7 Best Restaurants in Fez and the Middle Atlas, Morocco

Set in the heart of the medina, this crosscultural café is a Fez institution. It’s the perfect place to take a sightseeing break with a tea or mocktail, or a bite from the eclectic menu of Moroccan and international fare, like the justly famous camel burger; there are vegetarian-friendly options as well. Spread over two traditional dars, the Clock is much more than a café: if you want to learn to cook Moroccan cuisine, pick up some Moroccan Arabic, try your hand at calligraphy, listen to ancient storytelling, learn to play the oud, or have a henna tattoo, just check out its cultural workshops.

This popular bistro-style café-cum-restaurant is set in the delightful oasis of Jardin des Biehn. The daily changing chalkboard menu reflects the Moroccan chef’s love of Gallic gastronomy, as he happily mixes Moroccan and French culinary influences, using fresh ingredients from the market and the owners’ organic garden. Feast on meat or fish; vegetarians are well catered to with delicious quiches, soups, and salads. Eat alfresco in the garden or on the rooftop under the sun and stars, or in the brightly colored interior room with lots of creative decorative touches, including nods to the Biehns’ Provençal roots.  Cooking classes with the chef are available upon request.

Set in the romantic remains of a ruined riad associated with Riad Idrissy, this casual alfresco restaurant comes complete with crumbling mosaic floors, fountains, and lush foliage. The à la carte menu and daily specials focus on street food–style dishes prepared using fresh produce from the souk. Think salads such as zaalouk and sardines marinated in chermoula (a marinade, including herbs, oil, and lemon juice) with a polenta batter and mini maakouda (potato cakes in tomato sauce). Moroccan tapas are on the menu at lunchtime, and tea and cakes are served all day, as well as healthy juices and smoothies, like date milk and orange-blossom water. You can also preorder the delicious Fassi specialties, such as pigeon pastilla and slow-cooked mechoui lamb, a day in advance.  Take the Moroccan bread, pastries, or vegetarian cooking classes, and watch couscous being hand-rolled every Friday lunchtime.

Dining under the stars in this Andalusian-style, gardenlike oasis is a delight, surrounded by citrus trees and next to a twinkling fountain, or eat inside the Art Deco–influenced dining room. The chefs take traditional recipes and give them a contemporary presentation, creating a three-course dinner using seasonal produce from the market, a five-course wine-tasting menu for groups, and a lighter tapas menu that can be eaten on the rooftop terrace. They also have an à la carte lunch menu: think Moroccan salads and tagines. 

Compact and colorful, this convivial café-restaurant occupies a superb spot on one of the medina’s main streets. Try their take on Moroccan tabbouleh made with couscous or get a merguez (spicy sausage) pizza to go—or grab one of the outdoor tables, perfect for people-watching over an avocado milkshake, caramel iced coffee, or homemade rosemary lemonade. 

After a morning pounding the medina alleyways, this cute and contemporary café on the Talaa Kbira is the perfect place to take a break with a fresh juice or mint tea, malawi (Moroccan pancakes), or a more substantial tagine. The chocolate mousse comes highly recommended.

If you seek a change from tagines, head to the sophisticated surrounds of the Hotel Sahrai and this classic French bistro, decked out in soothing neutral tones with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the terrace. Steak frites and chocolate fondant are the go-to dishes, washed down with a fine French red, but the catch of the day and Lebanese meze are also on the menu. Sunday brunch is expansive and popular.