Nouba Marrakech dress code and directions

Where the restaurant is

Nouba's own website gives its address as Zone de l'Agdal, Boulevard Mohamed VI, Marrakech. Wikipedia describes Avenue Mohammed VI as a major city thoroughfare that has seen rapid development of residential complexes and hotels, so this is a road address in the modern city. Agdal is also the name of the historic gardens south of the old kasbah, which can confuse a map search. Type the restaurant's name together with the boulevard, and show the same two words to your taxi driver.

By taxi from the medina or your hotel

Taking a cab is very common inside Marrakech. The Moroccan National Tourist Office says taxis are identified by a colour for each city, and that you can book a cab ahead through on-demand taxi services. Ask the driver to run the meter, or agree the fare before you get in, and show the restaurant's name and the boulevard on your phone. Allow a margin for the evening traffic, because the boulevard is a main road.

Getting home

The show runs on into the evening, so settle your return before you sit down. Ask the staff to call a taxi when you ask for the bill. The tourist office suggests booking a cab ahead through an on-demand taxi service for a late arrival or a flight you must not miss, and the same option is open for your ride home. Do not count on hailing a cab at the door at the end of the evening. Keep some cash for the ride and for tips, because tips are not part of the ticket, and a driver late at night may not have change for a large note.

What to wear

The dress code is chic. Two rules are named outright: no shorts, and no open shoes for men. Beyond that the room is a restaurant with a stage, so smart casual or dressier is the safe range. Closed shoes, long trousers or a dress, and a jacket you can leave on a chair cover most evenings. If you spent the day in the medina in sandals and shorts, go back to your hotel to change before the taxi.

• No shorts
• No open shoes for men
• Chic, as the dress code puts it
• A layer for the ride in the cooler months

The evening air

Wikipedia classifies Marrakesh as a hot semi-arid climate, with long, hot, dry summers and brief, mild to cool winters, and average temperatures from about 12 degrees Celsius in winter to 26 to 30 in summer. After dark in the cooler months you will want a layer between the taxi and the door. In summer a light, smart fabric suits the heat. Either way, the walk from the kerb to the entrance is short, so a coat you can hand over is enough, and you will not need to carry anything bulky through the evening.

Dates, Ramadan and your service

The booking calendar shows which services run on your date and the time of each, and your confirmation repeats it. If your trip overlaps Ramadan, check the calendar for your night before you build other plans around it. Because the two services pair different shows with different menu styles, decide which one you want first, then look for a date, not the other way round.

Read next: Nouba Marrakech dinner show: what to book

Arriving and your table

Arrive for the time on your confirmation, not later: the show is part of the dinner, and your table belongs to the service you booked. Show the mobile ticket in the app or on the website; nothing needs printing. Ask about paying the bar bill when you arrive, so there are no surprises at the end. The ticket is listed as wheelchair accessible, and the restaurant is the one to tell about any access needs in advance. If you are running late, tell the restaurant as early as you can instead of turning up mid-show, because the programme is part of the dinner.

Before or after: the old city at night

Jemaa el-Fnaa fills at dusk. Wikipedia says that as darkness falls the square fills with dozens of food stalls and the crowd peaks, with storytellers and musicians working the edges. The Koutoubia minaret, 77 metres tall, is the landmark you can see above it. Do not schedule the square straight before your service. Go on another evening, or in the afternoon, and keep the dinner show as the one fixed point of its night.

Read next: A Marrakech evening around the show

Money, cards and tips

The ticket pays for the dinner show and the menu of your service. Everything else is settled on the night: the bar, a tip if you want to leave one, and your taxi. Ask the staff how the bar bill will be presented and how they take payment before you order, rather than at the end. Carry a little cash in small notes for the driver and for tips, because a taxi driver may not have change for a large note late in the evening.

If something goes wrong

Keep your confirmation and the mobile ticket where you can open them without a signal: a screenshot of each is enough. If a taxi does not turn up, ask the restaurant's staff to help before you try the road. If your plans change before the 24-hour cut-off, you can cancel in the booking app for a full refund. After the cut-off, contact the booking page's support, because the restaurant cannot change a booking made through it.

Who this isn't for

If you want to arrive in shorts and sandals straight from a day in the medina, this is not the right evening. If you need to be in bed early, the night is a late one. If you rely on public transport, plan your return before you go, because taxis are the practical way home. And if you want a restaurant with no show, book a table somewhere quieter. Travelling in a group of four or more, plan for two cars and agree where you will meet outside the restaurant.