Alain Ducasse’s Rabat restaurant costs up to 1,200 dirhams per person, but service falls short

To try Alain Ducasse’s cuisine in Rabat, diners should budget between 900 and 1,200 dirhams per person, excluding drinks. That is the price range published by the Gault&Millau Morocco guide, which has also awarded Aldabaran, the restaurant on the 33rd floor of the Tour Mohammed VI, a score of 14/20 and two toques. The verdict is favorable, but the inspectors noted some shortcomings in the service.

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The restaurant occupies 510 square meters at the Waldorf Astoria Rabat-Salé. Its 66 seats offer panoramic views of the Bouregreg, Rabat, Salé and the Atlantic Ocean. The decor, designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, combines wood paneling, zellige tiles and pieces made by artisans from Fès and Meknès. It is a spectacular setting, described in a report published Saturday, October 17, by the Italian magazine Reporter Gourmet.

Alain Ducasse has put Morgan Perrigaud in charge of the kitchens. Perrigaud has worked, among other places, at the Jiwan restaurant at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. The menu combines Moroccan ingredients with Mediterranean cuisine: baby vegetables stuffed with suckling lamb and poultry, red prawns served with ricotta tortellini, and lamb with caponata.

Gault&Millau gives it 14/20, but raises concerns about service

Gault&Millau’s inspectors particularly enjoyed the red prawns with ricotta-and-basil tortellini, as well as the rum baba. They praised the precision of the cooking, the quality of the ingredients and a relatively short menu that changes with the seasons. The restaurant receives two toques and the designation “chef’s table.”

However, not everything impressed them. The guide notes slow service at the start of the meal, which it considers ill-suited to the restaurant’s ambitions. While the staff’s welcome and recommendations are appreciated, the pace of service is still inconsistent. According to the inspectors, this shortcoming keeps the cuisine and setting from fully expressing their potential.

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By comparison, the same guide gives the Brasserie Magnolia, also located in the Waldorf Astoria, a score of 14.5/20. Its indicative price range is significantly lower, at 400 to 600 dirhams per person, excluding drinks. This other restaurant in the tower serves Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Moroccan flavors in a more relaxed setting.