Pepe Nero, Italian restaurant in Medina, Marrakesh, Morocco.
Pepe Nero sits in a traditional courtyard with citrus trees and a central pool, serving fresh homemade pasta and Mediterranean specialties. The restaurant operates its own pasta-making kitchen and prepares dishes like crab bisque served in actual shells and celeriac ravioli with chive sauce.
The restaurant occupies part of Riad Al Moussika, once owned by Thami El Glaoui, a major Moroccan figure during the French protectorate. The conversion of this historic residence into a dining venue connects the city's colonial past with contemporary culinary activity.
The menu bridges Italian cooking methods with local Moroccan ingredients, creating dishes that reflect both traditions. Diners experience how Mediterranean and North African flavors come together within the walls of a historic riad.
Plan to book ahead, as this establishment tends to be in demand. It opens Tuesday through Sunday for both lunch and dinner, making it easy to fit into most visiting schedules.
The kitchen presents crab bisque inside actual crab shells, a presentation detail that catches many diners off guard. This attention to detail extends through other dishes with unconventional fillings prepared fresh in the pasta room.
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