Imperial Fez, in Atlanta, GA, offers an upscale dining experience unlike any other.

Like most high-end restaurants, it offers attentive service, unusual cuisine and valet parking. The ingredients are fresh; the staff is experienced; and the menu is predominately price fixe.

That’s where the similarities end.

Instead of white tablecloths and stuffy silence, Imperial Fez features colorful, haphazard decorations and friendly chatter. Patron attire is semi-casual.

Dim lighting sets the mood, but the atmosphere is not romantic—it’s exotic. Imperial Fez is only for the adventurous, and dining there is like being transported to Morocco.

Woven tapestries and exotic rugs in rich colors set the scene. The décor is legitimate Moroccan paraphernalia, as owner/chef Rafih Benjelloun comes from Fez, Morocco. The design would never be described as pretty, but it certainly grabs your attention. And there’s so much to see you don’t know where to look first.

Diners should bring two items: their best socks and a hearty appetite.

Upon entering through heavy, castle-like doors, guests are transported into a world so far removed from typical Atlanta life that it almost seems surreal. Soothing Mediterranean music plays, and canopied ceilings line the hallway to the dining area. Diners must remove their shoes at the hostess stand.

Inside the dining room, small circular tables close to the floor fill the perimeter of the room, and guests sit comfortably on pillows and child-like chairs and banquettes around them. The menu is confusing, but the servers explain the options: the traditional five-course dinner (the only one worth ordering), a three-course dinner, a two-course meal, or the a la carte selections (served Sunday through Friday).

The five-course meal begins with Harrira soup (lentil bean soup), Moroccan bread and crackers. The bread has a similar consistency to cornbread, but a less distinctive taste—delicious, but filling. You may have to consciously prevent yourself from eating too much—there’s so much more ahead.

Next come 11 Moroccan salads, including eggplant salad and cauliflower salad. Taste a little of each one—they are definitely interesting, but again, remember to pace yourself.

Ah yes, there is one catch that’s yet to be mentioned: all food except for the entrée and dessert is to be eaten with your fingers. This slows down the dining process considerably, although you need time to digest between courses anyway. A hand towel, which functions as a napkin, hangs over your left shoulder throughout the meal.

The messiest and also tastiest culinary treat is the B’stella appetizer—Cornish hen, roasted almonds, cinnamon and spiced eggs in filo dough. The unique flavor is worth the crumbs.

Finally, the entrée arrives. Try the royal couscous with vegetables, marinated chicken, lamb and Black Angus beef tenderloin shish kebab (you can choose from 16 poultry, meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes). If you have any room left in your stomach, the fresh fruit cocktail and dessert pastry provides a sweet aftertaste. Incredible Moroccan hot mint tea concludes your meal and helps you digest.

You may be so stuffed that you can’t move, but the dining experience is just beginning.

The belly dancing show, which starts at 8 p.m., causes all conversation to cease. Costumed belly dancers take over the room, shaking their bodies and performing stunts. It’s temporarily captivating, but if you want to leave halfway through, there’s really no way out without interrupting the show.

All in all, dinner takes about three hours and costs from $45-$65, excluding alcohol—not bad for a five-course meal.

Aside from the extremely unique atmosphere, the food and service stand out as Imperial Fez’s best attributes. The downside? Sitting on the floor and eating with your hands can be seen as barbaric, but it’s all a part of the experience. Dinner takes a while, but there’s enough entertainment here to fill your night.

Unless you’re very picky or exceptionally proper, Imperial Fez is worth a visit. It’s not a restaurant that you’d want to frequent every week, or even every month, but it’s certainly a creative culinary escapade not to be missed.

Imperial Fez Restaurant
2285 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
Tel: (404) 351.0870
www.imperialfez.com

-Review by Carly Felton (carly.felton@gmail.com)

Carly Felton lives in Atlanta, Georgia.