Imperial Fez

Name: Imperial Fez

Business Type: Restaurant - Moroccan
Address: 2285 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 351-0870
Website: www.ImperialFez.com
Hours: Tue - Sun 6pm to 11pm, Closed Mondays for private parties, belly dancing after 7:30pm
The Details: Upon our arrival at the Imperial Fez, my dinner companion and I walked into what appeared to be a storefront. Unsure of our surroundings, we walked back out to check the sign and then returned inside. We peeked around a corner and discovered a silent Moroccan mirage with only two scant parties of dinner guests. Strains of Middle Eastern music suddenly began, and as we were being seated, a belly dancer appeared. A few people at another table began taking photos and eventually joined in the dancing festivities.

The server presented a menu full of dishes inspired by the Benjelloun family tradition, along with a limited beer list and a vast liquor list. As we pondered our dinner choices, we reviewed a few rules: a $25 charge for non-diners, one check per party, $25 to $30 for a hookah, 15% gratuity for parties of up to 4, 18% for 6 to 9 people, and 20% for 10 or more people. It was a lot of data to take in, but the server was extremely helpful in clarifying everything. 

I ordered the couscous with lamb and vegetables, and my dinner companion had Chef Rafih's special beef ribs marinated with Moroccan herbs, spices, and dried sweet chili. The courses that came with our meals included lentil bean soup, Moroccan salad, a poultry pastry, our main entrees, and then dessert consisting of fruit, pastries, and hot mint tea. At the beginning of the meal, the server will present you with a towel to keep on your shoulder or in your lap to use as a napkin, and then bring out an ornate silver hand-washing bowl and pitcher. 

The salad course was unconventional, complete with shredded carrots in orange blossom water and pineapple, sweet sliced carrots with an unexpected spicy aftertaste, and a variety of other exotic slaw-like concoctions. The third course was a remarkable pastry filled with Cornish hen and topped with powdered sugar, and the result was both sweet and savory. My main course had huge chunks of soft lamb and vegetables over a bed of couscous and was a delight to pick apart with my fingers. 

Chef Rafih provides exotic surroundings with complex flavors, tender meats, delicious ideas, and gorgeous belly dancers. The Imperial Fez is a place for the celebration of life, offering an escape from the normal Atlanta restaurant scene. Take a couple hours out of your day to pull up a pillow (and maybe a hookah), watch a belly dancer play with fire, and enjoy a great meal you won't soon forget.