RabatTraveller.info

Rabat City Guide

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:14:55 +0000

Rabat is located North of Morroco, about two hours away from Casablanca. There is a lot of tourism in Rabat for two main reasons: sits right on the shores of the Atlantic and it is about two hours away from Spain. There is a lot of life in Rabat. Work hours are from 8-3pm and people seem to enjoy them self after work. Islam is the major religion.

People in Rabat are nice and respectful, but like any other country prudence should be a priority. There is nightlife in Rabat, young locals and visitors gather around at night along the beach, and there are several “booths” type restaurants along the beach.

Arabic and French are the two languages, but you can get around with English. There is a big market around the castle. Try to avoid downtown as it gets crowded and busy.

Pop Art-L’Art Moderne

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:05:36 +0000

Pop Art-L’Art Moderne is the tiny workshop-cum-outlet for metalworking brothers Mohammed and Mohssin. The brothers fashion both traditional and contemporary lamp shades from various metal sources, including old olive oil tins and other canned goods. The shades are fashioned with designs from hundreds of tiny holes punched into the metal, casting fantastic shadows on the nearest wall. Both shops are open daily from roughly 9am to 6pm, usually with a break for lunch between noon and 2pm.

Marilyn Bottero

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:04:49 +0000

On the corner of rue des Consuls and rue el Harrarine (aka rue el Kheddarin) is the small Rabat boutique for French potter Marilyn Bottero. Her fun, brightly colored creations come in all manner of forms, from cloth bags and lamp shades to tagines and teacups. Marilyn also conducts creative workshops for both adults and kids.

Rue des Consuls

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:36:54 +0000

At its northeastern end, rue Souk as Sabbat meets the junction of rue Oukassa and rue des Consuls. Rue des Consuls is Rabat’s main shopping street. Here you’ll find many shops selling handicrafts from other parts of Morocco, such as Marrakchi leatherwear and Fassi pottery, along with locally made colored-hide lamps, babouches, jellabahs, and carpets. Rabat carpets can have as many as 150,000 stitches per square meter (13,935 stitches per sq. ft.), and were traditionally made in workshops within the medina and kasbah. There’s still a carpet auction held here every Monday and Thursday morning.

Ben Hamou Metloub

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:36:09 +0000

At the southwestern entrance to Souk as Sabbat, on the corner with rue Bab Chellah, is the small, dusty treasure trove of Ben Hamou Metloub. The septuagenarian has been here for “only 15 years,” and his shop is packed to the rafters with trinkets and curios. Inside you’ll find, amongst other things, ancient trade beads, darbuka drums, fossils, gemstones, kif pipes, tambourines, leather wallets, and walking sticks. He’s open daily, usually from 9am to 9pm.

Rue Souika

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:35:23 +0000

As the day draws to a close, hawkers converge on rue Souika to spread out their wares and seemingly compete with each other over who has the loudest and catchiest sales pitch. Although the goods are largely domestic products and housewares and of little interest to travelers, wandering along the crowded street at this time is one of my favorite pastimes, as the street comes alive, and the true sense of being in a residential medina can be experienced.

Tajine Wa Tanjia

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:33:56 +0000

Since they opened their restaurant in 2004, the Jabbour family have managed to find that perfect combination of reasonably priced authentic cuisine, served in a warm, intimate atmosphere. The extensive menu reads like a Moroccan cookbook, and offers just about every national dish possible. The house specialties are their tanjias and tagines — try their succulent beef and camel tanjia, or M’rouzia (lamb with raisins and almonds in honey), Mechmach (beef with apricots), or Mokj m’charmel (shrimp in herbs) tagines. If you’re around on Friday, definitely try their couscous with onions and raisins.

Vegetarians are well catered for, and there’s a kids menu including old-fashioned fish and chips. The list of traditional desserts includes a highly recommended saffron cheesecake. Rita, the delightful multilingual (she speaks six languages) owner/manager and her mother Valentina are on hand each night, while architect brother Karim (who designed the restaurant) manages the lunchtime session.

I love the interior of this restaurant, with low lighting subtly highlighting the tabout walls, which are adorned with Moroccan lanterns and mirrors. The wrought-iron tables and comfortable chairs are well spaced for intimate dining, or can be brought together for larger groups; dinner is accompanied by a live oud (lute) player.

La Pagode

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:33:07 +0000

Reopened in 2007 after an extensive refurbishment, La Pagode offers mainly Chinese and Vietnamese dishes in a tranquil, authentic — and now air-conditioned — atmosphere. The French-only menu is very extensive, with pork, seafood, beef, chicken, and duck available in every form. There’s also a good choice of soups and salads, which for vegetarians makes up for the lack of main-course choices. The restaurant is located alongside the train station, but a very heavy metal door ensures the noise stays outside. The red, white, and black interior is your typical Asian-style decor, and the waitstaff — dressed in an appropriately kitsch uniform — are attentive and speedy. A plats emporter (take-away) service is also offered.

Chahrazad

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:32:30 +0000

Uniformed waiters with bow ties and waistcoats shuffle around the two floors of tightly set tables inside this welcome alternative to the city’s smoky and male-dominated cafes. Family friendly and with a large nonsmoking section, Chahrazad offers a large choice of brightly colored and deliciously creamy gâteaux and pastries, along with ice-cream sundaes, pizza slices, and a selection of different coffees and teas. The U-shape gold-and-rust-color interior doesn’t offer much people-watching, but does allow for some privacy and an escape from the hustle and bustle outside.

Cafe Restaurant la Jeunesse

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:31:17 +0000

Cheap and cheerful, this is where you’ll find Moroccan city workers enjoying lunch or an early dinner. The menu is as standard as they come, with a range of tagines and couscous, along with brochettes, omelets, and the cheapest, tastiest bowl of harira (4dh/50¢/25p) you’ll ever find. The downstairs section affords the best people-watching, while the larger upstairs dining hall — with plastic chairs, tables, and tablecloths — is more spacious. Don’t expect five-star; here you’ll find tasty, cheap Moroccan food.