Le Zinc sits where almost nobody expects to find Marrakech's design crowd at dinner, out in the warehouse blocks of Sidi Ghanem, and that is precisely the point. Chef-patron Damien Durand runs it as an unfussy French bistro with a serious wine list, the kind of room locals would rather keep to themselves.
The address is part of the story. Sidi Ghanem is the industrial quarter five kilometres north of Gueliz, a grid of design showrooms, ateliers and concept stores that empties out by early evening. When the shutters come down, Le Zinc fills up. Tripadvisor reviewers describe a bistro that "buzzes with the socialites and foodies of Marrakech to DJ beats or live entertainment" once the working day ends, and that shift from workshop district to dinner room is the whole appeal.
The bar takes its name from the zinc-topped counter that anchors the room. The look is honest rather than decorated: bare bulbs, market produce, a chalk menu and a long bottle wall. Service is run by the kitchen, so the wine recommendations come with food in mind. The result reads more Lyon than Marrakech, which in a city of riad terraces and hotel lounges makes Le Zinc feel like a deliberate break from the postcard.
Durand, the chef-patron, built his name on modern interpretations of French cooking, and the cooking is the reason most people come. The plates are seasonal and change often, but the spine of the menu holds steady: a daily fish, a grilled steak, a few bistro classics done properly. Tripadvisor ranks Le Zinc at 4.3 out of 5 and places it around 509th of more than 1,460 Marrakech restaurants, a respectable showing for a venue that does almost no marketing and trades on word of mouth.
What to order starts with the glass. The list leans French, with a useful run of Moroccan labels from the Meknes and Benslimane vineyards for anyone who wants to drink local. Ask for the wine of the day by the glass and let the floor steer you toward the food. After that, the steak with frites is the safe order, and the fish of the day rewards trusting the kitchen. Prices sit in the mid range for the city, which makes Le Zinc one of the better-value sit-down wine evenings in Marrakech.
This is a room for people who care about food and drink and want to spend an evening over both. It suits expats and design-district regulars, couples after a low-key date away from the medina crowds, and visitors who have had their fill of mint tea and want a proper bottle of wine with dinner. It is not a quick-cocktail stop or a rooftop photo opportunity. The pleasure here is the table.
Best time to go is mid-evening on a weekday, after the Sidi Ghanem showrooms close, when the room hits its stride and the DJ nights bring the design crowd in. Book ahead at weekends. Sidi Ghanem is a taxi ride from Gueliz and the Medina, so agree the return fare or have a driver on call, as the quarter goes quiet late.
For more of the city's drinking, see our guide to the best wine bars in Marrakech and the wider Marrakech bar round-up. For two more rooms built around the bottle, pair it with Le 68 Bar a Vin in Gueliz and the long-running Grand Cafe de la Poste, both on the full Marrakech bar guide.
