Capturing the Allure of Morocco’s Timeless Cafe Culture

What springs to mind when you think of Casablanca? Other than the classic Bogart movie. How about dark cafes full of mysterious Moroccan’s sipping on espresso in shot glasses. Streets lined with shop signs that look like they have been there for decades? Yes, if you’re a fan of nostalgia, old town Casa might be your dream ticket.

Cafés are to Morocco what the pub is to Brits or a sports bar is to Americans; a social and communal hub. I recently visited several where you can see and feel Moroccan life teeming within them. Sometimes they bustle with frenetic activity, and other times offer a more sedate respite from the dust and heat outside.

A few things to know before you go. If football is on the TV, and Morocco is playing, you’d better arrive early or you won’t get a seat. During half time customers often run out for supplies (cigarettes, or even muffins or cookies) and bring them back to the cafe, which always surprises me that it’s allowed.

In cafes with no TV, daily banter is communicated in Darija, Arabic, and French. Some English is spoken, and despite the country moving towards it, you’d be hard pressed to know that. Things move slowly in that respect here.

The old town is great for art deco architecture, but be warned it can be dirty, and any stroll will involve navigating your way through streets decorated with a mosaic of pigeon feces and cat food, so keeping your eyes up on the buildings comes with significant risk.

Strangely, Boulevard Mohammed V does not intersect with the city’s best known plaza, Mohammed V Square, but it does offer a plethora of cafes. You can relax at Le Berry, near tram stop Mohammed Diouri, on the expansive open patio and watch boulevard life surge past. Just up the street, Cafe Carrion has all the appeal of a modern glass box at first glance, but for the bold and curious, venture inside to find a small and charming garden at the back.

Although these spots proffer up glimpses of the past, you’re never far from modernity in Casablanca, with many cafes offering free Wifi (though few to no available electrical outlets as most cafes frown on laptops on tables). If you want really rustic try the five dirham hole-in-the-walls spots (if they have names they are only in Arabic), which do soft cheese or Nutella on various Moroccan breads, usually with a small glass of mint tea—the local brew of choice.

References to Bogart and the film Casablanca do exist but I’ve yet to see anyone darting around the night in their trench coat, though there are plenty of shoe shine men on dirty street corners, and some of them are mobile and move to other areas when business is slow.

Speaking of that classic movie, don’t expect a shiny multiplex downtown. In Casablanca, they are old and dusty like pages of a well-worn book; a couple even have film projectors as exhibits. Some, like the architectural gem Rialto looked closed to me recently, but upon closer inspection I noticed the posters were for recent releases!

If the movie Casablanca really is your raison d’être for being in town, then note Rick’s Place on the edge of the medina is pricey, has a hefty dress code and has been designed specifically for tourists seeking that old time romance.

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Wales born Kelvin Hayes is a British freelance journalist, and English teacher. He has lived in New Zealand, China, and Morocco (as well as stints in Turkey and Georgia). You can follow him on Instagram.