Sacred Heart of Morocco: the calculation of Moulay Idriss is a tourist map

Once a no-go area, the holy city of Morocco is starting to woo tourists with a friendly guest house and a new branch of the coolest restaurant in Fez

Until 2005, non-Muslims were not allowed to stay in Moulay Idriss. Guides warned tourists who have dared to visit from out of town by 15:00. This is what Edith Wharton had to do in 1919 when he visited the city, known as the holiest place in the country, looking for his classic memoir of traveling in Morocco. Although there was no place for her to stay, she said that was the first foreigner to witness moussem bustle of the city – the music-dance and kissed by the summer festival is considered by many Moroccans as an alternative to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

Well, there are places to stay now, and an intriguing new restaurant run by Mike Richardson, a former maitre d 'of the ivy and Wolseley who recently became the first foreigner to buy a property here. The pioneer of Green Gables moved to Fez, an hour east, five years ago to set Clock Café (concept: Mad Moroccan souk meets Venice Beach cafe style, with burgers camel) and now intends to do the same thing in Moulay Idriss .

"Foreigners are warmly welcomed now," he said, adding that the reputation of Moulay Idriss as an unwelcoming place, it fell to religious sensitivities alone.

"From what I understand," he says, "myths took place because the place is so special. Moroccans wanted to keep the secret."

His new restaurant, Dar Akrab (Scorpion House), is perched on one of the two hills in this ancient city where he is buried Moulay Idriss el Akhbar, great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the man who brought Islam to Morocco 1,200 years ago, . Does not have the emotional appeal of a place still star struck by the promise of tourism.

The bus from Fez was not as close of Volubilis, a Roman city strangely abandoned 20 minutes' walk from the city. There is still no regular public transport, the cheapest way to get here is in a shared taxi "great" from Fez and Meknes.

The climb to Dar Akrab is steep, but worth it for the incredible view from the terrace white minimalist as you eat your scrambled eggs with truffles desert, or your Moroccan barbecue, the house specialty. In a Moroccan barbecue meat, usually lamb, cooked Mechouar-style (as opposed to the method a Berber Arab) – outdoors on the grill and dressed with a herby, spicy marinade made of cumin, paprika and coriander.

If you want more, well, you can ask the other customers because, unlike many of the fancy new places in Marrakech, Dar Akrab you can meet local young people, men and women.

"The atmosphere will be dictated by the villagers," says Mike, as a wave of a pair of women enjoy afternoon tea on a terrace near. He says he initially bought the place as a refuge from her life as a celebrated resident of Fez. Clock Coffee in the heart of the souk, so successful that every time he steps outside, is taken from a stallholder selling chameleons pet or homemade rose water who wants to pass the time of day.

Even for non-famous, Fez can feel claustrophobic after a couple of days, and the immense sky and dramatic views of Moulay Idriss is a tonic. Other attractions include the Roman baths, a 10-minute walk in the quiet hills, with two medium-sized bathrooms built in the hills of Mount Zerhouni. You can swim here: the water smells of cumin and hot stones. (In summer, Richardson said, is "soup guy.") But if not, take a dip, it's worth the climb for a breathtaking view. Looking down on the vast plains of Volubilis gives a real sense of being in Africa – as well as a glimpse of what Africa could be heard as Roman.

Thanks to Dar Akrab, Moulay Idriss is beginning to awaken. local friend of Mike, Fayssal, manages a new hotel with five rooms, Dar Zerhouni. This is a small wood and brick, with tiled floor boutique hotel with the classic form of doors to the keyhole, a lot of romantic balconies and a rare carving baraka to Muhammad in the central courtyard which indicates that part of the original house of Mecca.

The conservatory-style dining on the terrace has depreciated (again) amazing panorama. Breakfast is couscous with honey and bread soaked in olive oil from a grove just down the road.

Fayssal's father, Mustapha, is a great host, too. Once a week, offers the possibility of its Tang, the famous Moroccan stew cooked by men only. It 's a dish that's a lot of male flesh and not a lot of work. It takes a large ceramic urn for the butcher, fill him with spicy meat and then gets down to the hammam. You leave the fire bath, go out and have a good steam, and when you're ready, you bring it home and announces, "Hey baby, I made dinner!"

The big show-off time comes when Mustapha empties the urn in front of me. The richness of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat at the moment shock to me as the inscrutable silence Fayssal jovial smile and his father to me.

The food will be a big part of Mike's new adventure. He has already run cookery courses in Fez, and will do the same in Dar Akrab. His friend, food writer Tara Stevens, has just published Clock Book: Recipes from a contemporary Moroccan (33books, £ 15), Mike inspired menu. In Moulay Idriss, Morocco will be manning the grill and teach guests how to do everything from spicy duck, pomegranate molasses and crystallized rose petals.

• Contact Akrab Dar, which opens at the end of May, +212 535 637855, cafeclock.com. Double with bath Dar Zerhouni cost € 45 (212 535 544 371, buttonsinn.com). Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Fez from £ 42 return

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Submited at Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at 7:00 am on Hotel by dave
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