Darori — Restaurant in Fez

Darori is a great restaurant with delicately made traditional Moroccan food and opulent ambience. Service was outstanding. HOWEVER, the restaurant is hidden in dimly lit alleys and the area feels a bit rough. If you plan to dine at night make sure you know your way home or get a taxi from the nearest square, or at the very least DO NOT follow anyone who tries to lead you the way at late night, no matter how nice he might seem at first. We left the restaurant at 10PM and were approached by a young fella that seemed very friendly and offered to show us the way. At first we thought he worked for the restaurant, as in other occasions restaurant employees did help us get out of the alleys. We followed him for 2 minutes and on the way he picked up another two visitors and sent them to the restaurant they were looking for, without asking for money. We let our guards down because of this and continued to follow him. It soon started to feel a bit strange as he started to show us his tattoos, tell us stories about how he went to jail, and also took out a spoon and a lighter from his pocket. He was greeting other young locals as we passed them to make us feel like it’s his turf, and was telling us he liked to come out at night because there’s no police and security cameras. Right before we made it to the Main Street he finally asked us for money. We tried to settle with a few coins that we had in our pocket. That’s when he threatened us if we wanted problems and we soon realized we were surrounded by a couple of his friends. It was just the two of us (we’re a couple) vs. them in a dark alley. Luckily when we held our grounds he backed down, took the coins and let us go. It was a very intense & unpleasant experience. So PLEASE do...

We were grateful for the recommendation to Darori Restaurant by Riad Le Calife as we would have never stumbled across this gem of a place on our own. Don’t let the labyrinth of the Medina intimidate you, getting to this restaurant is half the fun and all part of the adventure. And if you do get lost, the neighborhood kids are happy to show you the way. Your prize once you find it is just beyond the doors and we can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

Darori does an excellent job of providing exceptional service while being incredibly intimate, cozy and warm. Inviting you in, you feel as though you have entered the home of a friend and are sitting down for a family meal. Which in a way, you are: Daori sits inside a former dar, beautifully and intricately designed. Don’t forget to look up at the walls and all around you.

While you can’t go wrong ordering anything off their mouth-watering menu, our entire experience was made by the hospitality and warmth of Hassan. One of our favourite people to meet during our time in the Medina. We enjoyed it so much so that we came back to have tea with Hassan and will also spend our New Year’s Eve here - for both the food and especially the wonderful company.

Hassan is from the Medina and radiates the charisma, warmth, and good energy found inside its walls. He’s a master of his craft, making sure you feel taken care of throughout your time at Darori as he floats between tables, reception, and the kitchen, ensuring everything runs smoothly for all that come through her doors.

We will certainly be back and will recommend this special place to all friends and family when visiting Fes.

Thank you for an amazing and...

The absolute best meal we’ve had in over a week in Morocco. The salads (more like Moroccan tapas) were amazing, the chicken and beef tagine both delicious, along with the seafood and chicken pastille (which we had in Marrakech and was too sweet but here it was perfect). We’ve had tagine every day of our trip so far and this was the best by far! Deliciously slow cooked and great meat. Hassan our waiter was absolutely amazing. Bonus they serve wine as was our friends engagement meal! And we kept him from staying late but he didn’t rush us at all. We came on a Saturday night no reservation no problem but Top tip: book in advance if you want a specific meal (the right of the menu is pre-order only but everything on the right can be ordered on the night). We found the streets to be quiet and almost scary around fes as two young girls but Hassan gave us great directions home! We all had the two course set menu with two bottles of wine between 4 and it was around 500dirhams each, such amazing value! Don’t miss this...