Once past the gate of Bab Guissa, where you enter the old city of Fez and its medina, stands the Hotel Palais Jamai. Traveling a bit further past this building, you begin to enter a great web of narrow streets winding through the medina. This winding path leads you to a mysterious wooden door built into a large ancient wall, behind which sits Riad Dar Anebar.
Entering the house, previously owned by the Guessous family, a large patio surrounded by four facades of two floors greets you. The noise of the street has totally blurred and you clearly feel you are in a riad with a long and magical history, that stems from 1936 when the Guessous family moved from Spain to Fes and built the house.
This is what I can truly call a Dar or a Riad after staying at different Riads in Fez and Marrakech. First of all the owner inherited this property from his grand father so it is like his own house (but he doesn't live there) and he doesn't treat it as a business to rip off tourists. From the time we arrived in Fez, they were at the nearest gate of the Medina to pick us up and our luggage (and if you ever have to find a riad on your own inside a medina of Fez or Marrakech you will promise never to stay at a Riad again). So anyway, we got VIP treatment right from the moment we arrived in Fez.
We spent our first four nights in Morocco in Fez at the wonderful Dar Anebar. Their porters met us at the medina entrance by the Palais Jamai and led us into the maze that is the Medina. A few turns and there we were at a wood door. Had no idea what to expect. Welcomed by the owner/host Ahmed. We entered into an oasis of beauty and calm. A 3 story riad with a large courtyard featuring a small bubbling fountain and orange trees. Subtle yet rich decor and a sense of peace.
There are several high class restaurants in Fez with correspondingly high prices. Others boast good food but the decor is so "Arabian Nights" that it feels like you are dining in a museum or movie set. Thankfully, The View from Fez can now suggest a new place to eat that combines great ambiance with reasonably priced delicious food. The restaurant is Dar Anebar and it is certainly worth a visit
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