Fez Moroccan Restaurant Reviews

Good moroccan food. Dark inside and you sit on a couch and eat with your hands. The menu is essentially pre-set and you make a couple of choices of variation. Good location off South Street.

great for a group of friends looking for some interesting and entertaining food!

indian food is not much different than anything else I've eaten... mainly chicken and beef or lamb, etc. but it's the spices that separate it from the pact. heavy on the curry and cinnamon, it gives a unique flare to the palate. be prepared to eat with yuour hands, get a back massage while you eat and learn how to belly dance in the aisle. a very unique experience.

This is truly my favorite restaurant in Philly. Last time I visited it was with my friends for a girls' night out. The atmosphere and food were both wonderful, as usual. The restaurant was very accommodating. We wanted the Fez Feast, but it is generally to be ordered for the table. One of the ladies in our party is vegetarian, while the rest of us wanted the original Fez Feast. While we were trying to decide what to do, they were quick to offer to make one portion vegetarian. First we had the Bastilla. This is a savory pie, traditionally made with pigeon. In this case it was chicken, while our vegetarian one was made with additional almonds. Next came a selection of salads, including an eggplant and a carrot salad. These are meant to be eaten on huge hunks of warm bread. The next course was the meat course. We opted for beef shish kabob and Harissa Chicken, while our vegetarian friend had falafel and hummus. Lamb was also a choice for the meat. Next came couscous, followed by fruit. Finally mint tea and baklava were served. One of my favorite parts of this restaurant is the atmosphere. There is middle eastern music playing the entire time and a belly dancer. The belly dancer always asks the patrons to dance with her, one at a time. As I dance myself, I can never resist!! This restaurant also offers Hookah. While I do not normally smoke, this is a fun experience. We ordered on when we first sat down and enjoyed it throughout the meal. There are so many choices of flavor for the hookah it is hard to choose. Overall, I recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a fun Moroccan adventure. I have been coming here for 10 years and will certainly be back!!

He thought it would be fun to have the 7 course meal. Everything started nicely but each course got worse and worse. The couscous was soggy, the lamb was really dry and the fruit was very bruised. The service was also weak it took a very long time to get water, order and get our bill.

Ok Ok I saw the bad reviews..I went with a group of ladies, I was the only American..everyone else was Middle Eastern, French and Indian. They enjoyed the food...and they are natives..what more can you say..the food was good! The service was nice, easy going,excellent music, we did the FEZ Feast..7 courses $25.00 each. Hookah at $25.00 for the table..and a great Belly Dancer and the atmosphere was funky. If you are looking to step outside your comfort zone..try FEZ..it was just a cool time and something out of the ordinary !

Darker than necessary. Hiding something?

Took a road trip to Philly with friends. We already had reservations in place for 8 at Fez. I would suggest it because the place filled up quickly. It was a new experience for me trying Moroccan food. Everything was quite tasty. Your meal starts off with a communal washing of the hands at your table. Apparantely you finish your meal the same way which is good because you eat the entire 7 courses without utensils. However our servers were slow in getting us the bill at the end of the night and never came over with the tea pot to cleanse our hands after the meal. We had the 7 course weekend dinner minus the soup. We were told it wasn't served on the weekend. They did a great job preparing the meats for the chicken with lemon & olives as well as the shih kabobs. Surpassed my expectations, nothing was dry or over cooked. A bit confused by the giant basket of fruit which consisted of apples, bananas & oranges (you had to cut or peel to eat). I am told the fruit selection never changes even with different fruits in season. I was excited to hear about the pastries and mint tea that finished the meal. Unfortunatley it seems the pastries (super small portion) consisted of store bought baklava. The tea was Excellent. I have to say next to the chicken bastilla it was my favorite thing to eat. You can enjoy a hookah pipe at your table without inundating the table next to you with smoke. Another pleasant surprise because I wasn't sure how those things worked. A belly dancer came out twice during our meal and was very entertaining. She does her best to engage the people to join her and will stop dancing if you are not paying attention to her because you are self involved with texting. The bill was a bit pricey w/o the tip and you were never offered 2nd helpings. It seems whether there were 2 of us or 8 of us the same amount of food came to your table. Aside from the small dining area which needs a bit of upgrading it was a nice overall experience.

Came here in July for a birthday dinner. Food, Drinks and Atmosphere was wonderful. Place was a little bit empty inside but we took up about 25% of the tables with our group. Belly dancer was fun and exciting.

