Restaurants in Fes
Fassi cooking is a foodie delight. Traditional tagine and couscous dishes mix sweet and savoury flavours with moreish results, and Fès is lauded by Moroccans for being home to the country’s best cuisine. The medina has a wide range of restaurants for every budget and mostly dishes up Moroccan fare, while the Ville Nouvelle is the place to head to for European-style cooking.
The restaurants below have been grouped into three different pricing categories:
Expensive (over 400 dirhams)
Moderate (200 to 400 dirhams)
Cheap (under 200 dirhams)
The prices quoted are for a three-course meal (or equivalent with shared meze, main course and dessert) without drinks.
Expensive
La Maison Bleue
Cuisine: MoroccanRelax like a pasha on brocaded divans in a candlelit salon, while musicians strum traditional oud music in the background and waiters in pantaloons and babouches (Moroccan slippers) serve up subtly spiced traditional feasts. Succulent lamb tagines and sweet-savoury pastille (pigeon pie) are two of the highlights here. Alcohol is served.
Address: Batha, Medina, 2 Ahmed Mekouar Square, Fès, 30110Telephone: +212 535 741 843
NUR Restaurant
Cuisine: Middle EasternDesigned as a contemporary tribute to Morocco’s rich and diverse history, this restaurant delivers pure artistry in cuisine and décor. Chef Najat and her team improvise the menu every night based on the best available produce, and serve each diner about eight courses. Alcohol is available and reservations are a must.
Address: Fès el-Bali, 7 Derb Zkak Rouah, Fès, 30110Telephone: +212 694 277 849
Website: http://www.nur.ma
Restaurant MB
Cuisine: FrenchThe classic French and Italian cooking found here attracts plenty of well-to-do locals as well as tourists, who come to dine on juicy steaks, pasta and seafood. The ultra-modern interior seems a world away from the medina hustle and the service is top-notch. Alcohol is served.
Address: Ville Nouvelle, 12 Rue Ahmed Chaouki, Fès,Telephone: +212 535 622 727
Website: http://www.mbrestaurantlounge.com
Moderate
Fez Café
Cuisine: InternationalYou can’t beat the ambience of dining in the garden of a pasha’s one-time palace. The menu offers both Moroccan and European dishes, so there’s something for the fussiest of eaters, while the shady green surroundings are a reviving setting after a day in the souks. Alcohol is served.
Address: Fès el-Bali, 13 Rue Akbat Sbaa, Fès, 30000Telephone: +212 535 635 031
Website: http://www.jardindesbiehn.com
L’Italien
Cuisine: ItalianIf you’ve had your fill of couscous, brochettes and tagines, head here for a little pizza and pasta. The pasta is made in-house and the pizzas are straight from the wood-fired oven. Alcohol is served and there’s a good range of wines.
Address: Ville Nouvelle, Avenue Omar Ibn Khattab, Fès,Telephone: +212 535 943 384
The Ruined Garden
Cuisine: MoroccanThis has to be one of the most tranquil dining spots in the medina. Tables here are surrounded by blooming flowers, lush banana-leaf plants and columns, while the menu takes Moroccan dishes and gives them a modernised twist for a flavourful treat. A particularly good choice for vegetarians. Alcohol served.
Address: Fès el-Bali, 15 Derb Idrissy Sidi Ahmed Chaoui Medina, Fès, 30110Telephone: +212 649 191 410
Website: http://www.ruinedgarden.com
Cheap
Café Clock
Cuisine: InternationalWhen you’re tired of tagines, head to this buzzing spot where camel burgers, quiche, sandwiches, and inventive salads sit on the menu alongside more traditional Moroccan dishes. The prime seats are on the top floor terrace, with close-up views of the Medersa Bou Inania. No alcohol.
Address: Fès el-Bali, 7 Derb el-Magana, off Talaa Kbira, Fès,Telephone: +212 535 637 855
Website: http://fez.cafeclock.com
Chez Hakim
Cuisine: MoroccanFor a true Moroccan experience, stop by this friendly and relaxed family-run restaurant, which offers simple and traditional Moroccan cuisine at affordable prices. Try the skewers or the couscous, and sit out on the terrace overlooking the marketplace to take in the bustling city atmosphere.
Address: , 12 El Batha, Rue de la Poste, Fès,Telephone: +212 535 740 816
Medina Café Restaurant
Cuisine: MoroccanThere’s a comforting, cosy vibe at this little restaurant squirrelled off a side alley just outside Bab Boujeloud. The menu dishes up tagines with proper home cooked flavours, making it a cut above the budget restaurants just inside the medina gate. Set menus start at 90 dirhams. No alcohol.
Address: Fès el-Bali, 6 Derb Mernissi, Fès,Telephone: +212 661 350 839