Trip date: September 2023
In Fes, we were staying at Riad Tizwa which has a great location, right in the medina. Since there are no cars allowed in these old towns, our driver Madhi stopped at the end of the street and then helped us quickly with our bags half a block to the riad. It's very rare to be in the medina but still close to car access which was great! We'd see Madhi again in a few days when we would continue traveling to the desert.
In Morocco, a riad is generally a renovated traditional home or mansion that is now a guesthouse. Whether a riad or a private home, the exteriors are very plain and rarely have external windows while the interiors are beautifully decorated with leaded glass, tiles and wood. We entered into Tizwa's traditional central courtyard which was bright and airy and had an open ceiling covered by a retractable awning. We were brought tea as one of the staff checked us in and showed us to our rooms. There are 7 rooms on 3 floors, as well as a sitting room, and a beautiful rooftop terrace.
Originally I was checked into Room 7, which was fine but the bathroom had a shower/toilet combo that I didn't love and the room felt really basic. Luckily they were able to move me to the wonderful Grand Suite 5 the next day. The was a huge room with a massive four-poster bed, sitting area, big tiled bathroom, and double wood doors that opened right to the courtyard. They even moved all my stuff to the new room for me while we were out exploring!
Red tassels adorned bathrobes, lampshades, and the lids of bathroom apothecary jars. Traditional leather Moroccan sandals were also in each room.
In the morning, the riad will make you breakfast any time you like. You can also choose to have it in the courtyard or on the rooftop. We did both!
We also paid for them to do our laundry and it was returned the next day impeccably folded and wrinkle free.
And as with our hotel in Tangier, Riad Tizwa does not serve any alcohol but they stored our gin & wine in their fridge and we were able to get glasses and ice anytime. We had our own drinks up on the roof or in the sitting area of my room at the end of the day.
We were all really happy with Riad Tizwa and would absolutely recommend it (they also have a location in Marrakech but it was booked for our dates). However, if you are looking for a riad that is a bit posher, you may want to check into the Relais & Châteaux
Riad Fes, an absolutely gorgeous restored 14th century palace.
We stopped in for some rosé in their courtyard one afternoon and just fell in love. Our waiter invited us to check out their huge rooftop terrace and we ended up spending the remainder of the day up there taking in the dramatic views of Fes with our cold drinks.
Fes has a lot of really good restaurants to choose from and we had some lovely meals in the city.
The Ruined Garden is a popular one, it's part of
Riad Idrissy The riad and the garden were left abandoned in 1912, like many in the medina, when the capital moved to Rabat. For over 40 years the ruins of the garden became an unofficial garbage dump. It was all purchased in 2006 and underwent 6 years of clearing, hauling, and major renovations until opening in 2012. They've left the garden just the right amount of wild, turning it into a wonderful setting for a restaurant.
Unfortunately, the evening we were booked the weather turned quite bad so we couldn't sit in the garden. Fortunately, the garden also has a refurbished stone building with a fireplace and big glass doors. They serve mainly Fassi specialties, and are known for their slow-cooked mechoui lamb, which you have to order a day in advance. Mine came with a side of vegetable tagine and was super tender and delicious.
It only rains on average 9 days in September and on this night it really stormed! After dinner we had gone back to the roof at Riad Fes (I mean we really liked it!) and minutes after getting my martini the sky opened up and diluted it!
We quickly moved downstairs to the interior courtyard, but not before all of us were drenched! The staff was very nice about not mentioning that we were soaking the couches with our wet clothes. Highly recommend that even if you aren't staying at Riad Fes, stop in for a drink!
The next day we were off to another riad in the medina. We were going to be spending the afternoon at
Riad Laaroussa, having lunch in the rooftop restaurant and having a traditional hammam experience in their spa! We were all very excited!
The guest house is in a 17th century palace and is gorgeous! The 3-story building is built around a large, completely open garden/courtyard with lovely planters and fountains and even a turtle! We went up and checked out the rooftop, the restaurant resembles a greenhouse with lots of windows looking out. And the menu was filled with lots of delicious traditional Moroccan choices. The spa can only take 2 at a time, so Caitlin decided to relax over lunch and a book while Gail and I took the first appointments.
Hammams are very typical public baths that are found in most neighborhoods throughout Morocco. Some days and/or times would be specifically for the men or women to use. Now there are also spas that have hammam experiences. This palace had a private hammam for the owners, so after changing into robes and slippers, we were led to the original 17th century steam room!
It is a small domed room with L-shaped marble benches. We each laid on one of the benches and relaxed in the warm steam for a while before the therapists came in and washed us with soap and warm water. Then they applied a clay masks to our faces before putting on loofah gloves and scrubbed every inch with eucalyptus soap! I felt like a baby's ass when the woman was done with me!
After showering and sitting for a bit with some water, tea, and dried fruits, we were taken for a 45-minute massage with argan oil and orange blossom essential oils. 1 ½ hours of bliss for about $77!! Highly recommend!
We traded spots with Caitlin and enjoyed some wine and delicious snacks while she got pampered!
On our last night in the city, we chose to go to
Fez Café for drinks and dinner. Inside the riad Jardin des Biehn, which were formerly the ruined outbuildings of the Pasha El Mokri’s palace (he was once Minister of Finance of Morocco and Mayor of Casablanca). We started with cocktails up on their rooftop before moving to the courtyard garden dining room for dinner.
As this riad is owned by a French couple, the menu was a great mix of French and Moroccan cuisine. It was all quite delicious and the ambiance was really lovely!
We chose mainly to stick to traditional places for eating and drinking in Fes, however on our first night in town we did stop into the
British Saloon, a sports bar housed in the old British Consulate. We were so tired from our full day drive from Tangier, that we just laughed at this very odd place as we ate frozen pizzas and drank cheap gin & tonics. Sometimes it's not all Moroccan design but it is close to your riad!
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