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Nightlife
Although Morocco is an Islamic country, there is a laid-back attitude towards alcohol, which is widely available, with bars in most tourist areas staying open late. Locally produced wines, beers and mineral waters are both excellent and good value, but imported drinks tend to be expensive.
By Moroccan standards, Marrakech has something of a reputation for its nightlife, which covers modern discos to belly-dancing. The medina provides traditional evening entertainment in the form of cafs, food stalls and street entertainment, with everything revolving around Jemaa-el-Fna. Several of the hotels have rooftop cafs overlooking the square, while a number of riads (historic merchants’ houses) have been converted into upmarket restaurants offering a full Moroccan experience, including a vast feast, music and dancing. Note, however, that it is not a common custom to drink alcohol outside. In bars that sell alcoholic beverages, drinkers consume beer inside and glasses of coffee on the terrace.
For modern evening entertainment, head for Guliz. Clustered along Avenue Mohammed V, particularly around Place Abdel Moumen ben Ali, are most of the city’s bars, as well as a wide variety of restaurants, bistros and pavement cafs. It is in this part of the city that the nightclubs and discos are also located. Many of the hotels have discos that attract both tourists and Moroccans. Although the hotel bars can be very insular they are often preferable to those outside, which tend to be a male preserve and occasionally intimidating. Clubs and bars stay open until late and the dress code is casual. For nightclubs, expect to pay a hefty (by Moroccan standards) admission fee of Dh100 upwards.
Bars: In the medina, the choice is somewhat limited with most of the action happening outside in the square. Head to the Htel Tazi on the corner of Rue Bab Agnaou and Avenue Houman El Fetouaki. The hotel bar is more of a TV lounge, and fairly unatmospheric, but it does have a good selection of imported and local beers. Guliz has a much greater range of bars. Some are quite seedy affairs so it is better to stick to the ones listed here. Le Mirador, the rooftop caf-bar above La Renaissance, Place Abdel Moumen ben Ali, and Le Petit Poucet, Avenue Mohammed V, are both relaxed and fairly classy places. The Caf-Bar de l’Escale, Rue Mauretania, off Avenue Mohammed V is not as trendy or exclusive as it used to be, but is still a relaxed place to drink nonetheless.
The Palais des Congrs, Avenue de France, is a huge ritzy complex that boasts four caf-bars. Caf Oued El Had, Avenue Casablanca, just outside town, is a smaller complex of three bars, open until 0200. All the big hotels have bars. The most glamorous in the city is undoubtedly Le Churchill, the bar of the Htel La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jedid, which has a sumptuous Moorish and Art Deco interior, although they will turn away those not dressed for the occasion. Le Comptoir Marrakech-Paris, Avenue Echouada, Hivernage, both cocktail bar and gourmet restaurant, is probably the hippest place in town. Visitors are welcome to drink alongside the mostly French residents in the interior and rooftop bar of Le Marrakech hotel, Place de la Libert, Guliz.
Casinos: The Mamounia Casino in the Htel La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jedid (tel: (044) 388 600), has a Grand Casino, with roulette, craps and blackjack. A less grand alternative is Es Saadi Htel, Avenue Kadissa, Hivernage (tel: (044) 448 811). Entrance for both is free but a jacket and tie are required. Both casinos require fairly high minimum stakes to play, making them not so attractive for the novice gambler.
Clubs: Although Marrakech has a reputation within Morocco for nightlife, do not expect to find much in the style of Western clubs. Morocco is, after all, an Islamic country and nightclubs that exist tend to be geared towards tourists and found mainly in hotels. Going under the name of discotheques, music tends to be a mixture of Western pop music and Moroccan hits. Some of the local girls who hang out there are prostitutes so tread carefully.
The newest and most glamorous discotheques in town are the buzzing Cotton Club, Htel Tropicana, Lotissement Semlalia, the slightly camp Diamant Noir, Htel le Marrakech, Place de la Libert, Avenue Mohammed V, and the youthful Paradise, Htel Mansour Eddahbi, Avenue de France. The massively popular New Feeling, Palmeraie Golf Palace, Circuit de Palmeraie, is the pick of the bunch although it requires a petit taxi to get there and it is the most expensive of the clubs listed here.
Live Music: For all types of live music, the place to go is Jemaa-el-Fna (see Culture). Sometimes you may also find a group playing in the grounds behind the Koutoubia Mosque on Avenue Mohammed V. The National Festival of Popular Arts (see Cultural Events in Culture) held over a fortnight each summer in El Badi Palace offers the chance to listen to a variety of Berber tribal music.
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Nightlife