2. The city has a serious arts and culture scene. Many of Casablanca’s historic Art Deco villas have been reborn as galleries and museums. Recently, the neon Pop Art of graffiti artist Ramzi Adek was on display at La Villa des Arts. The ’30s Art Deco villa was renovated by Casamémoire president Rachid Andaloussi and now hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. A ’40s Art Deco villa on the central Rue du Parc was transformed to showcase the extensive private collection of art-loving Moroccan businessman Abderrahman Slaoui. During his travels throughout Morocco, he collected everything from Bohemian glass and vintage jewelry, all now on display in Le Musée de la Fondation Abderrahman Slaoui. In 2012, the city’s old industrial slaughterhouse was reimagined as La Fabrique Culturelle des Anciens Abattoirs de Casablanca, a hub for of-the-moment street art exhibitions and urban dance and music events.
3. Casablanca is a great restaurant city. Unlike Marrakech, Casablanca has a buzzy restaurant scene fueled by both locals and visitors. La Corniche, the city’s waterfront boulevard, lined with umbrella-shaded beach cafés, chic lounges, and ocean-view restaurants, wouldn’t seem out of place on the French Riviera. Unparalleled Atlantic views and a stylish crowd have made Le Cabestan the reservation to score on La Corniche, dating back to 1927, when the chic French restaurant first opened its doors. A 2011 renovation has kept the scene relevant, but the old standby now has competition from Bleu. Located just down La Corniche, the Four Seasons’s fifth-floor Mediterranean restaurant has become an instant hot spot thanks to its oceanfront views, outdoor terrace and fire pit, and smart nautical-inspired decor, including a striking mural of thousands of ceramic mussel shells created by Canadian design studio Moss & Lam. A raw bar showcases Dakhla oysters, prawns, and the day’s catch and diners can watch chefs cook behind a large custom grill in the center of the dining room. The barmen’s complex mocktails, infused with teas and made theatrical with dry ice, make up for the lack of booze (the restaurant’s liquor license is still pending).
After working at legendary Parisian restaurant Le Fouquet’s, Taki Kabbaj moved to Casablanca and bought Le Rouget de L’Isle. His menus of French classics pair perfectly with the restaurant’s romantic setting in an art-filled ’30s villa and its garden. La Sqala Café Maure is another of the city’s prettiest garden settings. Hidden behind the ocher walls and Majorelle blue doors of an 18th-century fortress at the edge of the old medina, Café Maure’s tranquil setting and menu of traditional Moroccan tagines and fresh juices make it a popular brunch spot. If you’re looking to splurge on a romantic meal, book a table at F.Kabbaj, a French restaurant in the Racine area specializing in locally farm-raised foie gras.
