Numero 7: Refined Dining in Fez, Morocco
Numero 7: Refined Dining in Fez, Morocco
When the sun sets, the Fez Medina seems to fall asleep too. The shops close up, the narrow streets give off a faint glow to light the way and with the exception of cats prowling the streets, life is quiet. Navigating the cobblestone roads is only meant for locals and getting lost will definitely happen. So when we made reservations at Numero 7 and they offered to have a porter come lead us to dinner, we accepted…very enthusiastically.
In the evening, the medina becomes quiet, eerily so. It’s a stark contrast from the day time chaos. Cats can be heard rifling through garbage, the faint sound of children playing can be heard in the distance and the smell of cigarette smoke lurks down the dark alleys. It’s not an inviting ambience, yet as I keep up with our guide as he maneuvers the streets, there is no other place I’d rather be. Amazing food has been promised and I’m not one to turn down a culinary adventure.
After twenty or so, labyrinth-like turns, we arrived at the stunning well-designed Numero 7 hidden behind a thick heavy door. We hadn't even had a glass of wine and the adventure was already starting!
After spending a week in Morocco, we realized that the food options were pretty limited. Actually, let’s be honest for a moment…In Fez there seems to be only one option; Tangine. And forget about finding anything that has some international flair. It’s pretty easy to get “tagined” out and on many occasions we found ourselves wanting to try something different. So when we heard that Numero 7 had a pretty spectacular concept, we had to check it out.
The idea is simple: chefs from around the world come to Fez and do a residency at Numero 7. They create the menu, source the ingredients locally and infuse some Moroccan love into their dishes. During our trip, Haley from saskatchewan (prairie province in Canada) and husband and wife Erica and Gastão from Brazil, where the chefs in residence. Their diverse background promised some interesting dishes and they didn’t disappoint! Each dish was a refreshing take on a few of our favorites.
Our menu for the evening was presented on a blackboard with chalk as was the wine list. We choose some wine, and attempted to decipher exactly what we would be eating. Each dish was expertly presented, tasted delicious and was extremely creative. With Numero 7, you never know what you’re going to get, but you can expect it to be an explosion of flavors and a great retreat from Moroccan cuisine.
Our experience at Numero 7 was wonderful from start to finish. The dishes were tasty and had a beautiful presentation. The staff was fantastic, and took really good care of us (we really appreciated the guide to take us to and from our hotel -- otherwise we'd have gotten lost for sure!)
