Le Dhow is a traditional wooden dhow converted into a restaurant, lounge and club, moored on the Bouregreg quay on Avenue Al Marsa in Rabat, right under the walls of the Kasbah of the Udayas. The boat splits into three: a dining room, an open air Deck with a view across to Salé, and La Cale in the hold, which turns into the club. Its kitchen is run by executive chef Abdelghaffar Bougrine.
Why people go
Le Dhow in Rabat is a wooden dhow moored on the Bouregreg quay at the foot of the Kasbah of the Udayas, and it is the only bar in the city that floats.
The boat was built by hand in Kerala, India, and the whole hull is now the venue.
Three spaces sit on one boat: a restaurant, an open air Deck and La Cale, the club down in the hold.
The Deck looks straight across the river at Salé and back at the Udayas ramparts, which is the best drink view in Rabat.
The kitchen is run by executive chef Abdelghaffar Bougrine and the menu mixes Moroccan and Mediterranean cooking.
Music & vibe
La Cale, the club in the hold, is a low ceilinged wooden room with a bar down one side.
The programme runs to DJ sets, live bands, karaoke nights and themed evenings.
The Deck upstairs stays a lounge, with low tables, cushions and river air, rather than a dance floor.
The restaurant deck is a calmer, sit down room for dinner before the music starts below.
Best nights
Le Dhow publishes a monthly programme, so it is worth checking which nights carry a live band, a karaoke session or a DJ.
Weekends are when La Cale works as a club rather than a lounge.
Sunset on the Deck is the reason to arrive early, before the music starts.
Getting in
Le Dhow takes reservations by phone or WhatsApp rather than through a door list.
The restaurant, the Deck and La Cale are all on the same boat, so one arrival covers all three.
Access is over a gangway from the Bouregreg quay on Avenue Al Marsa.
Good to know
The boat carries separate menus for the restaurant, the Deck and La Cale, plus a drinks list.
It is a five minute walk from the Kasbah of the Udayas and the entrance to the Rabat medina.
The Deck is open air, so a jacket helps once the wind comes off the Atlantic after dark.
Le Dhow is moored on the Bouregreg quay at Avenue Al Marsa in Rabat, at the foot of the Kasbah of the Udayas and about five minutes on foot from the entrance to the Rabat medina.
Le Dhow is both. The boat has a restaurant on the enclosed deck, an open air Deck that works as a lounge, and La Cale in the hold, which functions as the club with DJ sets, live bands and karaoke nights.
Le Dhow takes reservations directly by phone or WhatsApp. The boat is not large, and the Deck fills quickly around sunset, so arranging a table in advance is sensible for a weekend evening.
La Cale is the club space inside the hold of Le Dhow, a low ceilinged wooden room with a long bar. It hosts DJ sets, live bands, karaoke nights and themed evenings, and it is the part of the boat that runs latest.
From the open air Deck of Le Dhow you look across the Bouregreg river to the white medina of Salé, and back at the ramparts of the Kasbah of the Udayas. The Hassan Tower and the Moulay Youssef bridge are also in view from the upper deck.