Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA

The outside of the restaurant is a little plain. It's pretty insignificant to look at from the street. There are no windows to see inside or to offer natural lighting in the dining area. The inside is somewhat small and gets a little stuffy after awhile. Seating is rather unusual. There are small, round tables around the perimeter which have small poufs on one side and bench seating on the opposite side. If you sit on the bench, you're leaning over the table while you eat...if you sit on the pouf, the table is a little high and you seriously work you core muscles during the meal.

After you order you meal, which is served in five courses, the waiter will rinse your hands with water in a large basin. They provide a white, large towel for your napkin which was a slightly odd but strangely convenient. I personally did not mind the hand washing or the towel napkins.

My meal consisted of Traditional Lentil Soup and Salads Marrakesh. The soup is served in a small bowl that you sip from. It was fine. The salad is served on a large platter to share with your group. Using the bread to scoop and sop up the salad turned out to be fun for me but not so much for my wife. If a fork will make you feel more comfortable, all you need do is ask and the staff will kindly provide one for you. The third course was called B'stilla Royale and consisted of a ground meat filled pasty dusted with powdered sugar. It's sounded peculiar, but it tasted sweet...I liked it. For the main course, I ordered the Tagine of Lamb M'Rouzia. Delicious! I also tried my wife's Tagine of Chicken with Honey and Prunes which was also very nice. The meat is cooked to a very tender perfection. Finally, the dessert came. It was a sort of coconut pudding/yogurt and a hot Mint Tea. I was not a fan of the pudding/yogurt, but the tea was tasty.

For entertainment they offer a traditional belly dancer. She interacts with the patrons, asking if you'd like to dance with her. It's a little distracting, but I think it added a fun touch.

Overall, I think the place would be great for a group of four or more. The food is reasonably priced and good.