Hello! If you’ve ever seen the movie Casablanca, you know about the legendary Rick’s Cafe. Although the Rick’s Cafe from the movie was created on a Hollywood set, and not actually in Casablanca, today you can visit the beautiful recreation of the cafe and bring your Casablanca movie dreams to life! The cafe opened in 2004, and tourists have been loving it ever since. Keep reading for my full review of Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco!
Ambiance
Rick’s Cafe is truly beautiful. When you step inside you feel like you’re going back in time to the 1940s. The restaurant has two levels, with two bars, two dining spaces and a lounge that plays Casablanca the movie on repeat. Each area is lovely, and makes for an enjoyable space to dine or enjoy a drink.
At night there is also live music, which makes the ambiance even more enjoyable.
Reservations
You cannot book reservations directly through the restaurant’s website, but instead you need to email for a reservation (booking.rickscafe@gmail.com). This system isn’t the most user-friendly, but it works! We made our reservation a couple weeks in advance, and it worked out perfectly.
I definitely recommend making a reservation for lunch or dinner, and not planning to walk-in. For drinks, on the other hand, walking into the bar areas should be fine.
Food
Rick’s Cafe serves a variety of American dishes. This is definitely not traditional Moroccan food, but there is a wide variety of options on the menu. They also serve alcohol, which is not guaranteed in all Moroccan restaurants.
Personally, I thought the food was good, but not fantastic. My family enjoyed the food more than I did; and that is likely because there are more options for them as non-vegetarians.
For appetizers we shared the goat cheese and fig salad as well as the goat cheese croquettes with lavender and honey. Both were yummy, and I definitely recommend the fig salad. For main dishes our family ordered monkfish with risotto, filets with potatoes, and also spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes. The filet and monkfish were both great!
Dessert is a must, and we ordered an apple tart with vanilla ice-cream as well as a chocolate lava cake! For me, this was the highlight of the meal and I highly recommend both of these desserts!
Prices
As of January 2021, 1 USD = (about) 10 Moroccan Dirham. At Rick’s Cafe, appetizers range in price from around $7-$10 USD, main dishes are about $10-$18, desserts are around $6, and alcoholic drinks are $6-$10.
We thought the prices were quite reasonable, as the restaurant is very clearly marketed to tourists. However, Rick’s Cafe is definitely more expensive than other similar restaurants in Casablanca.
Service
Overall, we were very satisfied with the service at Rick’s Cafe. Everyone was very kind and helpful. There are some negative reviews online about the employees being rude, specifically with regards to the dress code, but we did not see or experience this.
Dress Code
Rick’s Cafe does have a strict dress code, and I highly recommend following it closely in order to ensure entry into the restaurant. Women cannot wear shorts, short skirts, low cut shirts, t-shirts or tank tops. Men must wear nice pants and shirts. No sneakers or flip-flops are allowed either. The restaurant is quite nice, and I personally find the dress code to be very reasonable. It respects local customs and also creates an atmosphere where diners dress up for lunch/dinner. I’m attaching the full dress code here!
I’ve seen some angry reviews online of visitors stating that they were not allowed to enter the restaurant due to their attire. Be sure to double check the dress code before visiting!
Location
Rick’s Cafe is in an easily accessible location at the edge of Ancienne Medina, the old city. When we visited the area was heavily under construction, but it was easy to access by taxi.
The best advice I can give you for visiting Rick’s Cafe is to walk a few blocks away from the restaurant before getting into a taxi. It will probably save you $20. Because the restaurant is a very popular tourist site, taxi drivers will take advantage of that and up-charge you, without using their meter.
As an example, our ride to Rick’s Cafe from The Four Seasons (5km or 3mi) was $3 (30 MAD). However, on our return trip, the taxi who picked us up in front of the restaurant wanted to charge us $20 (200 MAD), and not use his meter. Luckily, we knew what the fare should be and negotiated accordingly.
Overall
Overall, I definitely recommend taking a trip to Rick’s Cafe while in Casablanca. It is a fun experience that is enjoyable for the whole family! It really is like stepping back in time, and I loved that aspect of the experience. I personally enjoyed lunch, and my parents loved returning in the evening to drink champagne and listen to the live music at the bar!
Thank you for reading my review of Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco. For more information on how to spend your time in Casablanca, click here. As always, if you found this post helpful please share with friends and family!
OMG I had no idea you could really go here! I first saw the movie Casablanca in a film class in college & I think it made me obsessed w/ Morocco…. so I’ll definitely be adding Rick’s to my Morocco list. Thanks for the tip about walking a few blocks away for a taxi… that’s great insider info!
The food at Rick’s Cafe looks AMAZING! Especially that chocolate lave cake- OMG! Morocco has been on my bucket list for a long time. I will definitely save this post for when I finally get the opportunity to visit.
That must’ve been a great experience. I’m putting this place onto my itinerary for sure. Thank you for all the useful tips it’s always good to come prepared!
This restaurant looks SO cute!! And, the food! I’m a sucker for goat cheese so I’d definitely be getting that goat cheese and fig salad. 🙂
Wow I love this place already! I’ve never considered going but after this review, it makes me want to adventure to Rick’s Cafe! And the tips like what to wear are a great guide. Thanks!
Casablanca is my all-time favorite movie! So I must visit Rick’s Cafe. Love me some goat cheese and figs…yum!
I need to get back to Morocco and go to Casablanca. Rick’s Cafe looks like such a fun experience and the food looks delicious! 🙂
I just have to say, your parents are so cute! In love with the architecture and style of this restaurant too!
This looks like such an incredible restaurant to visit, and the food looks so good too!
How fun! Call me naive, but I didn’t realize that Rick’s Cafe was just a Hollywood set. I thought it was based on a real restaurant in Casablanca. Still fun to re-create that 1940s ambiance.
The “no sneakers” rule… in one of the photos, it appears dress shoes are not being worn by your husband? I’d rather not being along a pair of dress shoes on our trip, but if you have to, you have to! Thanks-
Hi Mike! Thanks for your comment. You’re totally right. When we visited my father wore navy blue Sperry Loafers, but they definitely do look like sneakers in the photo. From what I remember, the no sneakers rule applies more-so to tennis shoes, converse or workout shoes. In fact, I think they even say “no sports shoes,” and don’t explicitly use the word sneakers online. We also visited for lunch, and the dress code seemed a little more flexible at that time of day. I think as long as your outfit is nicely put together, you won’t have any problems with the dress code! 🙂 I hope this helps!
I really loved this place, but it was so nice to read your article.. so many beautiful memories from Morocco 😍
This café looks amazing. I love so much the Maroccan style.. it’s like being in a fairy tale. Also the food looks very yummy! I will definitely add it to my restaurants to visit around the world list!
Rick’s cafe delighted me with the interior and the friendliness of the staff. Due to little time, we drank excellent Casablanca beer and coffee.