Pâtisserie Bennis Habous

Pâtisserie Bennis is a classic Moroccan pastry shop at 2 Rue Fkih El Gabbas in the Habous Quarter (Nouvelle Medina) of Casablanca, Morocco. The Habous was built in the 1920s and 1930s under the French protectorate as a planned neighbourhood blending traditional Moroccan architecture with modern streets, and the pastry shop is among the best-known names in this district. Visitors and Casablancans alike come to buy boxes of sweets to take home as gifts or to eat on site with mint tea. The shop specialises in traditional Moroccan pastries. Signature items include cornes de gazelle, the crescent-shaped almond pastries scented with orange blossom water; ghriba cookies; almond and honey sweets such as chebakia and sellou; briouats filled with almond paste; and assorted petits fours. Mint tea or coffee accompanies a tasting. Prices are low, roughly 20-80 MAD (about $2-9), with sweets sold by weight or by the piece, and gift boxes available for larger purchases. The atmosphere is that of a busy neighbourhood shop, with glass counters filled with trays of pastries, staff packing boxes and a steady line of customers, especially before religious holidays and in the evening during Ramadan, when demand for chebakia peaks. Noise levels are moderate and the shop is casual, with no dress code. There is no formal reservation system, and visitors can simply walk in. Mornings offer the freshest selection, while afternoon visits pair naturally with strolling through the Habous arcades, the Mahkama du Pacha and nearby bookshops and craft stalls. The surrounding quarter also has stores selling olives, spices and traditional clothing. Visitors planning to bring pastries back home should ask for sturdy boxes and avoid keeping cream items for long periods, since almond-based sweets travel best.