Kristen H.

Lying a couple steps up the hill that comprises the Albaicín neighborhood, Restaurante Arrayanes is a well-known spot (recommended by both locals and Rick Steves) serving traditional Moroccan fare. We arrived at around 8:30pm on a Thursday without a reservation and were seated immediately, but it quickly began to fill up soon after we arrived. Service is very hospitable here, speaking both Spanish and English, and the restaurant's interior is cozy and furnished with what I assume to be Moroccan-style decor. To start, my brother ordered their traditional Lemonade - unlike anything we've ever tried before, it was sweet with just the right hint of tartness, and a kick of mint, which added a nice depth of flavor. My mom ordered the Plato de Degustación (Appetizer Plate for Two, €15) - it came with generous portions of hummus, various roasted vegetables, baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant), and cucumber salad, and was served with housemade pita on the side. The hummus was the best we've had - it was smooth and creamy, and while some may say it's bland, I liked that you could really taste the flavor of the chickpeas. The roasted vegetables (I think there were peppers in there?) were also well-seasoned, though lacking a certain bite/textural contrast. The baba ghanoush was perfectly spiced, and the eggplant had an amazing texture - soft and rich without being mushy. The cucumber salad was light and refreshing, especially when paired with the richer hummus. And finally, the pita, served warm, was pillowy-soft, and perfect for dipping! My dad ordered the Brocheta de Kefta (Beef Skewers, €13,50) - while it wasn't the best meat he's had, it was flavorful, correctly spiced, and generously portioned for the price, and he enjoyed the salad it came with, citing its refreshing taste and crunch! We also enjoyed the visual hanging element of the dish, which was unlike anything we had ever seen before. My brother and I both ordered Lamb Tagines, as they came highly recommended by our server - I ordered the Tajine de Cordero con Ciruelas y Almendras (Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds, €19), and he ordered the Tajine de Cordero con Verduras (Lamb Tagine with Vegetables, €18). We loved the authentic presentation of the tagines in the traditional pot, and it's quite a show when they lift off the lid to unleash the aromatic steam trapped inside! However, we were disappointed in the small portion of lamb for the price - while it was perfectly cooked to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, we ended up wishing for more. I enjoyed the prunes and dried apricots that my dish came with, as they lent a deep sweetness to the sauce, but I felt that the almonds and the egg in my dish made it a bit too rich for my liking. My brother also said that the vegetables his dish came with were slightly overcooked. Overall, I would say that this restaurant is a good stop for Moroccan food, especially if you're planning to explore the Albaicín. It's important to note that everyone in the restaurant that we saw looked like a tourist, so perhaps venture elsewhere if you want more traditional/authentic fare at a cheaper price. However, we enjoyed most of our food here (with a few standouts, like the appetizers!), service is friendly, and it's a great break from all the Spanish tapas, if you need it! (3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

Caroline M.

Loved everything about my experience at Arrayanes. I got the house lemonade and it was perfectly sweet and had a nice mint flavor. The Moroccan Tea is out of this world- just try it! For my meal I ordered the lamb tajin with vegetables and all of the flavors were delicious. Just what I needed after weeks of eating Spanish food. Atmosphere is a plus!

Lori B.

nice spot in granada. we struggled to find this place but were welcomed with a cozy atmosphere and delicious house made mint lemonade. we went for dinner at the recommendation of rick steves. had great service and yummy dinner. great opportunity to experience a family run business and authentic food.

Hilary W.

After a week in SpainI had enough of tapas so this was a welcome change! The cute restaurant is tucked into a little street in the cobblestone medieval area- love the location. The decor is vibrant and clean (sometimes places like this can get tired but this feels fresh and new). We shared the appetizer of a variety of Moroccan "salads" and it came with fluffy warm pita bread. I had the harira soup which was so delicious! I also had the lamb tajine and it was perfect as well! I should have ordered a side of couscous to mop up the delicious juices! Very friendly service! Highly recommend!

Foodie V.

