First look inside the new Marrakech Café in Canterbury
Dishes highlight surprising links between Moroccan and Indian cuisines
Dev Biswal, the owner-chef The Cook’s Tale (formerly The Ambrette), the renowned modern Anglo-Indian restaurant in Canterbury, has opened Café Marrakech in the city.
Located in the former Cardinal’s Cap pub (also formerly the Blind Dog) in Rosemary Lane, the new restaurant is a curated mixture of Moroccan elegance, authentic flavours, and traditional hospitality. with slow-cooked tagines, charcoal-grilled meats, hand-rolled couscous, vibrant salads, flaky pastries, freshly baked khobz, and sweet delights like semolina basbousa.
Each dish is prepared with authentic ingredients and bold spices, offering a rich, flavour-packed dining experience.
The space is flooded with warm light, vibrant colours, soft music, and spicy aromas, creating the heady atmosphere reminiscent of a Marrakech souk.
Biswal became inspired by north African cuisines after recruiting a Moroccan chef to join his brigade at The Cook’s Tale. He quickly added the destination to his destinations of his small group culinary tours operation, The Cooks Adventures.
“Visiting Morocco for the first time was a real eye-opener – I was amazed by the similarities in Moroccan and Indian cuisines; our food and cultures have more in common than I could have possibly imagined” said Biswal, adding,” I grew up thinking samosas were an Indian invention!”
The parathas, koftas, naans and sharbat and curries Biswal ate in in local restaurants as a child – all have their equivalent in Morocco
Closer to home, Dev also runs Canterbury Experiences which offers tailored 'culinary pilgrimages', taking in the local area's beautiful countryside, working closely with local partners and Visit Canterbury tourist office.
