Dar Simons, an exquisite fine dining restaurant and boutique hotel in Marrakech
Mapped in the secluded and quaint neighbourhood of Riad Laarouss on the souks' northwestern outskirts, Dar Simons is one of the most exquisite restaurant of the medina. While offering a very limited number of guests per night, this fine-dining restaurant and boutique hotel is a novel concept, offering 3 stylish rooms for those who wish to fully experience Dar Simons hospitality. The restaurant offers an elegant and inventive menu, in an impeccable and curated atmosphere and exceptional hospitality. We spoke with Chef Carlo Simons about his concept and acclaimed restaurant below.
Dar Simons is quite enticing. I would love to know more about you and your background.
My name is Carlo Simons. I grew up in Belgium in a cosmopolitan family and neighbourhood. My father is of Indonesian and Yemeni descent, while my mother is from Sicily. So naturally I had the opportunity to work in many Michelin-starred restaurants, but at some point it all felt so dull. I realised I wanted to do something more creative and different, So I chose to quit this and took a step towards my own interests.
Dar Simons appears to be a very passion-driven project of yours. How did you come up with the idea of creating a small, luxurious restaurant in the heart of the medina?
This is a social project for me, but I am convinced that a social project does not have to be self-sustaining all of the time. We can work hard while still having social influence. I've always wanted to make something like that, and I suppose it's only natural that I've ended up doing that. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
I love how you cook next to your guests as it feels very intimate. Is having that closeness with your guests important?
Yes, it is very important to me that I get to know my guests a bit during the evening, so I know who I am cooking for. Because everyone has their own story. As you mentioned, it's intimate, but it's also very exciting. It's one of the things I never get tired of, and I'm always eager to hear new stories; it's pretty intriguing to me.
Fine dining experiences are elegant and unique but can often feel uncomfortable with no warmth. However, you were able to create a sort of safe environment with the feeling of a home away from home where your guests can experience fine dining while feeling at ease. Is this something you intentionally wanted for your guests, or did this just eventually fall into place during the process?
This is something that I try to create. Of course, it doesn't come so easily; you have to put effort into it considering how different aspects play a role in this kind of fine dining experience. But my goal is that people feel at home and also connect with each other. And this is possible for us because we are such a small restaurant, so I try to go through everything by myself to ensure quality since that is all that counts to me.
Before coming here, we had no idea what to expect from your restaurant. I've seen that you don't do any promotion for your restaurant and attempt to keep everything under wraps. What are your views considering this aspect ?
We don’t work for our social media, we work for our guests. Sometimes we see that social media gives too much information, so when you follow someone and see everything that will be served in detail, there is not much new to experience when you actually go and visit there. We would like to keep the mystery. Since you know, mystery attracts curiosity ; We believe it is a more refreshing experience this way.
I would love to know more about the unique food you cook. Where exactly do you find your inspiration?
Actually it makes no difference whether I'm cooking or working on the inside of a space; I always choose the best products or materials. I try to make the most of it without being too obvious. We appreciate a product's purity and attractiveness. So, while working with the best products, you don't need to add much. Sometimes simplicity is all that is needed.
You are originally from Belgium, but you came to Marrakesh to create one of Marrakech’s most distinctive experiences. Has your time in Morocco influenced your cooking or your aesthetic and vision in any way?
Of course, Marrakech is an inspirational setting, and I am motivated by what I see around me. However, I stay very close to my vision. So in a sense, certain things are Moroccan influenced and some are purely my own ideas.
You also have rooms available for your guests where they can have the full hospitality experience of dining, sleeping, and, I believe, breakfast too, which is quite wholesome. Could you tell me more about the hotel experience at Dar Simons?
Well, yes, we are not a typical riad. Our rooms are very small and intimate. We couldn’t make the rooms bigger, but again we chose the best products available. For example, the soap we provide for the rooms, Parco, is the best in the whole city, anticipating that when people come for dinner and stay for one or two nights, they feel some comfort as if they are at home. That is the most crucial consideration for us.
What do you wish your guests would remember when they leave Dar Simons?
That they have experienced a home away from home. I want the idea of comfort to appear in people's minds whenever they hear the name Dar Simons.
I understand that Dar Simons is a passion-driven project that will come to an end; what can we expect in the future from Dar Simons or from you?
I'm in the process of learning about art, fashion, and furniture, and I hope to be able to accomplish something with these things in the future and create what I have always dreamed of, so that in the end I feel accomplished. But for the time being, I'd like to have a social influence on the area and have visitors remember Dar Simons as a highlight of their trip to Marrakech.