Caid's Bar, El Minzah Hotel

Caid's Bar is the licensed bar of the El Minzah Hotel at 85 Rue de la Liberté in Tangier's Ville Nouvelle, a short walk from the Grand Socco. The hotel dates to the international-zone era, when Tangier attracted diplomats, writers, spies and wealthy travellers, and the bar is often cited as one of the places that inspired the atmosphere of Rick's Cafe in the film Casablanca. The room is traditionally Moroccan in style, with carved plasterwork, painted wood, low lighting and comfortable seating, and it feels closer to a private club than a nightclub. The crowd is mostly hotel guests, foreign visitors, expatriates and well-dressed Moroccans, usually aged thirty and over, and conversation rather than dancing is the point of the evening. Smart-casual dress is the norm; shorts, flip-flops and beachwear are out of place. Music is kept low, typically a pianist or recorded jazz and lounge background depending on the night, and it never overwhelms conversation. The drinks programme centres on classic cocktails, gin and whisky, a short wine list and imported beer, all served in one of the few places in the Ville Nouvelle where alcohol is licensed in a hotel setting. Cocktails are priced at the upper end for Tangier, roughly 100 to 160 MAD, and nibbles are available. The bar typically opens around 6PM and closes near midnight daily, with Friday and Saturday evenings the busiest; hours can change, so confirmation with the hotel is sensible. There is no cover charge. Reservations are not normally required for a drink at the bar, although a group may want to call ahead on a weekend. Bottle service is not a feature. Visitors interested in Tangier's literary and cinematic past find the setting a natural stop before dinner in the Ville Nouvelle, and the bar suits a quiet, civilised evening in northern Morocco more than a late night out.