Dar Roumana is widely celebrated as having the best restaurant in Fes, and with good reason. Its charming courtyard dining room—decorated with cream-colored upholstery and tropical plants that complement the building’s original hand-cut zellij tiles, carved plaster, and painted-wood ceilings—is also rave-worthy. Arrive early enough to sip its signature pomegranate fizz from the crow’s nest, then settle in to indulge in a menu that fuses the flavors of Morocco with the finesse of classical French cuisine. Perennial favorites are the roast pumpkin salad with goat cheese, chilies, and coriander; braised local rabbit in mustard; and an elegant, bitter chocolate tart that could cause even the bistros of Paris to bristle with envy. Top tip: For a romantic winter meal, reserve the table by the fireplace.
Riads are boutique hotels converted from traditional medina town houses. Rooms cluster around a courtyard, which usually opens to the sky, and reach up several stories to finish with a roof terrace. Fassi riads specialize in the traditional Moroccan style of design, with incredible mosaic floors, carved stucco plaster, and high wooden ceilings. Staying in a riad, which can range from the small and cozy to the positively palatial, is an essential part of the medina experience. Some of the best can be found at Dar Roumana, Riad Laaroussa, Dar Bensouda, Dar Seffarine, and Riad Ahlam.
Photo by Vanessa Bonnin
Dar Roumana
