A WARM glow shines from the brightly-coloured searchlights, intricate rugs and Moorish carvings hang from the walls and heady aromas fill the air.

We are not in some faraway medina but in Old Town’s newest eatery, Fez, a taste of Morocco direct from Marrakech’s Djemaa el-Fna market square.

Keen to avoid a ‘blaze of publicity’, the restaurant quietly sprung on Wood Street last December.

As word spread about the intriguing Moroccan tapas bar, Fez swiftly gathered a faithful base of customers.

The staggered launch is now complete. As of this week, Fez is now open for lunch, offers traditional tea with savoury and sweet pastries in the afternoon and has unveiled its final dinner menu (which will continue to be complemented by specials every day).

“We wanted something different, a little piece of Morocco in the middle of Swindon,” said manager Emma Huxtable.

“We opened pretty much the minute the work was done. We deliberately kept it small at first. We’ve seen other places open in a blaze of publicity and sometimes it’s difficult to live up that after. For a few weeks we opened only in the evening.

“We didn’t expect it to as popular as it is. It’s been pretty crazy; we’ve turned people away and we already have some regulars. But we’re not counting our chickens yet.”

Unlike many restaurateurs, her vision for Fez 12 months ago began not in the kitchen but in the souks. Before searching for a venue or even considering a menu, Emma and her business partner put all their energy into mastering the authentic riad style, down to the finest detail.

So on they went, scouring Casablanca and Marrakech’s historic medinas for crockery, lamps, antique brass tables and tea services, not to mention a fez - which now takes pride of place above the bar. These shopping sprees were of course rounded off with diligent food sampling and the obligatory ‘gallons’ of mint tea.

“We found out so much about Morocco over the last 12 months; it has been an education. We went on five different occasions on shopping trips. We looked for crockery and tableware. We bought a mixture of old and new. We wanted that authentic feel. I’ve become an expert at haggling. The last time I was there they called me a Berber, which is a good thing, I think.

“The most important thing for us is that when you come in you feel you are in a Moroccan restaurant; you couldn’t be anywhere else. With some restaurants sometimes you could just be anywhere.

“And of course we drank gallons of mint tea with mounds and mounds of sugar. It’s rude to turn it down and you’ve always got to have more than one glass.”

Tapas may seem an incongruous choice for a traditional Moroccan restaurant but given the Moors’ enduring influence on Spanish gastronomy, a blend of the two cultures seemed just right.

But for purists, Fez also serves tagines and couscous as regular-sized portions.

“Technically tapas are Spanish,” she conceded. “However, Moroccans rules Spain for hundreds of years and they influenced Spanish food, so we like to claim tapas as being ours as well. And tapas are a social way of eating.”

Favourites include the red peppers stuffed with feta cheese, Harira soup, merguez with tzatziki and goats cheese tostada with date jam. The lamb and chicken tagines also top orders.

It is during one of her excursions that Emma charmed the head chef in her hotel into joining Fez as executive chef. He concocted a typical menu with modern twist (and vegetarian options). He is yet to visit the UK and see the results of his hard work but a colleague of his London has made sure his recipes were duly followed and perfected by Fez’s team.

“We turned on the charm. It was an opportunity he had never had before and he designed the menu for us. These are all his recipes. We wanted to make sure we got it right. These are all his recipes. We also wanted to make the prices attractive. It’s not going to break the bank, just like in Morocco.”

This quest for authenticity did not stop at the drinks menu, as in so many eateries.

Fez boasts an extensive Moroccan wine list rivalling the best French vintages.

“Everything needed to be as genuine as possible and the French taught Moroccans how to make wine so it’s very good.”

As well as a bar, main restaurant and more intimate dining area, a private room is now available for up to 15 people.

Fez was christened relatively late in the process. The moniker ticked all the right boxes for Emma who was keen to steer clear of unpronounceable or long-winded names.

“I wanted something people would remember. A lot of people make the mistake of choosing a name people are unable to pronounce. And I’ve been to a number of Moroccan restaurants in London I can’t remember the names of. It was perfect. It’s short and sweet and the name of a Moroccan city – admittedly it’s spelt with an ‘s’ on some maps and with a ‘z’ on others. And we had the fez hat on the back of the bar so it worked for us.”

The fez will not remain on its shelf very long.

“We are going to have staff and customers put the fez on and have their picture taken for the web. We want to make it into a bit of a game.”

Fez is located at 7 Wood Street. To book a table call 01793 523683.