Best New Year's eve in Casablanca?

Once again the times comes where everyone is asking to everyone: So what are you doing for New year's Eve? And practically everyone says something like: well you know, actually the best thing is to do a small dinner in someone's house. But the thing is that that 'someone' is still missing in action or rather in Barcelona having gin and tonics, so dont panic: these are all safe bets for having fun, and for different budgets.
- The closest thing to 'Open till Dawn' you will find in the Reveillon 2014 at Le Boudoir
- A quiet cozy dinner with superb food in the newly opened Le Chapeau
- Style, Dj, live music, dancers...and dancing at Le Bound
- Our favorite James Bond setting with live music at Le 25

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Fairouz Lebanese..better than McDo

And that is exactly what we mean, it might not be the healthiest of foods nor the highest form of cooking, but when alcohol is infecting all your blood and you're as hungry as a zombie craves for brains, Fairouz is where you should go. Opened 24h a day in the neighbourhood of the uber-snob Lycée Lyautey, the profile of client changes depending on what time of the day is it, from chic teenagers to not-so-chic prostitutes and party goers, and there's even place for the usual romantic couple that buy just to take away, since their decoraton is not very welcoming. But the truth is that their shawarmas are the best in town, and at 22 dhs, one of the cheapest options. But beyond shawarma there are many more interesteing and tasty options on the menu, the falafel is so-so, but the hummus is extraordinary and so is the baba-ganush made of auberniges, the kebbé meatballs are our favourites and the fatayr filled with spinach, but we've been told that all the other options on the menu are also very good. And dont worry, all of them come with the guarantee that flavour will stay in your backmouth for hours to come, no matter how many times you brush your teeth.

277, boulevard Ziraoui 20040 Casablanca

tel.+212 5 22 27 57 23 

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5 Fun things to do in Casablanca

The medina attracts many visitors per year, buy a shisha!

1. Pretend you are good at bargaining prices in the Medina

Buy yourself the fish and they will cook it for you, bon appetit!

2. Have a fine fresh seafood lunch in the Marché Central and ask for the secret "Pom's" drink...white goes better with fish, right?

Unfortunately, men and women are separated, meaning half the fun.

3. Have a traditional Hammam and a relaxing massage in Le Pacha Casablanca Hammam

A relaxing cup of tea in this chic Tea Room in Casablanca

4. Drink the typical Moroccan Mint Tea, or any other tea in the place with the best selection in town, Freres Gourmets.

Loud cool live music at its best in one mitical place

5. Dance the night away with the best live music in the world famous Amstrong (if you can find it, since there is no sign)

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The fun and noisy Hotel Villa Blanca

The Villa Blanca Urban Hotel is an amazing complex in one of the most exclusive areas of Casablanca. Surrounded by green palm trees and vegetation, one would hardly believe that we are still in town, but indeed we are, just were the rich and famous live. The district of Val D'Anfa feels a lot more like Beverly Hills than Morocco, and at the edge of it, overlooking the sea stands Villa Blanca Urban Hotel.

The Villa Blanca feels a lot like Disneyland for adults with two restaurants: Le Relais de Paris and Loubnane (Lebanese), Skybar to have a drink with the Skybar Terrace opened the warmer months, Le Carre nightclub to dance the night away, Cafe Bianca for a lounge tea, and a Spa/hammam to relax, the place, once you get in, is very difficult to leave. In fact the Hotel is just an excuse for all the fun you can have in here. Unfortunately sleeping is almost impossible since the music is on full volume until 3 am everyday, but the good news is that you may not be alone since there are always a lot of pretty girls around. So basically the place is not recommended for families with kids or serious businessmen, but rather to cool travelers and funky professionals that can handle not sleeping before that important meeting you came for.

The prices are fair and you can always find deals on the Internet 1200 dirhams double room would be a classic price, sometimes you can get it cheaper. The decoration is up to date and the rooms are really comfortable, even the smallest ones, with perfect bathrooms and a real nice luxury feeling on the whole.

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Piano Concert: Mourad & Minh in Cervantes

Lately the Instituto Cervantes of Casablanca has been spoiling us with outstanding concerts in the most different styles. This time the Cervantes proposes a repertoire of classical music by Spanish composers Granados, Toldra, Turina, Falla ... with a voice and a piano.
Abderrahim Mourad -the voice- studied at the Conservatory of Casablanca and the Conservatorio Superior de Madrid. He is a soloist in the choir of Rabat since 1993.
Tran Thi Hong Minh is a piano teacher and concertist. She has a Master of piano from the Conservatory of Hanoi.

