Finally a restaurant where you can actually eat real italian food in a trendy space: the food is beautiful, the setting is beautiful, and even the people is beautiful but unpretencius, just like Gatsby. Our friends from L'italien restaurant did not call us for the opening night, but excused themselves saying that they prefered to have fewer customers and serve them better rather than having them all and leave them unsatisfied. They may have a point. According to the owners the idea of the whole place is: 'to introduce the real italy straight to the hearts -and stomachs- of the moroccan-fassi, because you know fassi people is very demanding, but with good food you can conquer anyone and make them fall in love with you' said Alessandro.

The prices are very democratic, the pizzas starting at only 60 dh and the homemade pastas at 70 dh, even poor Gatsby could afford a lovely tiramisu at 40 dh.

What else could you possibly want?

'Lasciatemi cantaaaare...io sono un italiaaaaano....'
6:24 PM
Antonio Rodriguez Jimenez, is both a dreamer and a practic man. A dreamer because he flirted with the idea of producing the first Flamenco Festival in our beloved medieval Fez, and a practic man because as the director of the Instituto Cervantes he fought until that dream turned into a reality, and its going to be big.
Gatsby was invited to the press conference in one of the many well equipped rooms of the great Instituto Cervantes, and was not only surprised by an unusual crowd of people interested in the festival, but also by the good wine they served afterwards.
This first edition of the Flamenco Festival will be dedicated to the women, a subject which Gatsby truly approves of, and will develop during five days through seven different shows in the theater Al-Hourria (Av.Palestine):

-4 April- Conference 'Origen y evolucion del Flamenco' along with guitarrista Alfredo Mesa
-5 April- 19h-'Chocolata' fusion flamenco group
20h-'Chekara de Tetouan' moroccan group with andalusian roots
-6 April- Concierto Gusto 'Rafaela Carrasco' top level flamenco dance evolution, not to miss.
-7 April- Jose Torres Trio & Melisa Calero, new show concept with music and dance.
-8 April- 19h-M. Jose Perez (singing) & Miguel Molina (guitar), fresh flamenco
20h- Juan Antonio Ramírez Lopez (cante) & Jose Luis Escoz (guitarra)

All tickets can be purchased in advance in the Instituto Cervantes and the prices are really affordable, starting at just 50 dirhams per show, and a whole week-pass can be bought at only 200 dh, making it a very good gift.
Some surprises are reserved during the festival and its being rumored that there may be an after show party with the artists in Gatsby's place, but for that we are sorry, no tickets can be bought. But he does accept bribes.
http://www.fez.cervantes.es/
12:33 PM

In New York's Central Park there are sexual assaulters running free, in London's Hyde Park the rippers like to kill prostitutes, in the parisien Le Bois de Boulogne the prostitues actually like to ripe you, and in El Retiro park in Madrid just about everybody starting from the gypsies ask you for money and try sell you drugs. But there is still hope for you Nature lovers and teenagers in search of a place to hold hands shyly, the Jnan Sbil Garden has opened its doors. After four years of detailed restoration and more than 30 million dirhams invested its the most expected comeback since ABBA, and Gatsby went there to have a stroll and sit with a good Henry James book for an hour or two. The Garden is really something exceptional and has to be seen and experienced in a sunny day, being in Fez, that is quite easy. The garden boasts more than 3000 different vegetal species some of them being really rare. The park was created by the Sultan Moulay Abdallah in the XVIII century and expands itself over more than 7 hectares. Gatsby's favourite part is the Bambou area, and the pintoresque noria. There is also a lake and plenty of water in this park that becomes a must for every visitor in seach of peace and pure air. And on top of everything our friends from the Mezzanine are just opposite the door so why not have a Gintronade (a mix of lemonade and Gin, invented actually by yours truly) from the lovely terrace?

The park opens from Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm.

And if you see someone reading quietly in the shadows a nice Oscar Wilde or Joseph Conrad please dont bother, Gatsby is not so nice in person.
2:00 PM
In order to celebrate the 100th International Wowen's Day in style Gatsby will like you to go to a place he has definetely no access: a Women's only dinner. And then is for a good cause too, all the money will go to the Women's Centre in Batha, a non-profit institution that helps women that suffered from violence or have been ostracized by their families or society.
The Dinner will take place on Sunday 6th March in the reputed Majestic Restaurant, price is 250 dh for a gorgeous menu and transportation is included if needed.
Tickets should be purchased in advanced and places are limited! so if you want to secure your place contact one of the promoters, Vanessa Bonnin on the 06 75 00 67 88 or go straight to Riad Maison Blue, or to Fes et Gestes 05 35 63 85 32.
4:15 AM

No it is not last Gatsby's conquest, Margherita is just a kind of pizza, the most virgin of them all we may say, and one of Gatsby's favourites. Soon to be opened the only truly italian restaurant in Fez has already a name and its very simple: "L'italian"; the architecture is not pretencious yet very careful with the design and cozyness of the whole place: real wood oven, light colors, interior garden, superb terrace... Gatsby has seen the works and we may say its almost ready, and will be opening its doors in a month time according to the young and excited owners. The chef is already operational and its trying new dishes everyday, one amatriciana here, one porcini mushrooms lasagna there, some risotto and little by little the menu is coming along. Gatsby had the honour of attending some degustations and everything was in tune with its legendary italian palate: the chef was approved.

The restaurant will be situated in the Champs de Course area, not far from already famous Zen Garden restaurant and the (in)famous chinese Wong.

We welcome this addition without forgetting that many other restaurants are opening soon and Gatsby will give you all the infos in the near time...
1:23 PM
'If you build it, they will come'.
Ok, maybe this is not a big deal for you my dear window shopper stranger, but when you live in a medieval town like Fes surrounded by djellabas and fake Armani T-shirts, and like Tesco would say: 'Every little helps'. The new Mango shop is of course not in the Medina, but rather in the new town behind the police headquarters, in an area quite lively where you can find Cafe Eight and one Web Help Center with plenty of potencial customers. Its specially good news for all of those women that after riding a donkey all day long experience the need of doing some retail therapy to feel in touch with our globalised world. The new Mango shop does not have the mens collection but that only means that Gatsby will still have an excuse to go abroad and have a look at Harvey Nichols in London from time to time.
10:34 AM

There is life beyond the medina. Even if the Old City of Fez remains a magnet for cultivated travellers in search of Gnaoua immersions, amazing historical sights and the finest gastronomy in Morocco, its a proven fact that the new part of Fez can offer some entertainment too. New places about to open include the never ending Andalous Fez in route d'Immouzzer and the only truly Italian restaurant to be open soon called simply "L'Italian" in the Champs de Course neighbourhood, belonging to the young group of enterpreneurs F&Be, which will soon become the official pizza supplier of Gatsby. And that's precisely where the man himself, un uomo tra due mondi, has recently established his general quarters, and like Nero when was showed his lavish new palace he also thought 'I'm finally lodged as a man'.
The house has lovely windows overlooking a garden that comes with its own palms, lemon and orange trees, has plenty of space and Gatsby is already thinking in hosting one party or two. Who knows, if you are well connected you may even be invited.
5:01 AM
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