My Casablanca
Why CASABLANCA?
At first it was the allure of the name. ‘Casablanca’ – it evokes memories of Bergman and Bogart, of smoke-filled cafés and mystery. Beyond that, I knew I loved Morocco very much and had decided to move there with my wife and our two small kids. We looked first at houses in Marrakech, which is one big tourist trap these days. In Casablanca we found a wonderful old villa two years ago, and incredible restaurants, great schools, and a fascinating city devoid of tourism but thriving with life.
What do you miss most when you are away?
I miss the café society, the strong dark coffee served in thimble-sized glasses, and I miss buying fresh fish at the port, and the dazzling sight of red bougainvillea outside my bedroom window. But most of all I miss the gentleness of people and the sound of donkeys braying in the night.
What’s the first thing you do when you return?
I rush to the local market and stock up on fruit and veg – a sack of fresh oranges for juice, melons, mangos, peaches and plums, heaps of avocados, asparagus, tomatoes, and great bunches of herbs. It’s wonderful because nothing’s in nasty shrink-wrapped packs. It’s all grown locally, odd-shaped and available only when in season.
Where’s the best place to stay?
The Hyatt Hotel is blissful, understated grandeur and has just been renovated. It’s stone’s throw from the Art Deco heart of Casablanca.
The Hyatt Hotel
Place des Nations Unies
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 12 34
Approx cost: £100 -- £250 per night
Where would you meet friends for a drink?
La Bodega – a wild rumpus of a place, located in the old Art Deco quarter, serving Spanish tapas, cocktails and an endless flow of Rioja.
La Bodega
129 Rue Allal Ben Abdallah
Casablanca
Tel: 022 31 17 60
Where are your favourite places for lunch?
The great thing about Casablanca is the variety of fine restaurants, which are patronized by local people rather than tourists, resulting in higher standards. You can choose between Moroccan, French, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Japanese or even Vietnamese cuisine. My favourites:
Chez Paul – partly outdoors and partly inside, the service is attentive, the food and pastries spectacular.
Chez Paul
Villa Zevaco
(Beside Espace Porte D’Anfa)
Casablanca
Tel: 022 236 6000
La Toscana – stylish décor with impressively-good Italian food. The pizzas in particular are fabulous.
La Toscana
7 rue Yaala El Ifrani
Casablanca
Tel: 022 36 95 92
Sqala – located in a former Portuguese fortress, the restaurant offers amazing Moroccan dishes in garden surroundings.
Sqala
Boulevard des Almohades
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 09 60
And for dinner?
Chez Flavio – a hidden jewel of a place, Flavio’s cannot be praised too highly. The ambience is cosy but low-key, and the Italian cuisine quite astonishing.
29 rue El Wouroud
(Off rue Mustapha al Mani)
Casablanca
Tel: 022 27 82 30
A Ma Bretagne – widely regarded as the finest and most authentic French restaurant in Africa, it’s located just out of town at the end of the Corniche.
A Ma Bretagne
La Corniche
Casablanca
Tel: 022 36 21 12
Café M – located at the Hyatt Hotel, it’s probably the best all-round restaurant in Casablanca, perfect for a romantic dinner for two.
Café M
Place des Nations Unies
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 12 34
Where would you send a first-time visitor?
I would encourage visitors to seek out the hidden corners of Casablanca, especially Habbous, where the Royal Palace is located. It has wonderful traditional arcades of shops, selling Moroccan crafts and clothing, as well as all manner of antiques. No visit would be complete without spending at least a few minutes at the gigantic Mosque of Hassan II. But the very best way to spend your time is to take a cab down to the Central Market and to explore on foot – soak up the atmosphere of 1930s Morocco.
What would you tell them not to bother with?
Casablancas are very proud of the gleaming new quarter, known as ‘Maarif’. It’s nothing special, in particular when compared to the sublime buildings in the old ‘downtown’. I’d give it a miss.
Public transport or taxi?
