Sandra Zwollo
The brains behind Harem Escape, a retreat for women in
Marrakech, loves her city’s new foodie hotspot Jack Is Back
“
aimed at those of
us who live here, rather than just
tourists, Jack Is Back [
10
Rue Oued el Makhazine,
Hivernage; tel: +212 (0)524 433 890
]
is the kind of place
where you can show up on your own and you’ll always
run into someone you know. It’s also about good food
at sensible prices and I adore being able to chill on a
sofa to eat my dinner. For me, it’s massively important
I can sit comfortably, chat and have a glass of wine
without feeling like I’m on show.
“
Jack [the owner] designed it with a mix of styles: a
diner table laid with a gingham tablecloth
and tomato ketchup in one corner;
intimate, camouflage-covered sofas
in another and a hip bar where you
can have a cocktail like the Jack Is
Back special: vodka, ginger and
a tiny splash of kiwi liqueur.
“
He knows his food too. There’s a great dish of
roasted bone marrow sprinkled with sea salt, and a
wonderful potato purée whipped up with black olives
and truffle oil. Both are sensational, but if you want
something more basic, the pizzas and pastas are good
too – and portions are generous. I can’t bear silly
mouse-sized portions and Jack would rather die than
serve you something mediocre.
“
I don’t know where he gets his energy, but he’s
always to be found late at night having fun, dancing
and enjoying life. The place gets going around
9
pm with music that is trendy, but not
trying too hard to be interesting or too
techno. That’s Jack – he’s a genius at
creating the right blend of hip and
comfortable, and makes people
feel at home immediately.”
I don’t know
where Jack gets his
energy, but he’s always to
be found late at night having
fun, dancing and enjoying life
AS TOLD TO
TARA STEVENS
PHOTO
TIM E WHITE
0 1 6
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