Café Clock

Café Clock occupies a restored townhouse at 7 Derb el Magana, off Rue Talaa Kebira in Fès el-Bali, in the heart of the Moroccan medina. It operates as a cultural cafe as much as a restaurant, combining a daytime menu of Moroccan and international dishes with a programme of cooking classes, storytelling and live music. The kitchen is best known for its camel burger, which has become the emblematic dish of the Café Clock group, alongside Berber eggs and mint tea served with Moroccan pastries. Vegetarian plates, salads and sandwiches round out the menu, making it a practical stop for visitors who want a lighter meal than the tagines found elsewhere in the medina. The dining rooms are arranged over several floors around a central courtyard, and the rooftop terrace looks across the medina rooftops toward the minarets. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, with a mixed crowd of travellers, students and local residents; there is no dress code, and noise rises noticeably during the evening music nights. Alcohol is not the focus of the beverage programme, which centres on mint tea, coffee, fresh juices and smoothies. Prices are moderate for Fès, generally about 70-150 MAD per person. Reservations are not usually required for lunch, but tables for the Sunday evening concerts and for the cooking classes fill in advance, so booking a day or more ahead is sensible during spring and autumn, when Fès sees its heaviest visitor numbers. The location on Talaa Kebira, the main uphill artery of the medina, makes the cafe an easy rest stop between the Bou Inania Madrasa and the Qarawiyyin quarter. Visitors arriving on foot should expect steep, uneven lanes and some stairs inside the building.