Take taxis when in Casablanca. They come in two shapes and colours. The big white Mercedes taxis whisk you in from the airport and have a fixed rate. (There are also white Mercedes communal taxis, which ought to be avoided). There are also the ubiquitous ‘Petit’ red taxis, which go by the meter and are extremely affordable. Don’t be shocked though if the driver picks other passengers up en route. A journey of about 3 miles will cost no more than £1.
Handbag or moneybelt?
Give an idea of how safe the city is; whether you are liable to be pickpocketed and where; any other safety tips which you think are relevant
Casablanca is a very safe place. It would be unwise to walk down a dark alley in the middle of the night or to flash large wads of cash on the street. But apart from that, it’s safe and policed by a new elite force. It’s much less conservative than other Moroccan cities and there are numerous bars and discos.
What should I take home with me?
If you have an eye for antiques, search through the small antiques shops for an Art Nouveau bronze, or an antique silver cocktail shaker (these are avoided by most Moroccans, as they don’t drink cocktails). Bronzes depend onthe sculptor, but are about a third of the going London rate. As for silver cocktail shakers, they’re about £20 and up. If you’re a little more adventurous, you can snap up a 1930s roll-top bath for about £25, or an antique shower complete with thermostat for about £19.
And if I’ve only got time for one shop
For a wide range of high quality crafts, visit Coté Maisons. You will find all sorts of items picked from the souqs of Marrakech and Fes, at affordable prices.
Coté Maisons
10 rue Moliere
Quartier Racine
Casablanca
Tel: 022 39 11 47
What other hidden gems are there?
Check out the old French cemetery, located up from the port, en route to the great Mosque of Hassan II. It’s enclosed by a wall, and is filled with enormous tombs from the forgotten time of French rule. There’s a gatehouse on the back side, and the guardian will be only too happy to show you around. Alternatively, drop in on the greyhound races, held nightly at the old Art Deco Velodrome. It’s frequented mostly by men but offers an amazing insight into the underbelly of Casablanca. (Ask a taxi to take you to the Stade Velodrome).
(Written for The Sunday Times, London)
(C) Tahir Shah, 2006
Ends
At first it was the allure of the name. ‘Casablanca’ – it evokes memories of Bergman and Bogart, of smoke-filled cafés and mystery. Beyond that, I knew I loved Morocco very much and had decided to move there with my wife and our two small kids. We looked first at houses in Marrakech, which is one big tourist trap these days. In Casablanca we found a wonderful old villa two years ago, and incredible restaurants, great schools, and a fascinating city devoid of tourism but thriving with life.
What do you miss most when you are away?
I miss the café society, the strong dark coffee served in thimble-sized glasses, and I miss buying fresh fish at the port, and the dazzling sight of red bougainvillea outside my bedroom window. But most of all I miss the gentleness of people and the sound of donkeys braying in the night.
What’s the first thing you do when you return?
I rush to the local market and stock up on fruit and veg – a sack of fresh oranges for juice, melons, mangos, peaches and plums, heaps of avocados, asparagus, tomatoes, and great bunches of herbs. It’s wonderful because nothing’s in nasty shrink-wrapped packs. It’s all grown locally, odd-shaped and available only when in season.
Where’s the best place to stay?
The Hyatt Hotel is blissful, understated grandeur and has just been renovated. It’s stone’s throw from the Art Deco heart of Casablanca.
The Hyatt Hotel
Place des Nations Unies
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 12 34
Approx cost: £100 -- £250 per night
Where would you meet friends for a drink?
La Bodega – a wild rumpus of a place, located in the old Art Deco quarter, serving Spanish tapas, cocktails and an endless flow of Rioja.
La Bodega
129 Rue Allal Ben Abdallah
Casablanca
Tel: 022 31 17 60
Where are your favourite places for lunch?
The great thing about Casablanca is the variety of fine restaurants, which are patronized by local people rather than tourists, resulting in higher standards. You can choose between Moroccan, French, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Japanese or even Vietnamese cuisine. My favourites:
Chez Paul – partly outdoors and partly inside, the service is attentive, the food and pastries spectacular.
