We stumbled upon Fondouk Bazaar while taking a stroll up Talaa el Kebira, being drawn to the casual/warm sort of look and spotting “creamy houmous” on their menu. We were disappointed trying out houmous elsewhere but figured we’d give this place a shot. We ordered just the houmous much to the bemusement of Yousuf, our waiter. Expecting something somewhat mediocre, we were pleasantly surprised by the look of the starter. The taste was different to what we know and were expecting, however it was interesting. Wondering if we’ve found ourself a little goldmine of flavour, we bet on two more starters, the crispy chicken and the Lebanese cigars, both of which were sublime to put it lightly.

What followed was almost a religious return to Fondouk Bazaar for each of the remaining 5 days we had in Fes. And each time, the food was just magical. The chefs know their flavours. And despite some of the tastes being subtle, the balance of flavour is just perfect. The cook itself is just right, akin to what you’d expect at a fine dining restaurant albeit without the high price tags nor fluff. We had about 50% of their menu over the course of 5 days and each dish was like a gift that kept on giving. We probably wouldn’t order the tagliatelle or the green shakshuka again (personal preference), but other than those two, we’d love to eat pretty much any other item on their menu.

We’re big foodies and have eaten in about 30 different countries. We’d easily rate Fondouk Bazaar as one of our favourites as an all rounder - flavour, ambience, price, consistency, and delight. Enjoy it while you can - these chefs are going places no doubt.