Fine dining @Le 25 Casablanca

One of the best things to do in Casablanca is meet up with your friends and have a drink after a day of hard work and crazy driving. For one thing, that means that you survived one more day crossing the street in this great megalopolis. So a few days ago the team of Casamood and a bunch of our best friends went to try the new place in town, Le 25 Casablanca. The space used to host the old Maison Blanche, but we've been told that after a long legal battle to keep the name they decided to change the whole concept and review everything from the menu to the lighting. They've been listening carefully to what the customers had to say, so...did they improve? The bar is as cozy as ever, with the dim light that makes easy conversation for a couple of lovers or for a group of old friends. The black Mojito was excellent and came with a huge free selection of snacks, including mini burgers, around me there were gin and tonics, normal mojitos, selection of beers and lots of people who seemed to be as satisfied as myself. In fact the night was going so well we stayed for dinner. As an appetizer we asked for some jamon de jabugo (the best kind of Spanish raw ham) OMG it was delicious and melted in the mouth. At a price. But not even in Spain is easy to find good Jabugo in restaurants. I had the tuna tartar as starter and was beautifully served and in a generous portion, but the wine keep flooding and we like excess so I ordered a Filet de boeuf with foie-gras: it was a killer, so tender and perfectly (un) cooked. The burrata was also spectacular, and I saw a couple of steak tartar around me that looked good too. My friend ordered tagliatelle ai frutti di mare (seafood) and have to say I was greatly surprised with the quality of ingredients and the pasta served aldente, a rare thing is Morocco. I didn't want to see any dessert but one night is one night, and we had some ones that although were good, I find it hardly to describe them. So I guess I'll have to come back.

Direction: Rue Mohammed abdou، الدار البيضاء 20000, Marruecos

Telephone:+212 5222-76476

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Instituto Cervantes: Foodjects Exhibition

The Instituto Cervantes of Casablanca, the organism that promotes Spanish language and culture all over the world, organizes quality exhibitions every month. Yesterday November 7^th was inaugurated “Foodjects” by Martín Azua who aims to show how the reputed Spanish kitchen has influenced designers to create successful objects that are now part of our daily lifestyle. Products used by celebrity chef Ferran Adriá, dishes, pottery, and a curious spoon with holes to eat jelly and loose the liquid. The opening was packed with curious people including Gatsby that fully enjoyed the company of the kind Director of the Instituto Maria Dolores López and the lovely cultural attaché Laura Gutierrez. Spanish restaurant La Cocina offered a cocktail including delicious croquetas, montaditos de jamon and some other delicacies. Of course Gatsby went straight to the white sangria and had to leave when was showing signs that could end up dancing on top of the table.

31 Rue D'alger, 21000 Casablanca Morocco

www.casablanca.cervantes.es

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La Bodega de Casablanca...Fiesta Loca

La bodega de Casablanca is loud, untidy, haram, antichic and incredibly fun. Split in two levels, at the groundfloor you find a tipical “taverna” style restaurant, with wood tables, low lighting, some candles and some couples holding hands that come for the nice vibe and the more than edible food at reasonable prices. Very close to the Marché central, they don't have any excuse not to be getting the best ingredients, but let's face it, no one comes here for the food. La bodega is one of those places that is always packed and always fun, everyone in their 20's has come at least once to celebrate someone's birthday and has fueled a memorable hangover here. Then there is the basement, that they call something like the bar Latino. This is the interesting place to be, you can also get the tables and the same food and the ambiance, but all doubled in intensity. Girls are often drunk and end up dancing on top of the tables, romantic exchanges are common and widely accepted and even drinks are generous in proportion and very well done specially by one barman I forgot his name but that has a beard. It is advisable to come here for dinner around 10 never later since it gets very crowded and the security man limits the entrance unless you're Gatsby. You can come only for a drink but as I said, never come after 23h or entrance will be complicated unless you have boobs. Age is not really important, everyone mixes here from 18 until 40 you're on the safe, if you're older..shouldn't you be married and at home?

Of course it works as a nice hub for soccer fans during the rest of the week, showing all the matches and is generaly a good place to take someone visiting the city that wants to know how local people have fun in Morocco.