This is another Rick Steve's recommendations. This is a popular Moroccan restaurant. Service was good and the food was overall very good. We ordered: - Salades - 5 dips to go with an order of breads. Most of the dips were good but the hummus was under seasoned. (4 stars) -lemon mint drinks - refreshing drink and a must try. (5 stars) -lamb tangine with prune and almonds - very good. -chicken with raisins and onions couscous - very good. -balawa - crispy and sweet. First time trying this. I do like the complimentary hot mint tea to finish the meal. I recommend this trying this place and I may come back to try different things. Rating: 1 - Poor, 2 - OK, 3 - Good, 4 - Very Good, 5 - Excellent

Lisa R.

Eric R. read about Arrayanes in the wikitravel so after five hours at the Alhambra, we hiked over here. The gentleman who came to us at the front told us there was a 30 minute lunch wait as the placed was packed, and I could not wait. Eric R. asked him if I could use the restroom and he was very gracious - after his kindness I decided to ask if we could make a dinner reservation, which we did. We returned 9 hours later for dinner (early for Spain though) and the anticipation was high. This is a Halal restaurant so I did not have to worry about pork in my meal (which is hard in Spain). We ordered Moroccan green mint tea which was so delicious and brought me back to my time in Bedouin tent in Israel where we were served tea in the mornings like this. We started with the salad sampler for two and Arab bread. The sampler included hummus, eggplant, sweet peppers, and Israeli salad. It was delicious with the bread (which was ordered separately). For our entrees, we ordered the lamb rice and the kefte tagine. The tagine was presented beautifully at the table and had poached eggs just like one I made at home recently from a tagine cookbook. The lamb was tender and melted in the mouth. We had a wonderful meal and excellent service both from the gentleman from lunch and another server. I highly recommend Arrayanes for a meal.

Shahin S.

I'm a little torn about this one. Is it a tourist trap? Maybe. Is the food good? Yes. Have they mastered the art of being authentic as possible while attracting tourist after tourist. I think so. We didn't have a reservation, but were asked if we did. We said no. Seated at a table within a minute. People kept coming to the door - being asked if they had a reservation - and they all said no - but were seated quickly. Me thinks they have a reservation system online (somewhere) and assuming that - they confirm that right from the get go. Likely, 100% of the time when arriving at this restaurant, you will be asked if you have a reservation. Service is prompt. I imagine it is quite a fast turn over. Ordered the lamb tahjeen with apricots and was fresh and tender. The flavours were spot on and the portion was a good size. This place really has me torn. It's turnstyle, but the quality and service is spot on. I commend them for finding a successful formula for their business. They definitely know what they're doing and they're doing a great job at it.

David L.

The reviews are all true. A great experience with really great food and service. We've been in Spain for over a week so it was a nice change of pace. The owner is truly very caring and proud of his restaurant and you almost feel like he's welcoming you into his home...he treats you with that kind of hospitality. The good was also spot on. Great tasting tangines, tender meat and vegetables and the couscous was also very flavorful. We had a wonderful meal as did the completely full restaurant. So try and get a reservation as you could be waiting a bit without one.

Coco G.

Delicious food. Very authentic and flavorful!! We have to come back. Thanks Mustafa for the wonderful service and your sympathy.

Jboogie L.

Website: http://www.rest-arrayanes.com/contenido1eng.html We wanted to know if Moroccan food in Spain tasted any better than the Moroccan food here in San Francisco. Conclusion: It tasted the same for me. We ordered: Briwat - Chicken/Cinnamon pastry appetizer Tajin dish of Lamb Couscous - equivalent to rice but fluffier. When we walked into the restaurant, it appears to be filled with "tourists" from Europe. It was polite and quite. The kicker was they tried to play "Mariah Carey" music to accommodate to our hearing buds. We asked to speak to Mostafa who was friendly and asked if I was from Harvard. Later on, a patron came up to me and said, " I am also from Harvard". ..................... Okay. Prices - A bit on the pricey side (10-15 Euros) dish.