Discover Morocco’s Cultural and Foodie Capital – Fez. Stay at an Art Deco Riad in the UNESCO medina

Independent Palais Amani is located in the heart of Fez’s UNESCO Medina. The art deco riad was partly rebuilt in the 1930s and totally refurbished and is home to a restaurant, hammam, rooftop and the famous Fez Cooking School 

Fez is Morocco’s second largest city and is growing in popularity as a short break cultural destination. Cross the walls of the famous medina of Fez and get lost inside Africa’s largest car free medina. Fez is an imperial city and home to Morocco’s oldest medina. This 13th-century city is today recognised by UNESCO. Visitors can spend days exploring the medina and meet locals busy making and selling traditional handicrafts.

Fez continues to remain relatively undiscovered even with an increasing number of flights from across Europe including twice-weekly flights from London. 

Jemima Mann-Baha who owns and runs Palais Amani with her husband and local team,  first visited Fez as a 15-year-old on a family holiday back in 1979 when the words ‘budget’ and ‘airline’ were never used in the same sentence. At this time, Morocco was far from a leading tourist destination and the country remained a tourism mystery for many. 

Jemima returned again in 1987 and later with her husband Abdelali who was born in Fez. In 2006 Jemima and Abdelali bought the former home of one of Fez’s most prominent families (now Palais Amani), which had laid abandoned and deteriorating in the heart of the medina for over a quarter of a century. Four years of extensive renovation restored the property to its old splendour and revealed many stories about family, heritage and legacy. The renovation included the maintenance of art déco features dating back to the 1930s.

Today this independent hotel offers 21 individually designed bedrooms and is home to a restaurant with alfresco dining, a bar, library and underground hammam lit by candle light only. The hotel is also home to the city’s leading cookery school. A large garden of 600m2 is at the centre of the palace filled with citrus trees where birds, permanent residents here, provide daily birdsong in this tranquil haven.

For a truly authentic break and to understand a country’s culture you “need to eat it” says Palais Amani’s head chef Houssam Laasiri. He has not only been creating many diverse Moroccan dishes for Palais Amani’s restaurant but also running the Fez Cooking School which is open to all. 

Morocco is by far North Africa’s gastronomic star and the city of Fez combines flavours from across Morocco inside Africa’s largest car free medina. From small restaurants to food stalls, visitors can feast their way around the medina crossing souks filled with the aromas of many spices and of course the famous mint tea. But to really unearth what makes Morocco so delicious, visitors should embark on a unique foodie experience with the Fez Cooking School located on Palais Amani’s roof terrace. 

Led by Houssam or another chef from Palais Amani, Fez Cooking School guests discover how locals buy vegetables, spices, meat and other goods directly from sellers in the market, choosing the best quality organic food. The foodie guide will take guests through the process of discovering the world of spices and their uses in the ancient recipes. The Fez Cooking School offers visitors to Fez a unique insight into this magical city combining a guided foodie tour of the medina followed by a cookery class, all in a new purpose-built cookery school on Palais Amani’s roof terrace. Private and group workshops are available. The four hour experience includes a tour of the food souks, tasting food along a two-hour tour of the medina, a cooking class with the newly gathered ingredients and then lunch. Priced €165 per person.

Guests at Palais Amani can enjoy Moroccan cuisine throughout the day both in Eden restaurant and also alfresco in the 600m2 garden with a fountain surrounded by mature citrus trees and with birdsong as a backdrop. Dishes include Basstella (traditional light pastry with several filings), Tajines (vegetable, fish, lamb, beef and chicken), Couscous and much more.

Morocco produces a number of excellent wines, the variety and depth of which are surprising. So as part of your gastronomic experience during your stay in Fez, why not book a wine tasting dinner. A 5-course menu will be specifically designed by the chefs to match a flight of the finest Moroccan wines. And a wine specialist will talk you through the complexities of the wines being tasted for a complete gastronomic experience during your meal. Priced 150€ per person and must be booked in advance.

Here are ten experiences to enjoy in Fez over a 3-4 day break :
1. Learn to cook at the Fez Cooking School on Palais Amani’s rooftop with 360’ views of Fez
2. Take a guided tour of the Fez medina and explore the unique souks
3. Enjoy a Hammam treatment at Palais Amani – traditional restorative treatment with candlelight
4. Dine Moroccan tapas alfresco at Eden Restaurant at Palais Amani and sample Moroccan wines
5. Dine at Café Clock – it is a quirky must visit destination with music and events
6. Visit the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts including the beautiful courtyard
7. View workers at the famous Chaouwara Tanneries from above and then buy a new bag or wallet
8. Explore Calligraphy with a masterclass, learn ancient Arabic with a tutor at Palais Amani
9. Book a picnic hike to the Fez countryside for a stunning view from above of Fez
10. Enjoy sunset cocktails on Palais Amani’s rooftop and stargaze in the newly launched bedrooms   

Discover and taste Morocco in the unique city of Fez in 2024, less than three hours from London.

www.palaisamani.com 12 Derb el Miter, Oued Zhoune, Fes Medina, 30000, Morocco
B&B is priced from £165.00 per room per night

Getting there: Ryanair (Stansted) twice weekly or Air Arabia Maroc (via Marrakech)