Fez

Dining in Fez — The Essential Guide

The Cradle of Moroccan Gastronomy

Fez is widely regarded as the culinary capital of Morocco — the city where Moroccan gastronomy was developed in the palace kitchens of the Marinid and Alaouite dynasties and where the food traditions that the rest of the country has adopted were first codified. The bastilla (pigeon pastilla), the preserved lemon, the ras el hanout spice blend, and the techniques of slow tagine cooking were all developed in the royal kitchens of Fez before spreading through the country’s culinary culture.

The medina of Fez el-Bali — the oldest and most intact medieval Islamic city in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — provides the restaurant context that no other Moroccan city can match: the riad settings, the rooftop terraces above the medina, and the spice markets and artisan food producers that supply the kitchens. Eating in Fez is inseparable from being in Fez.

The Riad Restaurant Experience

Fez’s finest restaurants are almost exclusively housed in riads — the inward-facing courtyard houses that constitute the medina’s architectural identity. Each riad restaurant provides a different experience of the same city: Palais Faraj offers the palace perspective; Riad Fes (Relais & Châteaux) provides the luxury version; Riad Laaroussa offers the warmth of family hospitality; The Ruined Garden provides the atmospheric encounter with the medina’s beautiful decay.