Palais Amani Restaurant

Palais Amani Restaurant is the rooftop restaurant of a riad hotel at 12 Derb El Miter in Fès el-Bali, the medina of Fez in Morocco's Fès-Meknès region. Its main distinction is the rooftop, which overlooks the whole medina in a 360-degree view of minarets, domes and terraces, and which is especially striking at sunset when the call to prayer carries across the old city. The cuisine is modern Moroccan, and the chef, Houssam Laassiri, serves contemporary versions of tagine and confit duck rather than the traditional palace menu. The price level is in the top band, MAD 400+ per person (about $43+), reflecting the hotel setting and the views. The two dishes named for the restaurant are the modern tagine, in which classic flavours are presented with lighter and more precise technique, and the confit duck, a dish that combines French method with Moroccan seasoning. Guest chefs visit from time to time for pop-up dinners, which gives the programme occasional variety and is worth asking about when booking. The dining atmosphere is polished and scenic, closer to a boutique hotel terrace than a family restaurant, with a quieter mood on the rooftop than at street-level restaurants in the medina. Visitors should dress comfortably for the weather, as the rooftop is open to the air and can be cool after dark in winter and hot at midday in summer. Reservations are recommended and are made through the hotel; booking a day or two ahead is sensible, and requesting a rooftop table at sunset is advised in the high seasons of spring and autumn. Alcohol availability should be confirmed with the hotel when booking, as it is not stated. The riad is in the northern part of the medina, away from the busiest tourist lanes, and visitors arrive on foot, so asking the hotel for directions or an escort from the nearest gate is advisable after dark.