On a more adventurous night, I convinced my boyfriend to try Moroccan food. I can say this is one of most memorable and least favorite dining experiences Philly. The first sign that we should have turned around was the broken front mirror, We ordered the feast. Which started off with a lack luster soup. Followed by an array of mezze/crudite, nine if which was fresh. We were presented with half chicken in boiling broth. Since there are no eating utensils provided I scalded my fibers in an attempt off pieces of chicken. Before dessert we were printed with a fruit basket....literally. I have never been to a that offers oranges, bananas, apples etc for you to peal at the table. We will never forget this dining experience.

you'll forget time here. has tasteful belly dancing.

We ordered a la carte. We started with the three salads. The eggplant is my favorite. The Chicken Bastilla was wonderful. We ordered both chickens, Chicken with olives and Chicken with Harissa sauce. Both were excellent. If you like, try the hookah. We had a lot of fun.

We've been to Fez many times and not once are we disappointed with the food. I mean the service isn't always on point but we are addicted to the food. Order the whole chicken and it's guaranteed to come out tender and perfectly cooked. The vegetables are perfectly seasoned and the desserts and hot sweet tea is the perfect way to end the meal.

Get experience !! I wanted to try this place based off the picture of this place. It a very laid back mature atmosphere. The couches and pillows makes the experience more enjoyable. I was enjoying myself so much I forgot to order food. Who's in that kitchen? I order the Fez half chicken, came out tender and perfectly cooked, food was still smoking. I didn't need a knife to cut into the chicken, it just fell right apart. The seasoning on both the rice and chicken was very flavorful. Our waiter suggested a strong hookah which I asked for and it didn't disappoint .

fun and with belly dancers..a little over the top..

Amazing array of dishes. Feast for eyes & palate. Consendus was best tender succulent lamb & chicken ever! Spices were perfect. Wedge shaped dough filled with meat, cinnamon & sprinkled with powdered sugar beyond comparison. Service & presentation excellent. We 6 shall return.

Let me just preface this by saying that we are super patient diners. In our friend group we have more then our share of ex-waiters and almost always tip 20%. Super terrible experience. We were charged $30 a hookah, the 2 vegetarians paid the full $25 and 3 of their courses were skipped in leiu of one plate of hummus, waiters (I think we had 4 or 5 of them) ignored us and we actually had to share each others water b/c we couldn't get anyone to bring us any, had to track someone down after 30 minutes of waiting to get our bill and at the end of all of this our bill was $320 for 6 people and that didn't include the automatic 18% grat! This isn't the same Fez I remember from times past and please don't waste your time or money. Belly dancer was good though.

Sneaky, profit hungry, and just wrong!! I went with a group of 11 people to enjoy the "Weekend Special" Fez Feast...your typical moroccan outing. The menu is misleading..and the prices on the bill pop-up from nowhere. We were charged a 20% gratuity - as stated on the menu for parties greater than 5 - which is completely understandable to me, being a waitress, although should be the the guests choice to tip above 18%, according to service. On top of the gratuity we were charged a $105 clean-up fee..which clean up is normally a part of the job description for a waiter. Our grand total including some martinis and mixed drinks came to $650!!! The food came to $275..so the rest comes from some crazy place (not everyone was drinking). The menu is misleading...it doesnt mention the price of the hookah...just says "available upon request" The food was not very good..i could've made it myself..not an exaggerating! The fruit at the end is whole fruit. I love exotic food and countries, but i would have rather spent that money at a really nice delicious restaurant. My advice is to save yourself and everyone you know some stress and money and DO NOT go there!!! Please spread the word.