As usual the show is completely free and it will probably be quite crowded, so arriving in advance is recommended. 18th of December at 20h00 in the Instituto Cervantes. 
With the support of the kindergarten Le Colombier.

31 Rue Alger, Casablanca Morocco 
tel.  +212(0)522267337

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Shopping night in Trica Casablanca

Our friends from Le Trica are organising one fun shopping night next Monday 16th of December called "Vide dressing des copines", something like "empty the closet between friends". Its the 3rd edition so apparently it does work and you can either exchange, buy or sell any clothes or accessories you want. Not sure if its also for men, or men should be there only to pay ;) 

From 18h00 to 21h00.

Le Trica

5 rue al moutanabi, gauthier, Casablanca, Morocco

tel. 0522220706

 

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Da Gino...Italy in your plate

Luigi Grieco is a man with a tremendous energy. Like all torinesi (from Torino, Italy) he's got a business mind combined the love for good food. And that is exactly what he serves in his restaurant. Forget the decoration and the not-so-cool clients, most of them families with children, forget -if you can- that he does not serve alcohol, and focus on the fresh ingredients and the outstanding quality of the food, with a truly Italian flavor. In a country where some people keep putting Tabasco in their pizzas (Imagine putting ketchup in the couscous) Luigi keeps baking one of the best pizzas in Casablanca, if not the best, one of the secrets being that he produces his own mozzarella, that he also sells to 80% of Italian restaurants in Morocco. Some people come here for the prices, since is quite cheap, but Italians come here simply because you eat well. The pastas are also homemade, and the portions are very generous. One of our favorite are the delicious 'tagliatelle ai funghi porcini' (special mushrooms), and one of the best starters is the 'polipo e patate' salad, with octopus and potatoes. The detail of serving some focaccia before ordering makes you feel in Italy and announces that you're gonna have a great meal. The desserts are all good, and include the classic Tiramisù and Pannacotta that everyone loves, if I have to say that the tiramisú I prefer when its creamy and served in a glass instead of cake-style. But that's just me. Da Gino is not to be confused with the super popular Luigi chain, that after a dispute belongs to Moroccans and the quality of the food is to say the least, not Italian. And not even all Da Gino are the same, you should always go to the one in Gauthier, where there's an open kitchen and sometimes Luigi himself can be seen cooking your meal.

Price for a meal for two sharing one starter, one pizza, one pasta dish and one dessert, drinks 250 dhs.

2, rue Théophile Gauthier angle rue Franche Comté 20060 Casablanca
tel +212 5 22 26 48 17

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Soft Opening at Le 25 Casablanca..starting tonight!

Hot potatoes change hands quickly; a whole new team of enthusiastic young professionals has taken what it used to be our dear Maison Blanche to give a new life to both the bar and the restaurant. From now on the name will be Le 25 Casablanca, and we think they will do very well. The menu has changed, the prices have been revisited and to prove the whole experience has improved even further they are holding this "Soft Opening" for a whole week starting night tonight Monday 9th of December from 18h00 until 21h00, offering a first cocktail for free, a DJ that came straight from Paris and some surprises. The Soft Opening will continue until December 14th...all we can say is: thank you Le 25!! You can be sure that Casamood will be there!

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Concert: "Astrio" in Cervantes

Astrio is addictive. It is difficult to find in Spain's music scene a direct band so appealing, powerful, distinctive and surprising as this group of excellent musicians. Never mind that the setlist remains unchanged, every show is different. With a solid musical education Arecio Smith (keyboard), Santi Serratosa (drummer) y Santi Careta (guitar) create an electro-jazz difficult to catalogue yet incredibly appealing, and thanks to Instituto Cervantes Casablanca we will all be able to enjoy their music next Wednesday 11th of December at 20h00. So do not miss it.

Free entrance.

