Medina Café

Medina Café is a simple café-restaurant on Rue Mernissi, just behind Bab Bou Jeloud at the top of Fes el-Bali, around two minutes' walk from the gate. It is the kind of place that is useful to know about rather than a destination in itself: somewhere for breakfast before you start exploring, a juice in the middle of the day or an inexpensive meal before heading back to your riad.

Mornings start with breakfast, and later in the day the menu turns to straightforward Moroccan dishes. Expect harira soup, salads, brochettes and kefta, chicken or vegetable tagines and couscous on certain days, with quick plates for travellers in a hurry. Drinks include fresh juices, mint tea and ginger lemonade, and there is a short rotation of desserts. It is not a place for culinary surprises, but the food is honest and the setting is convenient.

There is a ground-floor room for quick orders and a rooftop terrace that opens at lunch and towards sunset, with a view over the area around the gate. Late afternoon is a good time to visit, when the terrace is quieter and the light is better for photographs. Staff handle both takeaway and table service, and English and French are commonly spoken, which helps first-time visitors.

Medina Café suits budget travellers, families and anyone who wants a no-fuss meal in the upper medina. Its location makes it a practical base for visits to the Bou Inania Madrasa, the Al Batha Museum, Talaa Seghira and the Nejjarine quarter. Because it is so close to the main gate, the street outside can be busy, and you may be approached by touts offering to guide you; a polite refusal is usually enough.

Opening times are not published on an official website. Public listings suggest it opens from the morning until late evening every day, but check on the spot, especially during Ramadan, when many cafés change their hours. There is no booking system, so simply turn up. Bring cash, and agree prices before ordering if the menu does not show them. For a quieter or more atmospheric setting, the rooftop cafés further down Tala'a Kebira are an alternative, but for convenience near the gate Medina Café is a reliable stop.