"Fez’s best rooftop table, Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025: pigeon pastilla above a UNESCO medina. Book it for a proposal."
About L’Amandier
Palais Faraj is a former palace of the Bensouda family on the ramparts above Bab Ziat, and L’Amandier is the reason non-guests climb to its top floor. AFAR calls the restaurant the crown jewel of the hotel and tells readers to skip the international carte for the Moroccan one. Take that advice. The kitchen draws on the three strands of old Fassi cooking, Arab, Berber and Jewish, the palace tradition that made Fez the source code for Moroccan cuisine.
TripAdvisor’s voters made it official in 2025: Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best, top one percent of restaurants worldwide, first place in Fez. On our own list it holds the top table ahead of NUR, Najat Kaanache’s tasting counter in the medina, and Dar Roumana, the Franco-Moroccan dining room every guesthouse concierge recommends. See where all three sit on the Fez dining guide.
The Kitchen
Mohammed Achoual runs the stoves, and his carte changes with the seasons; the Spring/Summer 2026 menu is live on the hotel’s site. The method is constant: Fassi palace dishes, French technique at the edges, and a supply chain the kitchen names out loud. Noor olive oil, ranked among the world’s best. Ducks from Domaine d’Aghbalou outside Fez. Cheeses from Domaine de la Pommeraie.
Order the pigeon pastilla, the dish this city invented: warqa pastry, slow-cooked pigeon, almonds and cinnamon, sweet and savoury in the same bite. The seafood pastilla is the lighter route. Recent menus have run from green-lentil cream with pan-fried foie gras to grilled octopus on celeriac with a virgin-sauce emulsion, and a Parmentier of confit lamb sharpened with Auvergne blue cheese. Dessert keeps the theme with a peach-melba pastilla. Dinner for two, with a bottle of Moroccan red, lands around €90, a figure that would not cover one main course at most of the fine-dining rooms worldwide this terrace outclasses for drama.
The Room
Three spaces share the roof. The main salon seats you in leather armchairs among materials worked in the tradition of the city’s craftsmen, lamps low, tall windows pulling the eye out over the rooftops. The Rooftop Garden is the brighter, contemporary wing: round tables and benches under panoramic glass. From mid-April to October the open terrace is the seat everyone is actually after, with the medina running to the horizon and the evening call to prayer rising from it. Sound stays conversation-easy, lighting is lamp-lit and low after dark, tables are generously spaced, and dress runs smart rather than formal. Open daily, noon to 22:00 last service.
Best for a Proposal
Book this rooftop for a proposal because the staging is already done: sunset terrace seats from mid-April to October, window tables in the Rooftop Garden the rest of the year, and a kitchen that paces dinner rather than rushing it. For the question itself, the hotel arranges private dinners designed by the chef in its Fireplace Lounge or on a suite terrace. Compare the global field on our best restaurants for a proposal ranking, or keep it corporate; the same view does serious work when you need to be impressing clients in Fez.
Not for
Skip it for a quick lunch between medina tours: pastilla is made to order, the kitchen keeps a deliberate pace, and the rooftop deserves the full sunset hour.
Frequently Asked
Is L'Amandier worth it?
Yes, and not only for the view. TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Best of the Best 2025 placed L'Amandier in the top one percent of restaurants worldwide and first in Fez, yet dinner for two with wine still runs about €90. Among the city's rooftop rooms it is the one where chef Mohammed Achoual's kitchen holds up its end of the bargain.
How do I book a table at L'Amandier?
Reserve online through the restaurant's booking page or call +212 666 034 894 directly. The room opens daily from noon, with last service at 22:00. Terrace tables for the sunset hour are the scarce commodity between April and October, so book those several days ahead; the salon and the Rooftop Garden are usually available the same week.
What is the dress code at L'Amandier?
Smart rather than formal: there is no jacket requirement, but shorts and trainers will feel wrong in the salon. Evenings on the open terrace cool quickly once the sun drops behind the medina, even in summer, so bring a layer. Moroccan diners dress up for this room; matching them is the right call.
How much does dinner at L'Amandier cost?
Plan on about €90 for two: two starters, two mains, a bottle of Moroccan red, and coffee. For Fez that is the top of the market, though it undercuts comparable rooftop rooms in Marrakech by a wide margin. The chef's private tasting dinners, served in the Fireplace Lounge or on a suite terrace, are quoted on request.
Is L'Amandier good for a proposal?
Book it. The open terrace at sunset, April to October, is the most theatrical table in Fez, and winter proposals work at a window table in the Rooftop Garden. If the moment needs full privacy, the hotel's chef-designed private dinners solve it. See how the room compares with proposal-worthy tables worldwide.
What should I order at L'Amandier?
Start with the pigeon pastilla, then the grilled octopus on celeriac or the Parmentier of confit lamb with Auvergne blue. Finish with the peach-melba pastilla. Eating elsewhere in the medina the next night? Bistro Laaroussa and the Ruined Garden's courtyard kitchen cover the casual end.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at L’Amandier
Direct online booking with the restaurant; terrace tables go first for sunset seatings, April to October.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressPalais Faraj, Bab Ziat, 30000 Fez
NeighbourhoodBab Ziat, Fes el-Bali
CuisineMoroccan Fine Dining
PriceAbout €90 for two with wine
Dress CodeSmart; bring a layer for the terrace
SeatingSalon, rooftop garden, open terrace (Apr–Oct)
ReservationOnline or +212 666 034 894
