Best restaurants and what to eat
Morocco
Fes is one of Morocco’s great culinary capitals, where refined Andalusi-Maghrebi traditions meet the city’s famous artisanal food culture. Its kitchens are known for fragrant spice blends, slow-cooked tagines, delicate pastries, preserved ingredients, and sweet-savory combinations that reflect the city’s historic sophistication.
Fes is famous for its ornate bastila, a celebratory pie built on layers of crisp warqa pastry, tender pigeon or chicken, almonds, eggs, saffron, and cinnamon. The result is a luxurious play of sweet, savory, and spiced notes, often served at weddings and festive gatherings.
This paper-thin Moroccan pastry dough is a Fassi essential, used to build delicate pies and sweets with shattering crispness. It has a neutral flavor and a supple, almost translucent texture that turns golden and brittle when baked.
A laminated, square pan bread with crisp edges and a soft, chewy interior, msemmen is a staple of Fez breakfasts and tea tables. It is often eaten with honey, butter, or savory fillings, making it both versatile and richly satisfying.
Harcha is a semolina griddle bread with a rustic crust and a tender, crumbly center. In Fez it is prized for its warm wheat flavor and is commonly enjoyed with cheese, jam, or olive oil.
These sponge-like semolina pancakes are easily recognized by their tiny surface holes and airy texture. In Fes they are served hot with honey and melted butter, soaking up toppings while remaining light and delicate.
A rich, festive mixture of toasted flour, sesame, almonds, honey, and butter, sellou is dense, aromatic, and deeply nourishing. In Fez it is associated with celebrations and is prized for its nutty perfume and sandy, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
The emblematic Moroccan mint tea is served in Fes with theatrical pouring, abundant fresh mint, and plenty of green tea sweetness. It is bright, cooling, and aromatic, the indispensable accompaniment to pastries and hospitality.
Moroccan coffee in Fes is typically small, intense, and often flavored with spices such as cardamom or cinnamon in some homes and cafés. It is served hot and strong, offering a more robust counterpoint to the city’s tea culture.
A lightly fermented buttermilk drink, lben is cool, tangy, and refreshing, with a creamy finish that suits the warm climate. In Fes it is commonly enjoyed alongside meals or as a restorative everyday drink.
Raïb is a sweetened, yogurt-like dairy drink that is smooth, cooling, and gently tangy. In Fes it is popular as a simple street refreshment, especially appreciated for its creamy texture and thirst-quenching quality.
Fresh lemon sherbet is a classic Moroccan refresher in Fes, balancing sharp citrus with sugar and sometimes orange blossom water. It is bright, clean, and ideal alongside rich pastries or spiced meals.
Orange juice is a local favorite in Fes, often made from sweet Moroccan oranges with a vivid floral-citrus aroma. Served freshly squeezed and chilled, it is simple, fragrant, and naturally luxurious.
The legendary Fassi pie layers crisp pastry, spiced poultry, eggs, almonds, and cinnamon into a dramatic sweet-savory composition. It is one of the city’s most celebrated dishes, showcasing both refinement and abundance.
Rfissa is a deeply comforting dish of shredded msemen or trid bread topped with chicken, lentils, and a fragrant fenugreek-saffron broth. In Fes it is associated with family gatherings and postpartum hospitality, prized for its restorative richness.
A vegetable tagine in Fes is usually slow-cooked until the vegetables turn silky and the sauce becomes concentrated with spices and olive oil. It highlights the city’s preference for balance, aroma, and elegant simplicity.
This sweet-savory chicken or lamb tagine often combines prunes, apricots, almonds, and cinnamon for a glossy, luxurious finish. In Fes it is a festive dish that embodies the city’s love of perfume-like spice and fruit.
A celebratory mound of steamed couscous or vermicelli sweetened with cinnamon, butter, and powdered sugar, sometimes hidden with a savory filling, seffa medfouna is lavish and playful. In Fes it is enjoyed for its contrast of delicate grains, warm spice, and rich stuffing.
Plain sweet seffa, made from fine couscous or broken vermicelli, is dressed with butter, cinnamon, and sugar until it becomes fragrant and tender. It is a classic Fassi dessert-course dish, especially for family occasions.
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