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City Guide - Marrakech - Nightlife | ||
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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 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 cafés, food stalls and street entertainment, with everything revolving around Djemmaa-el-Fna. Several of the hotels have rooftop cafés overlooking the square. For modern evening entertainment in the form of bars, restaurants and nightclubs head for Guéliz. Clustered along Avenue Muhammad V, particularly around Place Abdelmoumen Ben Ali, are all the city's bars as well as a wide variety of restaurants, bistros and pavement cafés. 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 somewhat intimidating. Clubs and bars stay open until late and dress code is casual. For nightclubs, expect to pay an admission fee. Bars: In the medina, the choice is somewhat limited, with most of the action happening outside, in the square. Head either to the rooftop bar of the Hôtel de Foucauld, Avenue El Mouahidine or the Hôtel Tazii, corner of Rue Bab Agnaou and Avenue Houman El Fetouaki. Guéliz has a huge selection of bars. Some of the more relaxed non-hotel ones include Café-Bar de l'Escale, Rue Mauretania, off Avenue Muhammad V, Iceberg, on Avenue el Mouahadine, or the Haouz, on Avenue Hassan II. The Palais des Congrès, Avenue de France, is a huge ritzy complex that boasts five café-bars. Café Oued El Had, Avenue Casablanca, just outside town is a smaller complex of three bars, open until 0200. Popular hotel bars can be found at Hôtel Amaly, 87 Avenue Muhammad V, or Le Churchill, the bar of the Hôtel La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jedid, which has a sumptuous Moorish and Art Deco interior. Clubs: Although Marrakech has a reputation within Morocco for nightlife, don't expect to find much in the variety 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. The newest and most glamorous discotheques in town are the Cotton Club, Hôtel Tropicana, Lotissement Semlalia, and Paradise, Hôtel Mansour Eddahbi. The Palais des Congrès, Avenue de France, has two nightclubs, as well as five bars, but prepare to pay for glitzy mall-glamour. Casinos: The Mamounia Casino in the Hôtel La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jedid (tel: (04) 448 981) has a Grand Casino, with roulette, craps and blackjack. A less grand alternative is Es Saadi Hôtel, Avenue Kadissa, Hivernage (tel: (04) 448 811 or 447 010). For both entrance is free but a tie and jacket are required. Live music: For all types of live music the place to go is Djemmaa-el-Fna (see the Culture section). Sometimes you may also find a group playing in the grounds behind the Koutoubia on Avenue Muhammad V. The National Folklore Festival, held over a fortnight each summer in El Badia Palace offers the chance to listen to a variety of Berber tribal music. |