Our Team, your hosts

Jen - Creator

In 2002, Jen moved to Fez to create Dar Roumana after falling in love with the medina during a holiday - and simultaneously falling out of love with her investment banking job in London.  Armed with a Cordon Bleu diploma and a business plan, she spent the next 5 years meticulously restoring Dar Roumana. Jen opened the dar officially in 2007 and has managed it with the help of her long-standing team.

Jen is currently living in Tunisia, where she is serving as the Country Director of AMIDEAST, a US non-profit active throughout the MiddleEast and North Africa providing training and skills development to thousands of young people. 

Redouane - Angel

Redouane was born in Fez in1988 and spent his childhood inside the ancient medina walls. 

He decided early in his career to pursue hospitality management, so after obtaining his BA in English Philosophy, continued his studies for 2 intensive years to earn a Diploma in Hotel Management.  These qualifications enabled him to move to Abu Dhabi, where he worked for 4 years for Intercontinental Group as a Front Office Supervisor.

Yearning to return to Fez, Redouane joined the Marriott team in Fez in May 2017... and luckily for us, joined Dar Roumana as the Assistant General Manager in May 2018.  Why do we call him "angel"?  We have our reasons...but you can judge for yourself.

Simo - Mastermind

Si Mohammed (“Simo”), hails from the historic village of Moulay Idriss near Meknes.    

Mohamed joined Dar Roumana in 2009 as a waiter in the restaurant, but his passion and talent were quickly apparent and they grew along with the business.  We are proud to have him now managing the the dar!

Although a genuine professional, his cheeky sense of humour and full-face smile are infectious - and have earned him the affectionate nickname "Ifrit", or naughty devil.

Chef Younes - Artist

Although a native son of Fez, Younes first stepped into the kitchen in Rabat at the La Villa Mandarine.  There he developed the "soft touch" that his dishes exude (you really wont believe how thin and crisp  his chocolate tart pastry is!)

Upon returning to Fez, Younes became a chef at the tennis club, working alongside Chef Vincent Bonnin.  Their professional comeraderie and harmonious kitchen was such that when Vincent moved to Dar Roumana, Younes followed shortly thereafter.

Younes became our Head Chef in 2016, and continues to develop and refine his approach to his signature Franco-Moroccan cuisine.