(60 Place des Tombeaux Saadiennes, Kasbah, Medina . Tel. 024 382 092) Subtle and low-key, Nid’ Cigogne is a hot tip, offering shade and seclusion over several terraces and levels, with an excellent and inexpensive menu.

  (44 Rue Tarik Ben Ziad, Gueliz. Tel. 024 432 149) A quirky café/restaurant/bookshop. Drop in for fresh, delicious home-made cakes and afternoon tea or a light lunch, while you browse the shelves for English language books and newspapers.

  (Route de Targa, Camp el Ghoul, Gueliz . Tel. 024 430 229) So French, in terms of food and design, that it’s like being transported to Paris. Ideal if you want a delicious break from Moroccan cuisine.

  (22 Derb Abdellah Ben Hessaien, R’mila Bab Ksour, Medina . Tel. 024 441 523) One of the best restaurants in Marrakech. Set inside an elegantly restored riad, lit by candles and glowing lanterns, and filled with the smell of the incredible cooking. Treat yourself to the five-course Moroccan feast.

  (37 Avenue Echouhada, Hivernage. Tel. 024 437 702) The restaurant below Le Comptoir bar forms a distraction, which makes this watering hole a little-known secret, located up a sweeping staircase.

  (47 Place des Ferblantiers, Medina . Tel. 024 380 324) The Moscow-trained piano-player and his bongo-thumping Moroccan sidekick perform a range of jazz and pop tracks at this lively restaurant/bar buried in the Medina.

  (Palmeraie Golf Palace, Palmeraie. Tel. 024 301 010) This all-singing, all-dancing complex is a recent addition to the party scene, set a little way out of town. This where the city's cognoscenti head.

Try Gueliz, a complete contrast to the frantic chaos of the Medina, offering an array of shops, galleries and cafés on wide streets (Boulevard Mohammed Zerktouni and Boulevard Mohammed V).

Rest those tired feet in a traditional hammam. Starting with a steam, you are washed and scrubbed down, then an application of lavender, rose water, a face mask or shampoo leaves you positively glowing.

The Souks, North Medina—running off the famous Jemaa El Fna—is a network of covered alleys, home to vendors of all persuasions, with their wares ranging from carpets to baboush slippers and camels.

The Friendship Festival was designed to bridge cultural differences. The annual event features local and international performers, ranging from American gospel singers to traditional Moroccan musicians (5-7 May. www.friendshipfest.com).

 – Central Marrakech can be a hectic place. If you're staying for longer than three days, take a day trip out of the city and see some of the surrounding area. The Kasbah Agafay is one of the few places that allows visitors to use its pool. Cooking courses, an extensive spa, good food and a great setting make the trip well worthwhile (Kasbah Agafay, Route de Guemassa 20km).

"It is the most lovely spot in the whole world," said Winston Churchill to Franklin D Roosevelt about Marrakech in 1943. The Prime Minister had persuaded the President to visit his favourite haunt after the Casablanca Conference.