The table at Palais Rhoul — from boat to plate, lunch and dinner

Dakhla — Table & Cuisine

The table at Palais Rhoul — from boat to plate, lunch and dinner

There are two tables at Palais Rhoul. They do not have the same character, the same hands, or the same light. They share one requirement: what is on the plate comes from somewhere that can be named.

Lunch — Rachida and the fire

Midday belongs to Rachida and Moroccan cuisine. Not a reconstructed cuisine for tourists — a home cooking rooted in the land, prepared with the produce of the day, often around fish grilled over charcoal in front of the guests. When the boat returns from fishing, some guests go down to choose their fish on the jetty. What comes up ends on the embers.

Sample lunch menu

Starters

Zaalouk of greenhouse vegetables, argan oilTaktouka of fresh tomatoes and roasted peppersGoat's cheese and thyme honey briouatsCarrot salad with cinnamon and orange blossomBissara of broad beans, cumin and olive oil

Mains

Catch of the day grilled over charcoal, house chermoulaGrouper tagine with olives and preserved lemonsVegetable couscous from the garden, saffron brothMoroccan-style stuffed squid, spiced tomato sauceFree-range chicken with seven spices, almonds and raisins

Desserts

Milk pastilla with orange blossom and cinnamon

Dinner — Fayz and the evening menu

In the evening, Fayz takes over. The menu shifts register: international, simple, full of flavour. Five choices per course, everything cooked to order, served facing the night over the lagoon. No unnecessary complexity — cooking that knows what it is doing and does it well.

Sample dinner menu

Starters

Pumpkin velouté, coconut cream and gingerSea bream carpaccio, citrus and extra virgin olive oilBurrata, greenhouse tomatoes, fresh basilTuna tartare, avocado, toasted sesameWarm lentil salad, roasted vegetables and feta

Mains

Fillet of sea bass, lemon butter, steamed vegetablesDuck breast, honey and spice reductionDesert vegetable risotto, aged parmesanSautéed prawns with garlic, sweet chilli and fresh herbsSlow-cooked lamb, chickpea purée

Desserts

Dark chocolate fondant, molten centreVanilla panna cotta, passion fruit coulisThin apple tart, salted butter caramelHomemade lemon-mint sorbet, crisp tuileCheese board, Rachida's sourdough bread

Dinner reservations are confirmed the day before. The table is open to residents and outside visitors, subject to availability.

Two tables, two kitchens, one house. That may be why the food at Palais Rhoul is good — not ambition, but coherence.

Reservations and enquiries by email only.