L'Italien

L'Italien is an Italian restaurant on Avenue Omar Ibn Khattab in the Ville Nouvelle, the new town of Fez in Morocco's Fès-Meknès region. It lies outside the medina, in the modern district where wide avenues, cafes and international restaurants replace the narrow lanes of Fès el-Bali. The cuisine is Italian, and the two specialties most associated with the restaurant are house-made pasta and pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. A meal typically costs MAD 200-400 per person (about $22-$43), a mid-range price for the city. The pasta is made in-house, which sets it apart from many restaurants in Morocco that rely on dried products, and the wood-fired oven gives the pizzas a charred crust and quick cooking time. For visitors who have spent several days eating tagine, couscous and pastilla in the medina, the restaurant offers a familiar and lighter alternative, and the menu suits children and groups with mixed tastes. The restaurant has a good wine list, which is a notable draw because alcohol is difficult to find in many parts of the old city; this makes it a practical option for a relaxed dinner with a glass of wine. The dining room is casual and welcoming rather than formal, with a conventional European restaurant layout and a moderate noise level that rises at busy weekend sittings. No dress code is enforced, and ordinary smart-casual clothing is suitable. Reservations are recommended on weekends, when the restaurant fills with local families and visitors, and the venue can be contacted on +212 535 943 384. Midweek, a walk-in table is usually easier to find. Because the restaurant is in the Ville Nouvelle, visitors from the medina generally arrive by taxi, which is inexpensive in Fez, and should arrange the return journey in advance when leaving late in the evening.