Amaraz

Amaraz is the signature restaurant of Hotel Sahrai, the contemporary five-star hotel on the hill at Dhar El Mehraz, and it is the place to go for gourmet Moroccan food in a calm, elegant setting outside the medina. The dining room has beamed ceilings and screens that divide the space, giving tables privacy, and it opens onto the ground floor of the hotel. A lute player performs romantic oriental music, which sets a relaxed, unhurried tone for the evening.

The menu focuses on refined versions of Moroccan and Fassi dishes. Past descriptions of the restaurant have highlighted dishes such as quail tagine with almonds and roasted cockerel stuffed with raisins and semolina, both drawing on the celebratory cooking of Fes, though menus change and it is worth asking about the current specialities when you book. The cooking is a good introduction to the more elaborate side of Moroccan cuisine that is hard to find in the simple restaurants of the medina.

The hotel offers several other venues if you want to make an evening of it. Jungle serves Lebanese food with wine and cocktails on a terrace overlooking the city, Medusa offers contemporary Italian cooking, and the rooftop lounge, Salon Lyautey, is a pleasant spot for an after-dinner drink by the fireplace. Arcades, a marble bar under arches, serves lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Private dining and events can also be arranged.

Amaraz suits couples, travellers celebrating a special occasion and anyone who wants a quiet, sophisticated dinner away from the crowds. Families are welcome in the hotel, though the atmosphere is more suited to adults in the evening. Book in advance, especially at weekends, and mention any dietary requirements when you reserve.

Because the hotel is on the hillside above the city, you will need a taxi to get there from the medina or the Ville Nouvelle, and it is sensible to ask the hotel to order one for your return. The drive is short. Combine dinner with a drink on the rooftop beforehand to see the view of Fes at dusk. If you are staying in the medina, an evening at Amaraz also gives you a glimpse of a very different, contemporary side of the city, designed by Christophe Pillet.