Chez Paul
Villa Zevaco
(Beside Espace Porte D’Anfa)
Casablanca
Tel: 022 236 6000
La Toscana – stylish décor with impressively-good Italian food. The pizzas in particular are fabulous.
La Toscana
7 rue Yaala El Ifrani
Casablanca
Tel: 022 36 95 92
Sqala – located in a former Portuguese fortress, the restaurant offers amazing Moroccan dishes in garden surroundings.
Sqala
Boulevard des Almohades
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 09 60
And for dinner?
Chez Flavio – a hidden jewel of a place, Flavio’s cannot be praised too highly. The ambience is cosy but low-key, and the Italian cuisine quite astonishing.
29 rue El Wouroud
(Off rue Mustapha al Mani)
Casablanca
Tel: 022 27 82 30
A Ma Bretagne – widely regarded as the finest and most authentic French restaurant in Africa, it’s located just out of town at the end of the Corniche.
A Ma Bretagne
La Corniche
Casablanca
Tel: 022 36 21 12
Café M – located at the Hyatt Hotel, it’s probably the best all-round restaurant in Casablanca, perfect for a romantic dinner for two.
Café M
Place des Nations Unies
Casablanca
Tel: 022 26 12 34
Where would you send a first-time visitor?
I would encourage visitors to seek out the hidden corners of Casablanca, especially Habbous, where the Royal Palace is located. It has wonderful traditional arcades of shops, selling Moroccan crafts and clothing, as well as all manner of antiques. No visit would be complete without spending at least a few minutes at the gigantic Mosque of Hassan II. But the very best way to spend your time is to take a cab down to the Central Market and to explore on foot – soak up the atmosphere of 1930s Morocco.
What would you tell them not to bother with?
Casablancas are very proud of the gleaming new quarter, known as ‘Maarif’. It’s nothing special, in particular when compared to the sublime buildings in the old ‘downtown’. I’d give it a miss.
Public transport or taxi?
Take taxis when in Casablanca. They come in two shapes and colours. The big white Mercedes taxis whisk you in from the airport and have a fixed rate. (There are also white Mercedes communal taxis, which ought to be avoided). There are also the ubiquitous ‘Petit’ red taxis, which go by the meter and are extremely affordable. Don’t be shocked though if the driver picks other passengers up en route. A journey of about 3 miles will cost no more than £1.
Handbag or moneybelt?
Give an idea of how safe the city is; whether you are liable to be pickpocketed and where; any other safety tips which you think are relevant
Casablanca is a very safe place. It would be unwise to walk down a dark alley in the middle of the night or to flash large wads of cash on the street. But apart from that, it’s safe and policed by a new elite force. It’s much less conservative than other Moroccan cities and there are numerous bars and discos.
What should I take home with me?
If you have an eye for antiques, search through the small antiques shops for an Art Nouveau bronze, or an antique silver cocktail shaker (these are avoided by most Moroccans, as they don’t drink cocktails). Bronzes depend onthe sculptor, but are about a third of the going London rate. As for silver cocktail shakers, they’re about £20 and up. If you’re a little more adventurous, you can snap up a 1930s roll-top bath for about £25, or an antique shower complete with thermostat for about £19.
And if I’ve only got time for one shop
For a wide range of high quality crafts, visit Coté Maisons. You will find all sorts of items picked from the souqs of Marrakech and Fes, at affordable prices.
Coté Maisons
10 rue Moliere
Quartier Racine
Casablanca
Tel: 022 39 11 47
What other hidden gems are there?
Check out the old French cemetery, located up from the port, en route to the great Mosque of Hassan II. It’s enclosed by a wall, and is filled with enormous tombs from the forgotten time of French rule. There’s a gatehouse on the back side, and the guardian will be only too happy to show you around. Alternatively, drop in on the greyhound races, held nightly at the old Art Deco Velodrome. It’s frequented mostly by men but offers an amazing insight into the underbelly of Casablanca. (Ask a taxi to take you to the Stade Velodrome).
(Written for The Sunday Times, London)
(C) Tahir Shah, 2006
Ends
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