El Fenn Restaurant and Rooftop

Overview

The rooftop is the part of El Fenn, one of the medina's best-known boutique hotels, that is open to everyone. At 1,300 square metres it is one of the largest terraces in the old city, with a close-up view of the Koutoubia, the medina rooftops all around and the Atlas Mountains in the distance. A 30-foot marble bar anchors the space, and daybeds, couches and shaded corners spread across the terrace. It is open every day from noon to 11pm, and the same roof works two ways. The bar needs no booking: a team of mixologists pours cocktails, wines and spirits alongside light bites and small plates, and at sunset, as the call to prayer rises over the city, the candles are lit and on some evenings a DJ joins in. The rooftop restaurant serves lunch and dinner and is best booked ahead, with the table held for two hours and the bar waiting afterwards for anyone who wants to stay. The cooking is local and seasonal, built on produce from nearby farms and markets, fish from the Atlantic and meat from the Atlas. Summer nights smell of jasmine, winter ones of woodsmoke from the open fires. Non-residents enter through the El Fenn Boutique, and the terrace fills fast at sunset, so arriving early pays off.