This lovely restaurant is located off a main street at the edge of Gueliz, not far from the stretch of hotels near the Marrakech train station. There isn’t much else in terms of restaurants in the area, but nevertheless, it’s worth the visit.

The entrance to Amaia features a small outdoor dining area with about four tables — perfect for people- watching. Inside, the decor is classy and fun, mixing beautiful wine glasses lined up on the bar with decorations such as a guitar and paintings on the wall.

I decided to check it out for lunch and had the place to myself, as I arrived rather early, at the stroke of noon. The menu features mouth-watering gourmet food with primarily French inspirations. You’ll find everything from freshly made pasta, to premium steak, to classic seafood dishes. For an appetizer, I decided to go with the beef carpaccio, and while waiting I watched it being sliced on the spot in the kitchen upstairs. It was a large portion and came with thin slices of Parmigiano reggiano, drizzled with pesto sauce. It was simply melt-in-your-mouth, and probably the best I’ve ever had. If you’re a fan of sashimi, just imagine a big platter of thinly sliced raw beef marinated to perfection-  actually, it’s much better than sashimi, in my opinion.

For mains, I wanted something quintessentially French, and went for the duck breast with cider vinegar and pineapple chutney. The duck was marinated in a delicious sauce, with a perfectly crispy mix of skin, fat and buttery meat inside. It was also topped with sauteed pineapple, star anise and Moroccan golden raisins — a marriage of sweet and savory. Sides included delicately sauteed green beans, carrots and squash.

After being wowed by the first two dishes, a dessert was definitely in order. I had the pear and chocolate tiramisu, which like the other dishes was one of the most well-executed dishes I’ve had in my life. The layers of the tiramisu were outstanding — the pears were intense and melted in my mouth, and the chocolate and whipped cream were the perfect mix of rich and light.

At the time I went, the restaurant had been open for five years and seemed to be doing rather well. The owners were especially nice and I enjoyed having a conversation with them throughout the meal about their experience living abroad and success in Marrakech.

There’s no doubt that Amaia is in the running for the best food you can get in Marrakech.