We only spent one night in Ouarzazate. It was mostly just a stop over on our way to Marrakesh, although we did visit the Medina before heading out the following morning. We arrived in the evening time, we a few minutes to relax before dinner. We were staying at the Kenzi Azghor Hotel, which served mediocre food based on our breakfast the following morning. Rather than eat at the hotel, we headed down the street to Ovelix Restaurant.
Ovelix is a distinctly Egyptian-themed restaurant. The wall paintings and sculptures throughout the restaurant looked similar to the historic murals we saw during our trip to Egypt several years ago. It is likely paying homage to the popularity of Ouarzazate as a destination for filming movies. The food was neither Egyptian nor explicitly Moroccan. We had a prix fixe menu which included goat tajine, chicken cordon bleu and a seafood dish. My wife and I both opted for the chicken cordon bleu. The meal included a light salad to start things off and dessert.
The restaurant features high, ornate ceilings with walls elaborately decorated with the Egyptian motif. The service was exceptionally fast, although we did order ahead. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The food looked amazing. The dish was served with great visual appeal. It appears that the kitchen staff place a high emphasis on presentation. Those who had the goat were impressed with their meals. Our chicken cordon bleu looked amazing, but was just a little bit weird. Rather than using ham, the dish had something akin to pepperoni. The spiciness of the sausage made the dish just a bit too unusual for my taste. I removed the sausage and just ate the chicken portions and it was good. As odd as it was to begin with. We had the tiramisu for dessert, which was excellent.
The prices at Ovelix seem reasonable. Most of the tajines were in the 60 dirham range, which is a bit cheaper than we paid everywhere else we had them. The price generally runs 70 to 100 dirham. The desserts run 25 to 30 dirham, which seems about average. The tiramisu was a nice portion and was delicious. The chicken cordon bleu was more expensive, at close to ten dollars US. I may have been better advised to go with the tajine. But we were due for a break from Moroccan food. The cordon bleu was tasty once we removed the ham substitute. The website actually shows a photo of this dish with what looks like sliced ham, a traditional rendering of the dish. As you can see from the photo above, the meat is cubed and darker than ham. All things considered, I would have given this place another go, but I would definitely have ordered something different. I liked the service and atmosphere. From our hotel, it was also very convenient. Just a short walk down the road.
All photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.
