The Best Restaurants in Casablanca: Neighborhood by Neighborhood

Casablanca is Morocco’s dining capital but nobody tells you that. The tourism industry pushes Marrakech and Fes for food, and they deserve the attention. But Casa has something neither of those cities offers: a cosmopolitan restaurant scene that spans Moroccan traditional, French bistro, Japanese, Italian, Lebanese, and everything in between, often at prices that would be impossible in a European city of comparable size.

This guide covers the neighborhoods you should eat in and the restaurants worth your time and money.

Gauthier: The Fine Dining Quarter

Gauthier is Casablanca’s most European-feeling neighborhood and its dining heart. The streets around Boulevard d’Anfa and Rue Jean Jaures are lined with restaurants that would not look out of place in Paris or Barcelona. La Sqala, set in a former fortified garden near the old medina, serves traditional Moroccan breakfast and lunch in one of the most beautiful settings in the city. Rick’s Cafe recreates the film set and serves decent French-Moroccan food in an atmosphere that is pure nostalgia.

For contemporary dining, Le Cabestan at the El Hank lighthouse has ocean views and a French-Mediterranean menu (400 to 600 MAD per person). Blend serves fusion cuisine in a sleek modern setting. The newer additions along Rue d’Alger bring Asian and Mediterranean small-plates concepts.

Maarif: Where Locals Eat

Maarif is where Casablancais go for everyday good food. The neighborhood is packed with sandwich shops, rotisseries, patisseries, and casual restaurants. A quarter chicken with fries from any Maarif rotisserie costs 25 to 35 MAD. Snack Amine is a local institution for bocadillos. The area around Marche Maarif has excellent fruit and vegetable vendors and several small restaurants serving fish tagine and grilled meats for 50 to 80 MAD.

Ain Diab and the Corniche

The coastal road along Ain Diab has Casablanca’s seafood restaurants. Restaurants here tend to be larger, louder, and more family-oriented than Gauthier. The fish is fresh (often displayed at the entrance for you to choose before it is cooked), and a full grilled fish platter with salad, bread, and fries costs 80 to 150 MAD per person. The better-known places like La Bavaroise and Le Petit Rocher get crowded on weekends. For a quieter experience, try the smaller restaurants closer to the Hassan II Mosque end of the corniche.

The Central Market and Port

The Marche Central (Central Market) downtown is Casablanca’s most iconic food destination. The market building itself houses fish, meat, fruit, and vegetable vendors. The surrounding restaurants serve whatever is freshest from the market that morning. A mixed seafood plate at the market restaurants costs 60 to 120 MAD and is consistently excellent. Arrive before noon for the best selection.

Habous and the Old Medina

Quartier Habous (the new medina, built during the French Protectorate) has pastry shops famous throughout Morocco. The cornes de gazelle (almond-filled crescent pastries) and briouats (almond and honey triangles) here are some of the best in the country. Buy a mixed box of pastries for 50 to 100 MAD and eat them with mint tea at a nearby cafe. The old medina has simpler, cheaper food stalls serving harira, msemen, and sandwiches for 10 to 25 MAD.