts served with the french afternoon tea are topped with cream cheese and chive, smoked salmon, and foie gras – all of which are delicious, and no more than three mouthfuls each leaving plenty of room for the other delights!
There are six different pastries on the lower tier of the stand – two chocolatey delights, a canele, a marble cake, a Madeleine and a lemon and poppy seed cake. Kudos to anyone who can polish six mini cakes off, I’d barely eaten the day we went and still struggled! Being a chocolate girl at heart the two decadent chocolate cakes were my favourite, both being delightfully light and creamy, and disappearing very quickly from my plate!
Onto the chocolates to finish which were equally tasty and have various filling including a very nice crunchy caramel one. You can identify the different types by the pattern on top of them, the caramel one has a gold wavy pattern on, and for coffee haters maybe avoid the one with a coffee bean on top.
After you’ve eaten your fill you can request to explore the grounds further, wandering through the perfectly manicured gardens where the private riads are tucked away along to Royal Mansour’s incredible spa. The centrepiece of the spa is the foyer made up of intricate metal lattice work that looks almost like lace and could nearly classify as a work of art!
Sadly with our tummies full it was time to leave Royal Mansour and head back to reality! The afternoon tea is well worth the trip though and I will be back one day to escape the bustle of Marrakech’s souks and enjoy the oasis of peace that Royal Mansour provides.
Find Out More…
Royal Mansour – https://www.royalmansour.com/
