Cafe Hafa

Cafe Hafa is a terraced cliffside cafe on Rue Hafa in the Marshan district of Tangier, founded in 1921 and long counted among the city's best-known meeting places. Its stepped terraces descend toward the sea, with rows of simple tables and chairs facing the Strait of Gibraltar, and on clear evenings the Spanish coast is visible. The cafe has a long association with writers, musicians and artists who passed through Tangier, and local accounts mention figures from the Beat generation and the rock era among past visitors. Today the crowd is a mix of Tangier families, students, couples, groups of friends and international travellers, with all ages welcome and a relaxed, convivial mood. There is no dress code beyond ordinary modest clothing. No alcohol is served, which is typical of Moroccan cafes; the drinks programme is built on mint tea, coffee and soft drinks, with pastries and cakes, and mint tea costs about 10 to 20 MAD. Music is incidental, usually the sound of conversation, the sea and sometimes a live musician or recorded Arabic or Andalusian-style music, though programming is informal and unannounced. The cafe typically opens around 9AM and stays open until about 11PM daily, and the evening hours, especially sunset and the hour after, are the most atmospheric and the most crowded. There is no cover charge, reservations are generally not taken, and tables are first-come, first-served, so a short wait for the best terrace is common on weekends and summer evenings. The cafe is a non-alcoholic alternative to a bar night in northern Morocco and suits visitors who want a social, inexpensive evening with a view. It is reached by a short taxi ride from the Ville Nouvelle or a walk from the Kasbah side of the medina, and the terraces involve steps.