If you’re traveling through the High Atlas Mountains on N9, a stop at Chez Rafiq is a must. This large restaurant and gift shop, with ample parking for buses, great scenery, and friendly staff. The restaurant perfectly caters to tourists without compromising on quality. While en route from Ouarzazate to Marrakesh, we stopped here for lunch. It was a delightful experience.
Spacious and Welcoming
Chez Rafiq has a spacious dining area, offering plenty of room for large groups to dine without interference. At typical travelers, our first stop was the restrooms. We found the restrooms to be modern and impeccably clean—some of the nicest we encountered in Morocco. For anyone familiar with travel in developing countries, you’ll understand why this is a noteworthy detail. In the West, such amenities are often taken for granted.
Dining with a View
We dined in the newer section of the restaurant, featuring broad windows that let in ample sunlight. The rooms were large with high ceilings. Tasteful accents, including ornate carvings and brightly colored pillows, created a pleasant atmosphere. Our small table was adorned with simple floral patterned tablecloths and miniature tajine-shaped salt and cumin dishes.
Chez Rafiq Serves Delicious Moroccan Cuisine
The menu, like most tourist stops, had a limited selection. I opted for the chicken tajine with lemon and olives, while my wife chose the vegetable soup. Lunch began with traditional bread and olives. Our food arrived quickly, served hot, with the soup coming first. Entrees arrived shortly after the soup. In spite of the size of our group, the staff were efficient and attentive. They seemed eager to cater to everyone’s needs.
Stunning Scenery
Our view from the broad windows was exceptional, overlooking a large bluff across the highway and a narrow valley behind the restaurant. The terrain of the High Atlas Mountains is often uneven, with steep drops and cliff faces. Chez Rafiq is situated on a broad, level area, perfect for the bus we were traveling on. The area seemed prime for additional expansion.
Exploring the Grounds of Chez Rafiq
After our meal, we had time to use the restrooms, enjoy the scenery behind the building, and visit the gift shop next door. The shop had the usual tourist items—geodes, trilobites, pottery, tajines, clothing, etc.—at slightly high prices, as expected. We spent more time enjoying the fresh air outside, appreciating the crisp mountain atmosphere. Looking back, I think I should have checked the gift shop for salt and pepper tajines. They would have made a nice reminder for our trip.
A Worthwhile Stop at Chez Rafiq
Chez Rafiq is one of the nicer stops we visited. While geared toward tourists, it stands out for its efficiency, friendly staff, cleanliness, and excellent scenery. The recent construction didn’t detract from our experience, and the crisp mountain air provided us with a refreshing break from our bus journey. Importantly, the restrooms were in excellent shape, comparable to a western restaurant. Almost as important, there was no fee to use them. It is not uncommon to find restrooms that charge a small fee when traveling in other parts of the world.
If you find yourself traveling over the High Atlas Mountains, don’t be deterred by the touristy appearance of Chez Rafiq. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the service is excellent.
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