Royal Mansour, the luxury hotel noted for its private riads and lush gardens in the heart of Marrakech, has kicked off 2020 with the opening of SESAMO, a new Italian dining concept orchestrated by noted Chef Massimiliano Alajmo, whose family-owned group of restaurants in Italy has earned a total of five Michelin stars. SESAMO launched on December 20, 2019, offering a new dimension to the resort’s dining experiences.

This is the group’s first partnership with a hotel, and they bring with them the same dedication to service and cuisine that has long defined the portfolio. Le Calandre, the group’s flagship restaurant in Padua, Italy, has been named to the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” for the past 10 years, and Chef Massimiliano received three Michelin stars there in 2002, making him the youngest chef in the world with this distinction.

The founding brothers fell in love with the charm of Royal Mansour Marrakech and its “luxurious elegance and simplicity,” says Raffaele Alajmo, CEO of Alajmo Group. “What we loved about Morocco, and more particularly about Royal Mansour, is the handmade, artisan feel and its beautiful imperfections – the true, rugged beauty of the place.”

Owned by the King of Morocco, Royal Mansour is a palatial oasis crafted by over 1,500 local artisans as an ode to traditional Moroccan architecture. A quiet retreat just steps from the bustling Medina, guests are welcomed with an open-air courtyard, nearly four acres of lush gardens and private multi-story riads dotted along petal-pink pathways. No carts; no rooms; no crowds. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, Royal Mansour is launching a fashion partnership and new spa programming, further enhancing the decade of exclusive guest experiences and exemplary hospitality.

To honor the surroundings, the SESAMO menu respects and highlights local ingredients while remaining true to traditional Italian preparations and techniques. To do this, fieldwork is being carried out with Domaines Agricoles ­– the largest agribusiness firm in Morocco – to make an olive oil with fruity notes, which is key to Italian cuisine. The menu also features homegrown, Italian varieties of tomatoes and other vegetables that are essential to the Mediterranean diet, as well as locally made mozzarella cheese.

SESAMO offers Chef Massimiliano’s classic dishes, including fried langoustine involtini in a lettuce sauce; hand-chopped Piemontese beef “Battua” (tartar) with white truffle; and crispy risotto with saffron, eel “Gremolata” (Italian parsley) and a beetroot “Ghiacciolo” (sorbet).

Chef Massimiliano Alajmo

Dishes designed especially for SESAMO make up the rest of the menu, including garlic, oil and red pepper spaghetti with vegetables from the Royal Mansour gardens; and signature dessert “Open Sesame, Apriti Sesamo,” a sesame and almond nougat sphere filled with saffron, neroli and almond foam with a passion fruit and citrus sauce.

SESAMO’s décor has been crafted by architecture and design professionals 3BIS, who have been decorating and partnering with the Palace since it opened in 2010. Fabrice Bourg and Nicolas PapamiltiadeÌs, the founders of 3BIS, have designed Sesamo with Venetian influences. The agency’s aim was to channel the history of Royal Mansour by working with the large spacious rooms and incorporating marble and onyx marquetry on the ceilings and floors. By playing with color and light, by mixing vintage and contemporary pieces, and by bringing together the best experts in the field, 3BIS has created a timeless Italian dining experience.