129, rue Allal Ben Abdellah, 20.000 Casablanca, Morocco

tel. 05225-41842

 

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Irish Pub in Casablanca

Have a drink explaining your old boring stories like a professional in this really fun bar. The Irish Pub in Casablanca works like many of the other Irish pubs scattered around the globe, the decoration is warm and woody, with plenty of stuffed animals, they show on live TV the most important matches of the season, they sell huge amounts of beer, and there is live music that no one pays really attention to. But in order to become Gatsby-friendly they have to offer much much more. And they do. They happen to prepare one of the best mojitos in town, at 80 dhs, you are getting about half a liter mojito. If you stay (and consume) long enough, they will bring free chicken wings to your table, which is unheard of in Morocco. One of the good things about the Irish Pub is the location, location, location, right in the heart of Gauthier, so it makes perfect sense to meet up people there. Thanks also to the right kind of advertising the place is full with cool tourists that look happy enough to find something they could have at home, and starting a conversation with a neighbor table is completely normal. Quite a lot of pretty girls also and generally “new” Moroccans without drinking complexes. So if you're looking for a nice atmosphere in a place where no one really cares if you came by Audi or walking I'll see you there.

Avenue Hassan Souktani, Quartier Gauthie, Casablanca

Tel.: +212 5 22 20 02 10

 

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Elite Model Look Morocco 2013 Winner is...

A quick update for all the fashion lovers out there. The winner of the Elite Model Look Morocco 2013 is.... Nouhaila! For security reasons Im not giving you her surname (she does not want marriage propositions through Facebook since she is just 14 years old), but certainly I am keeping her number myself and I might use it in 5 years time, since she was really one of the most beautiful candidates that we remember in Elite Model Morocco. She will proudly represent Morocco in the grand final night in Shenzen, and if she wins she will sign a contract for 150.000 euros, which is much better than anything that Gatsby was doing at 14. We can only wish her the best of luck, come on Nouhaila, kick some ass in Shenzen!!

I would tell you about the cocktail in Sofitel and the afterparty that followed in Le Cabestan, but rivers of Möet & Chandon cloud my memories...but some clouds are better than the brightest sunshines.

Global Director Foued Allik, with Host Alessandro Ferrando, Bettina de Boisse and fucked up musician Mad Sid

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Final Night Elite Model Look Morocco 2013

Like Oscar Wilde used to say: Beauty makes princes of those who have it, and is precisely that princess that Elite Model, the renown worldwide models agency, is going to find amongst the last 10 candidates choses from the whole geography of Morocco. The beautiful Bettina, director of Elite Morocco, is preparing a bing-bling event charged with catwalks, music, and a host of exception, also known as yours truly. The place chosen is the prestigious Sofitel Tour Blanche, used to this kind of luxurious nights, and there will be a cocktail after the show I haven't drank all the champagne. The official after party is officially secret, but Gatsby promises to behave and maybe post the most embarrassing moments of the night.

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Lizarrán...get some Tapas

Do you ever feel like you should be in Estepona, the lovely village attached to Marbella, getting some prawns 'al pil pil' and sipping a good Rioja wine? Well I do, and when you live in Casablanca sometimes that urge remains unfulfilled...that is until I discovered Lizarran, even if apparently I was not the only one cause the place is always packed. The reasons are simple, the quality is good, there is live music most days of the week, and the price if not cheap, is fair for Casablanca. You can get a gazpacho at 50 dhs, or some patatas bravas at 40 dhs, you can even have a paella if you're willing to wait 30 minutes...and don't care is not exactly like the one my friend Cristobal does. During lunch is more like a employees place, later it becomes a place where you could easily go around 19h to have a drink, since they serve alcohol, and the right time for dinner is around 21'30h 22h, where sometimes it can be difficult to get a table. The place is split in two levels, is loud and a lot of anniversaries take place there, especially in the lower floor; Gatsby prefers the more intimate upper floor where you can sit in comfortable sofas and eventually dance a bit when the wine and the music spice up the ambiance...and it always does.

Price à la carte: 100-300 dhs

92, bd d'anfa walking street (behind starbucks), Boulevard d'Anfa, Casablanca, Maroc

Tel :+212 5222-02050

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