Instituto Cervantes Casablanca
31, Rue d'Alger 20.000 Casablanca
Tel.:+212(0)522267337

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Picasso bar and muchies..not half bad

Picasso lost something of its charm when decided to upgrade the tired red-and-yellow Spanish decoration for something more in tune with 2058...all white with ultra-violet neons, so now instead of feeling you are in a Plaza de Toros you somehow get the feeling you're stepping into a spaceship. But it does feel cleaner, and the prices are still hard to beat. Split in two levels, it a attracts a crowd of normal people, expats and Moroccans alike, that like to gather in Picasso for an after-work drink and some snacks, maybe even flirt a bit, since there are usually a reasonable amount of girls for Morocco. For flirting downstairs is better, whereas the first floor is more 'intimate' for groups of friends wanting to sit down and chat. Picasso also runs the longest happy hour in Casablanca, from 17'30 to 21'30, which is obviously a good thing for our pockets. Due to its central location its always worth it to go and have a look, if you don't like it you can move to the Irish Pub just meters away or the more fancy La Suite. 

www.picassocasablanca.com
35, Hassan Souktani, Casablanca, Morocco
tel. 0665322664

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Jardin Val d'Anfa...the safest park option

If you have ever lived in a city the likes of London, Paris, New York or Budapest its more than likely that you are familiar with Hyde Park, Le Park Monceau, Central Park and Margaret Island, all havens of peace and calm that recharge your batteries after a hard works day. Ever since I arrived to Casablanca I tried to find a similar spot...unsuccessfully, Le Park de la Ligue Arabe could be an amazing place, but is neglected and derelict so not really inviting. And then one day I found this little park, Le Jardin Val d'Anfa; it has green grass and big trees, a little space for children -but actually used by some Rocky's wanna be training all day long- and benches were you can sit and relax and read a good book. The park is mainly used by the local domestics of the area, but it feels safe and no one bothers you. You can totally bring a blanket and lay down with some sandwiches enjoying the terrific sun of Morocco.

Boulevard Franklin Roosevelt avec Avenue de Temara

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Le Paradis du Fruit, much more than smoothies

Probably not a destination in itself, but if you happen to be in Anfaplace doing some shopping or simply strolling in this gorgeous Norman Foster project, Le Paradis du Fruit is a very interesting option to grab a bite and a healthy juice. With ultra-modern Stark design and nice views, its a total pleasure to sit in the comfy leather sofas and see the life go by. The menu was surprisingly complete, and even if they specialize in fruit they have salads, pastas and one of my favorite things in the world...ceviche! So I decided to give it a try and was very good, if presented slightly different from the original recipe, the salmon was very fresh and good size for the price, 60 dhs. The juices were also very good and very very large, but at 40 dirhams is exactly what you expect. They have ultrafast wifi and offer free parking also. 

Unfortunately, even if in in the menu there is alcohol printed, they couldnt get the license...it would have been to good to be true.

Anfaplace, Boulevard de la Corniche, 20.000 Casablanca, Morocco

 
tel. 05227-96909

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Beethoven in Casablanca

For the first time in Morocco the whole 9th symphony from master Beethoven will be played including of course the famous European hit "Ode to  Joy". More than 90 professional musicians along with a 100 voices on chorus will make sure that the experience is memorable and fulfilling.
On Tuesday 3th of December will open in Rabat, including a gala night.

It will arrive to Casablanca on Thursday 5th of December, at 15h30  (school concert) and 20h30, the serious one.

Prices go from as little as 30 dhs or 100 dhs for students, 150 dhs or 250 dhs for the rest of mortals, and 400 dhs for the lucky ones. 
Place: Complex Sportif Mohammed V

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F.Kabbaj...easy Sunday brunch

We cannot possibly say that F Kabbaj is a secret because this little gem of a restaurant is always in the top ten Tripadvisor list for Casablanca, but what we can say is that once you've been there, you kind of wish that it was. F.Kabbaj works as a restaurant and as a 'traiteur' (kind of a deli) from Monday to Saturday but when the Sunday comes...it's brunch day! They set two large tables, in one side: quiches, duck ham, grilled vegetables, eggs 'mimosa', roast beef with mustard sauce, homemade smoked salmon, Spanish omelette, foie-gras, duck lasagne, different salads, mlaoui with 'khlii', and many more I cant remember but I did eat; on the other table, desserts: apple cake 'tatin', baba spongecake with (or without) Rhum, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, sweet milky rice with cinnamon, and many many more things. The conclusion: we couldn't move from our chairs. at 290 dirhams is really not cheap for Morocco, but considering you get all-you-can-eat, plus unlimited orange juice, bread, jam, honey, croissants, etc etc it makes for an excellent weekend treat. The owners are always there and make sure you feel like home. The clients are all well breed, the sort of people you would cross in Fortum & Mason in London. The specialty of the house are all things duck-related, so if you dream with foie-gras this is definitely your place. On Sundays booking is a must. 

30 rue des Arènes, quartier Racine Casablanca

Tel.: +212 5 22 98 50 78 

http://www.fkabbaj.ma

 

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