Rick's Café is a piano bar and restaurant at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid in Casablanca, inside a courtyard mansion built against the walls of the old medina. It was opened on 1 March 2004 by Kathy Kriger, a former American diplomat who rebuilt the imaginary saloon from the 1942 film Casablanca as a real place. Arches, four fireplaces and a grand piano set the room, and it serves lunch from 12pm and dinner until 1am.
Perché andarci
Rick's Café in Casablanca is the piano bar that turned the imaginary saloon from the 1942 film into a real address, at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid.
It was opened on 1 March 2004 by Kathy Kriger, a former American diplomat who bought and restored the building rather than build a replica set.
The house is a courtyard mansion pressed against the wall of the old medina, with arches, balustrades, brass lanterns and four fireplaces.
A private dining area upstairs looks out over the fishing port, which is the view the film never actually had.
Musica e atmosfera
A grand piano sits at the centre of the ground floor and the pianist Issam plays through the evening.
The group Arabesques plays Arabic music on oud and classical guitar on some nights.
Lighting is low, the brass lanterns are stencilled, and the room is built for conversation rather than dancing.
The crowd is a mix of Casablanca regulars and film fans, so it never feels only like a tourist stop.
Orari di apertura
Lunch is served from 12pm to 3pm.
Dinner runs from 6.30pm to 1am, so it doubles as a late bar.
The bar and the piano keep going through the dinner service until closing.
Ingresso
Rick's Café asks for smart casual dress in keeping with the atmosphere of the house.
Tables are limited and the dining rooms fill in the evening, so it is worth arranging a table ahead through the restaurant.
You can also come only for a drink at the bar and listen to the piano without eating.
Da sapere
The entrance is a plain door in the medina wall on Boulevard Sour Jdid, with no large sign, so watch for the number 248.
It sits between the old medina and the fishing port, about 1 km east of the Hassan II Mosque.
The menu is international with Moroccan seafood and produce, and champagne and wine are served.
Kathy Kriger, who founded the café, died in 2018, and the house has carried on since under its own team.
Rick's Café is at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid in Casablanca, built into the wall of the old medina between the medina and the fishing port, about 1 km east of the Hassan II Mosque. The entrance is a plain door with no large sign.
No. The 1942 film Casablanca was shot entirely in Hollywood, and Rick's Café in Casablanca was created afterwards, opening on 1 March 2004. Kathy Kriger, a former American diplomat posted to Morocco, restored a courtyard mansion by the old medina to bring the imaginary bar into the real city.
Rick's Café in Casablanca serves lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 1am. The bar and the piano keep going through the evening service until closing.
Yes. Rick's Café asks guests to come in smart casual attire so that the room keeps its film era feel. There is no formal jacket rule, but beachwear and sportswear are out of place.
Yes. A grand piano stands at the centre of the ground floor at Rick's Café in Casablanca and the pianist Issam plays through the evening. The group Arabesques also performs Arabic music on oud and classical guitar on some nights.