Morocco Info
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 14
Home Country: morocco
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 Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:12 am Post subject: NIGHTLIFE IN MOROCCO / MOROCCO NIGHTLIFE GUIDE |
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NIGHTLIFE IN MOROCCO
GENERAL
Although Morocco is an Islamic country, there is a laid-back attitude towards alcohol, which is widely available, with bars in most tourist areas staying open late. Locally produced wines, beers and mineral waters are both excellent and good value, but imported drinks tend to be expensive.
Morocco offers a variety of entertainment from casinos, bars, discos, restaurants and nightclubs, often with belly dancing. There are modern nightclubs in all the cities and resorts around the country. There are casinos in Marrakech, Mohammedia, Tangier and Agadir. Traditional Moroccan entertainment, such as folk dancing, can be seen in every town.
CASABLANCA
Unfortunately Casa's nightclub offerings are somewhat meager. Most of the 'clubs' turn out to be cabaret joints and single woman are quickly targeted by marinated men on the prowl. For a quiet drink at a bar, your best bet is probably your hotel's bar. There are a few semi-decent disco's in Casa and they'll get going around 11pm until 3am.
MARRAKECH
By Moroccan standards, Marrakech has something of a reputation for its nightlife, which covers modern discos to belly-dancing. The medina provides traditional evening entertainment in the form of cafés, food stalls and street entertainment, with everything revolving around Jemaa-el-Fna. Several of the hotels have rooftop cafés overlooking the square, while a number of riads (historic merchants' houses) have been converted into upmarket restaurants offering a full Moroccan experience, including a vast feast, music and dancing. Note, however, that it is not a common custom to drink alcohol outside. In bars that sell alcoholic beverages, drinkers consume beer inside and glasses of coffee on the terrace.
For modern evening entertainment, head for Guéliz. Clustered along avenue Mohammed V, particularly around place Abdel Moumen ben Ali, are most of the city's bars, as well as a wide variety of restaurants, bistros and pavement cafés. It is in this part of the city that the nightclubs and discos are also located. Many of the hotels have discos that attract both tourists and Moroccans. Although the hotel bars can be very insular they are often preferable to those outside, which tend to be a male preserve and occasionally intimidating. Clubs and bars stay open until late and the dress code is casual. For nightclubs, expect to pay a hefty (by Moroccan standards) admission fee.
Bars
In the medina, the choice is somewhat limited with most of the action happening outside in the square. Head to the Hôtel Tazi on the corner of rue Bab Agnaou and avenue Houman el Fetouaki. The hotel bar is more of a TV lounge, and fairly unatmospheric, but it does have a good selection of imported and local beers. The piano bar at the Hotel Jardins de la Koutoubia, 26 rue de la Koutoubia in the medina comes complete with piano player and offers the perfect place to sip cocktails by the pool. Guéliz has a much greater range of bars. Some are quite seedy so it is better to stick to the ones listed here. Le Mirador, the rooftop café-bar above La Renaissance, Place Abdel Moumen ben Ali, and Le Petit Poucet, avenue Mohammed V, are both relaxed and fairly classy places. The Café-Bar de l'Escale, rue Mauretania, off avenue Mohammed V is a relaxed place to drink and beers can be taken out to the pavement tables, the only other place that allows this is the Café Atlas, place Abdel Moumen, also off avenue Mohammed V.
The Palais des Congrès, avenue de France, is a huge ritzy complex that boasts four café-bars. Café Oued el Had, avenue Casablanca, just outside town, is a smaller complex of three bars, open until 0200. All the big hotels have bars. The most glamorous in the city is undoubtedly Le Churchill, the bar of the Hôtel La Mamounia, avenue Bab Jedid, which has a sumptuous Moorish and Art Deco interior, and a strict dress code, turning away shorts, back-packs and trainers, depending who is on the door. Le Comptoir Marrakech-Paris, avenue Echouada, Hivernage, both cocktail bar and gourmet restaurant is still one of the hippest places in town but has been joined by Palais Jad Mahal, another restaurant/ bar but with subterranean nightclub that really gets going after midnight. Visitors are welcome to drink alongside the mostly French residents in the interior and rooftop bar of Le Marrakech hotel, place de la Liberté, Guéliz.
Casinos
The Mamounia Casino in the Hôtel La Mamounia, avenue Bab Jedid (tel: (044) 388 600), has a Grand Casino, with roulette, craps and blackjack. A less grand alternative is Es Saadi Hôtel, avenue Kadissa, Hivernage (tel: (044) 448 811). Entrance for both is free but a jacket and tie are required. Both casinos require fairly high minimum stakes to play, making them not so attractive for the novice gambler.
Clubs
Although Marrakech has a reputation within Morocco for nightlife, do not expect to find much in the style of Western clubs. Morocco is, after all, an Islamic country and nightclubs that exist tend to be geared towards tourists and found mainly in hotels. Going under the name of discotheques, music tends to be a mixture of Western pop music and Moroccan hits. Some of the local girls who hang out there are prostitutes so tread carefully.
Avenue, in the grounds of hotel Le Meridien N'Fis, avenue de la Menara, is one of the newest and most buzzing discotheques in town. Although the dance floor is small it has been lavishly decorated and on the right night is a popular place. For glamour head to the Cotton Club, Hôtel Tropicana, Lotissement Semlalia, while the slightly camp Diamant Noir, Hôtel le Marrakech, place de la Liberté, avenue Mohammed V, although not at all trendy has an easy-going party atmosphere. Palais Jad Mahal, Fontaine de la Mamounia, Bab Jdid is a restaurant/bar just outside the medina walls and has a young and trendy subterranean nightclub playing a good mix of music. The massively popular New Feeling, Palmeraie Golf Palace, Circuit de Palmeraie, is still the pick of the bunch although it requires a petit taxi to get there and it is the most expensive of the clubs listed here.
Live Music
For all types of live music, the place to go is Jemaa-el-Fna. Sometimes you may also find a group playing in the grounds behind the Koutoubia Mosque on Avenue Mohammed V. The National Festival of Popular Arts held over a fortnight each summer in el Badi Palace offers the chance to listen to a variety of Berber tribal music.
TANGIER
Tangier's nightlife is not really something to get excited about, although there are a few good bars and disco's and some of the cafè's in Grand Socco Square stays open all night. You won't find the same kind of nightlife that you'd find on the Costa del Sol or in the holiday resorts in France and Greece either. This is probably a good thing.
Pubs in Tangiers can be quite dark and depressing, but in the restaurants, cafés or hotel bars, you'll find some top class traditional Moroccan entertainment. Try and find one of the older hotel bars or ones that the locals go to. The newer ones can be a bit cheesy or touristy.
If you're looking for a basic inexpensive restaurant or cafe you'll be best off to go look for it at the Medina. |
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