Les Jardins du Lotus

Overview

Les Jardins du Lotus occupies a 19th-century princely residence in the Dar El Bacha quarter, hidden at the end of a narrow derb behind a door that gives nothing away. Step through and the medina recedes: a vast patio with a black and white marble checkerboard floor, a square of orange trees, a pond flanked by towering cacti and living plant walls, and low lounges in powdery pinks and soft greens. The statement piece is a pink-arched bar under an oversized chandelier, with a matching pink DJ booth above the tiled pool. The kitchen calls itself cocina moderna con corazón, and its heart is Mexican: panko and coconut shrimp tacos, tuna tostadas with spicy mayo, quesadillas with wild mushrooms and beef tartare with truffle, alongside lobster rigatoni and caramelized octopus, with passion fruit pavlova and coconut tres leches to finish. Open every day from noon to 2am, it is a leafy lunch spot and cocktail bar by day and something else altogether by night. After dinner the show begins: oriental dancers and live musicians move between the tables and through the garden, Gnawa rhythms meet modern beats, and a resident DJ carries the evening on, so the mood builds from composed to festive. Booking is essential at weekends.