Morocco
A great oasis in the busy and fascinating medina, roof terrace with views over Bou Inania, great selection of snacks, meals, teas and coffees, cakes, and excellent lamb patties etc. Cheerful young local staff and an enthusiastic English patron. Restored courtyard house up a tiny alley by the waterclock, close to Bab Bou Jeloud Gate. Given the lack of eating places to occupy the gap between very cheap traditional cafes, and upmarket gourmet restaurants, this is a very welcome place any time of day. But the best thing is that the owner is determined to run a rare local cultural programme of arts and music with something on several evenings a week. And then there are the camel burgers, fresh from the camel butcher over the street...
off Tala Kebira under the water clock opposite the Bou Inania Medersa(a must visit)
www.cafeclock.com/home.html
At the end of a tiny dead end lane in the very heart of the Medina, and looking distinctly unpromising with its collapsing and propped up buildings, is this painstakingly restored small and fabulous riad. With just three rooms available, the owners have lovingly brought every historic piece of timber, plaster and zelij tiling back to its original best. The house is intimate and beautifully furnished with an eclectic and stylish mix of period and contemporary pieces, bird cages, and fabrics including objects from Vietnam, Europe and elsewhere. the terrace looks out over the Medina and hills and is ideal to relax. The home made breakfast preserves, pancakes, juices and range of teas are the passion of the owners, as is the cooking if you have dinner in. The staff and Stephen and Bruno are helpful in the extreme, and will give you lots of honest advice on surviving and enjoying Fes. Rooms E100 to E200 with taxis to airport and that fantastic breakfast.
9 Djerb Lamsside, Souiket Ben Safi, Fes Medina
www.riad9.com/
Founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fes reached its height in the 14th centruries under Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom of Morocco.
The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina where I was born - madrassas, foundouks - date from this period. The medina of Fes is indeed big! It's the largest and the oldest medieval in the world. The medina is huge like a maze and one should be accompanied by a guide, or so said my friends from Birmingham who are artists and like to do some painting work about Fes, its design, its people, its colours and its activities. My friends are totally right, even I was born here in the medina, I got lost many times when I used to go to the school because I tried to change the way that my father taught me...we were very hungry and I remember a small restaurant in a house in the heart of the medina in Al Asshabine At Haj Benkiran.
We had very nice fessi food: Vegetarian, chicken, kefta tajine, kebab magdour - it was delicious and the taste took me 40 years back...it's a magic place, nothing has been changed really. Narrow streets, toothless, grinning old men - a real adventure. I can see many English people who bought their beautiful houses and amazing riads and prefer to live here without stress with the local warm and friendly people in a real tolerance and multicultural atmosphere.
From the train station in the city centre of Fes, you take a red petit taxi and ask the driver to drop you in Jamii Palace Hotel that you have to visit also for its beauty and colourful design and you can ask there for a professional guide.
For any question or help please feel free to drop me an email from the website www.myasilah.com or call me on my mobile 00447951478813. I will be only too happy to help.
Restored riad within the medina walls. A real hidden oasis with just two rooms and two suites set around a tiled courtyard with citrus trees and fountain. Slightly eccentric and very friendly German owner cooks the fantastic food - a mixture of Moroccan and European dishes with local ingredients. Good value with rooms from €65.
3 Derb Skallia, Douh, Batha, Fes Medina
www.luneetsoleil.com
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