Fez, the “Athens of Africa,” is a city in Morocco full of history, knowledge, great architecture, and most importantly, good food. The main dish, Tagine, is the most common in the area, eaten nearly on a daily basis by locals. If you are visiting Fez, here are the 11 best spots to have a taste of this brilliant dish.
Dar Attajalli
Boutique Hotel Restaurant, Moroccan, Vegan, Vegetarian, $$$
A riad located within the Medina, Dar Attajalli’s décor is like no other, with Moroccan tiles (zellij) and an astonishing view of the old town. Its restaurant offers vegetarian and vegan dishes, the most popular being their traditional tagine, cooked with local and organic products and served for dinner between 19:30 and 21:30. They also offer cooking classes if you are interested in Moroccan cuisine, and daily meditation.
On the terrace of the famous hotel Palais Faraj, L’Amandier Restaurant offers stunning views of the Medina and their menu is “a cuisine rich in flavors respecting the traditional Fassi gastronomy,” according to their website. Their tagine, however, is one of the most delicate and tasteful, presented in a chic ambiance.
In a hidden private home, near Souk Edlala, Darori Resto offers a naturally flavored season tagine with fresh mint tea in its oasis setting. On the menu: both chicken and beef, prunes or apricots tagine. The perfect place to enjoy the good food and spend a Moroccan afternoon.
“The House Of The Tagine,” is also another main restaurant to try the famous dish. They offer all kinds of tagines, from vegetarian to tender beef and, of course, served with bread to enjoy the delicious sauce in a picturesque traditional atmosphere.
This riad was built in 1372, exclusively for the governor of Old Fez, and the art in the walls, the plants, the chandeliers, and everything else had been meticulously made for the “Pacha.” Although it has been over 600 years, the riad remains intact and is now open to the public to enjoy the many traditional dishes they offer. The tagine, however, is their main speciality, made it with love, a bunch of seasonal spices, the best vegetables in the market, and high quality meat. So if you want to feel like the governor of Fez for a few hours, this is the place to visit! Note: You must call and reserve a table prior to your arrival.
This restaurant offers a different Moroccan dish every day, with tagines every Monday and Saturday. On Monday, they serve a basic beef tagine with artichokes and peas, whereas on Saturday, a fish tagine with Moroccan spices (chermoula) and spring vegetables, both for the price of 130 MAD.
This is a great rooftop restaurant with a friendly staff and delicious tagine! At Nagham Cafe Restaurant, you can enjoy the perfect chicken tagine with a great view overlooking the old Medina. The prices are fairly decent and they also offer vegetarian options on usually meat-overload dishes.
Another amazing restaurant with wonderful views of the mountains and the city of Fez, the inside is as beautiful as the outside with royal décor, moroccan tiles, fountains, traditional rugs, and massive chandeliers. I can say the same about the tagines here, both tender beef with prunes and chicken with lemon and olives are just absolutely delicious.
This is the perfect place if you are looking for a sophisticated place to have dinner in the heart of Palais Scheherazade & Spa. Les Jardins de Scheherazade Restaurant is located in the pool area of the hotel, and is in a wonderful romantic setting. The tagines are cooked with top quality ingredients and they make sure every single one of them comes out as perfect as ever.
Located near the mosque, Sidi Abd Elkader Oali, Riad ibn Battouta is right outside of Fes, and if you are doing some sightseeing outside of the medina, this is a go-to restaurant for tagines! In a very friendly atmosphere, you can enjoy a chicken with lemon tagine or a vegetarian tagine, among others. They also offer cooking classes and many other workshops!
Dar Tazi is a traditional luxurious house that offers delicious dishes with live music and rooftop dining.
Their tagines are sumptuous and taste as good as the house looks! From chicken to beef, this is the place to visit if you want to feel like you are having dinner at a Moroccan family’s house.