I had been to FEZ once, a long time ago, as a teenager, with my family. I remember thinking the theme was nice but the food was wierd... but that I would come back with friends or future girlfriends because of its' uniqueness, if that is even a word. Well, some twenty-plus years later, with the better half in town and friends who "want to try something new" I googled and was surprised to see the old establishment still standing, though now it is known as FEZ RESTAURANT AND HOOKAH LOUNGE... more on that later. And off we went for a late Saturday evening dinner. I was equally surprised to see the same offerings still being advertised. Not much changes in Old Morocoo, and equally so at an old Moroccan restaurant. The "hook" I remember is the music, the authentic bellydancers, and the wait staff all customarily dressed so that you feel authentic. The girls pour ROSE WATER over your hands for you to cleanse yourself prior to consuming, with silverware being optional. Guests are encouraged to participate in the dance if they dare, and you may even be lucky enough to get a massage between courses to pamper the patron further, And while they have an a la carte menu, you would be fez-foolish not to go for the FEZ FEAST, a seven course meal for two at $30pp, also available in Vegen for those who don't eat meat. (We were a party of four, ordered one of each, and shared) In these seven courses as appetizers are some non-traditional salads and a Chicken Bastilla that impressed my world-travelling Lady who had actually been to Morocco. The main courses offer the diner one of two chicken dishes along with either a beef of lamb Shish Kabob, unless you went Vegen. Both were well-seasoned, well-cooked, sumptuos and satisfying. I could tell by the looks on the faces of my guests and the silence of those lambs that they were very-much enjoying the meal! The latter courses consisted of a Couscous, Fresh Fruits and Moroccan Pastries served with Mint Tea and followed by another cleansing with the rose water. And though alcoholic-drinks are not included, the Fez Punch packed a punch but also padded the bill at ten bucks a pop times 4... but was well worth it. And if you HOOKAH, more power to you in that they have a variety of apparatus and a menu of tobaccos for you to enjoy... they smelled nice, but i did not partake. More on that, as promised: So i said, we went for a late dinner (9.30pm reservation). Parking is always a problem in Olde City and along South Street, but it's still free. And it was not crowded and we were seated immediately, yet strangely, the staff was all men... BIG men! We were told the Bellydancers were done for the night. OK, no worries, but toward the end of our stay, probably 11-ish, the place began getting very crowded with these big men doing pat-downs by the door. AH, enter the Hookah crowd! Young and loud, but fun and courteous, politely making way for us "old folks" to exit the suddenly narrow walkway. If I were twenty years younger, and single, i might have stayed and hookah'd all night! Instead, we did a short walk up South Street. So my suggestions are YES! TRY THE FEZ! But go early, say for lunch or early dinner, Enjoy all that the restaurant offers and the fantastic food that is served. And perhaps one day, like the well-travelled Girlfriend, you too may go to Morocco.

I read the reviews and was worried about food and service. I have to say I am glad we went. I went with a total of 10 people all in our early 40s. It was a great time. We had fun eating with our hands and trying new food, drinking different wines and of course Hookah. There are no plates, no forks and the table was completely too small for 10 people, and it still was a blast. We felt that it was cozy!! If you are from Morocco or you are a Hookah expert, then this may not be place for you. If you are looking for a different experience to have a blast with friends then I would highly recommend Fez. I thought it was super cheap considering we had 5 bottles of wine and lots of beer. It ended up being 70 per person for for almost 4 hours of food, many Hookah refills, beer and 5 bottles of wine and tip....to me it was cheap!!!

Well let me tell you right now that you won't find any decent service there at the Fez at all. The atmosphere was good, very authentic. If you heard they do a 7 course meal 25.00 per person just know that it requires two people so really it's $50.00 for 2 people...nice catch huh? Not just that but the 7 course meal is just one plate of food per course that you and the other person shares. Definitely not worth $50.00. The drinks there aren't very good at all and they are ridiculously over priced. They add on gratuity just so you know and be careful what you get because they'll charge you $10.00 per drink and $14.00 for two tiny chick kabobs and little rice which is a rip off for the price...but what I thought was great about that place was the cute little wooden spoons for the soup in the 7 course meal. I would say if you don't mind spending a whole lot of money there for food and a few drinks then go ahead. Service is my hugest thing and that place doesn't have it. Other than that we all went to eat Lorenzo's pizza after wards and that was the highlight of the night.

Although the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous, the food is disgusting. This is coming from a Moroccan person who have spent half of her life in Morocco, the food this place serves is NOT Moroccan food from the salads and tea to the couscous and bastilla. The dishes have Moroccan names but what you are getting is a cheap, low quality, bootleg version of it, the prices are meant to make you think you are getting good quality but it's nothing but a rip-off. If you have ever tasted authentic Moroccan food before, then you can tell the difference from the first bite, and if you have not then you should definitely try some elsewhere because you won't get any in this one. This place is a disgrace to Moroccan cuisine.

Another Moroccan restaurant that's more about the environment than taste. Tent-ish room with hookas and metal tables are pretty, while decorative dishes are eaten by hand as belly dancers prance around. Cooking isn't bad, but the taste is Americanized and not quite authentic. You must go to NYC for authentic-tasting Moroccan places, but if you don't mind paying premium for the environment and experience, Fez is quite entertaining and fun.

Awesome atmosphere, delish "Fez Feast". $25 gets you a full course meal, during your meal a belly dancer comes out to your table and dances! We had a great time with another couple, and we're there 2 and 1/2 hours.....fun times!!!

