Dar Rihana Dades

Three brothers and a first restaurant

Mohamed, Abdou and Hamid were born and raised in the Dades valley. Before opening their own house, they worked at a hotel in the valley: Mohamed guided visitors to the "Monkey Fingers", the rounded rocks of Tamellalt; Abdou looked after the gardens; Hamid started in the kitchen and went on to become a chef. Mohamed also spent time in Marrakesh, studying French literature.

In 2016, with their father's backing, the three brothers opened a first restaurant in Ait Ben Haddou, the ksar (fortified village) near Ouarzazate on UNESCO's World Heritage List (UNESCO: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The money it earned went back to the valley, where their father bought the land piece by piece and had the house built. Dar Rihana welcomed its first guests in 2019. Today Mohamed, the eldest, runs the house; Abdou and Hamid run the kitchen.

A menu that changes every day

The restaurant is what the house puts first. Each day has its own menu, rotating through the week; produce is local, and the cooking readily goes beyond tagines and couscous, with European dishes alongside Moroccan recipes. For a stay of two or three nights, the rotation matters: you will not be served the same dinner twice.

The brothers adapt menus to their guests. Travellers report gluten-free meals prepared on request; it is best to mention it when booking. Breakfast is included and comes up often in reviews.

A pool at kilometre 25

The house stands at kilometre 25 of the gorge road, in the douar (hamlet) of Ait Ouffi. It is a small place: six rooms, sunny terraces, a rooftop terrace and a pool facing the mountain. In a gorge with many guesthouses, the pool and the air-conditioned rooms set it apart, especially from May to September, when the heat builds in the valley. In winter, the pool water is cool.

Which room to choose

All rooms look out over the mountains or the garden and measure 30 to 40 m².

For a couple, the Deluxe room, with its terrace facing the mountains and the pool, is the right choice; the Suite double, the most spacious, adds a view of the river. Three travellers take the Dades Luxury triple, which looks over the valley; families, the Deluxe family suite, which sleeps up to four.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: couples and families who want a small house with a pool in the heart of the gorge, for one or two nights on the road to Merzouga.

Strengths: a family-run house on a human scale; a different menu every day; the pool and air conditioning, useful in summer.

Good to know: with six rooms, book early for spring and autumn. English, French and Arabic are spoken.