The belly dancers, when they are there make it fun..the food is prety good, but not up to top standards

This looks like nothing from the sidewalk, and then you open the door and enter a long, dim room resembling a colorful tent with low tables and banquettes -- you are in another culture entirely. The meal starts with the server pouring warm water as you hold your hands over a raised basin. Four of us ordered the "feast", which is 4 different courses with plenty of food (the other 2 of us had large samplings of everything in addition to our own orders). All of a sudden the sound system was turned up and a belly dancer appeared. She worked her way up and down the room, and invited diners to dance with her. The restaurant offers hookahs, but we did not partake. A party of 10 Middle Eastern businessmen had a great time stuffing bills into the dancer's waistband and getting up to dance with her. Diners were a mix of young and middle-aged, with at least 4 people per table.

Ok so we just went there last night upon arrival to philly. My husband is Moroccan from Rabat and we travel there at least once a year. Coming to Fez transported us back home. The decor was nicely done and reminiscent of a small neighborhood restaurant in Rabat....but the food! It definitely was a true Moroccan recipe not an adaptation or interpretation as we have seen often outside of Morocco. The food tasted very fresh which made up for the length in waiting for the food to come out. We can wait if the food is made from scratch or at least tastes like it!!! The mint tea was a little weak and to be honest could be improved upon but the food was the star & we are so appreciative for a taste of our Moroccan home when we can’t travel all the way home.

Went here with some friends for dinner recently and wasn't terribly impressed. I think maybe the point is to slowly enjoy your meal but it was really really slow and we were the only ones in there! Food was nothing special and could've used more spice/seasoning. Enjoyed the wine and company but probably wouldn't go back.

we love moroccan food, but this was terrible! its a 7 course meal for $25. The first course is a mediocre salad, the 2nd a terrible concoction of scrambled eggs and sugar. One course is a basket of banana and apples! The chicken and lamb aren't great either. The only tolerable thing is a belly dancer. Don't waste your money here!

I was looking forward to trying Morrocan food but the restaurant was so dark, could not see the fixed menu nor the drink choices. We decided to leave before we were waited on because of the gloomy atmosphere.

11 of us went to Fez last night. OMG being from Phily and experiencing all kinds of different food and places this experience was the worst!!!!!!!!!!!! We got an eggplant salad and carrot salad it tasted like canned salad for $.70 a can from Walmart. We also got 2 full chickens for 11 people, it was ridiculous. They throw a filthy, smelly bathroom towel on your laps to use as napkin. It was freezing cold food was disgusting. Even though it was Saturday only one belly dancer was at the restaurant, She was dancing 3 times in 3 hours mostly around the men asking for money. We paid $800 for nothing, way overpriced, $100 would be too much for the food we ate. I never complain about spending too much at the restaurant, as long as you get great food at a great place. Please DO NOT go there, or if you do please look at the bill, because they make stuff up. Horrible, horrible, horrible……..

good as heck

Taken for a ride. Food was mediocre at best. Service was horrible.I think the water we werent served was mixed in to dilute the box wine they served us. When the bill came we found that we were charged for extra drinks and wine with new prices. If you make it out to this pit be sure to ask for the "up to date menu" because the menu will list one price and your bill will show another. Have been there twice and both times there were issues with the bill. We are patient patrons and I figured it was a fluke the first time, but apparently not. Unless you have an affinity for the authentic act of bartering your bill down to what you ordered I would stay clear of this joint.

Went with my family on a Sunday night. We were seated right away but were only given one menu for a party of seven and had to go back and ask for more. We had to ask for water several times- and there was only one other party in the place at the time! When our waiter came to take our order, he seemed totally confused and we had to go over it a couple of times before he got it. But he didn't get it, because he forgot my sister's food so she had to wait until we were nearly finished before receiving her meal. On top of this, the food was mediocre at best. Two of our party ordered something that tasted really good, but the vegetable couscous, which three of us had ordered, was nothing more than a few potatatoes, carrots, and raisins over couscous- a ripoff at thirteen dollars. I've made much better similar dishes at home, and I don't even really cook! This was a real disappointment because my husband and I were there a couple of years ago for the eight course dinner, which we remember as a much better experience. I definitely wouldn't recommend this place, and if you're looking for a similar type of cuisine and dining experience as that advertised here, I know there are better options in the city. I haven't been there, but have heard good things about Marrakesh.

I have mixed feelings about Fez. We went due via a Groupon reservation on a Saturday evening. We walked in to almost pitch darkness and three shady guys smoking a hookah in the corner. Once we were seated, the lights were turned up a bit. The staff seemed confused by our reservation, and didn’t realize what the groupon entailed- a 4 course tasting menu with wine. They took my phone to the back to review details. OK. Unusual, but not deterrent. Food was good, and there was only one additional table (also with a reservation) that showed up while we were eating. Mint tea was among the better that I have had.