Exploring + Valentine’s dinner

We didn’t have any set schedule today, so had a leisurely breakfast and then set out walking to a neighbourhood called Habbous, also known as New Medina. It’s packed with open-air markets or souks where you can bargain for clothes, fabrics, and Moroccan staples like olives and dried fruits. The king’s palace is in the area too.

We decided to start with the king’s palace area. Our guide yesterday had told us that the palace is strictly off-limits. As we approached the area, it became obvious that it was well guarded with guard booths every 50 m. As soon as I held up my camera, I’d get a wave with a wagged finger from the guards. I did manage to capture a stealth photo or two of the area.

We found the market area and did a fair bit of exploring there. We visited the oldest bakery in the city but the line was long so we bailed. As we walked along, we saw a couple with a pastry box from a different bakery and asked where it was and what they’d bought. In a flash, the man opened the box insisting we take one! So lovely.

Next stop was to visit the Central Market in another area of the city. It’s famous for its fresh fish and seafood and the attached restaurants which will immediately cook whatever you purchased at the market. That would be our lunch. Casablanca has a sleek tramway so we took the tram to the market.

Once we entered Central Market, we were quickly swarmed by people asking to cook whatever we bought. We chose a woman, bought some squid and shrimps, had it cleaned and followed her to the adjoining restaurant. It was terrific.

Following lunch, we walked around the area and then headed back to our hotel to have a bit of a rest before our Valentine’s dinner reservation at Dar Dada. I had made the reservation a few weeks ago before leaving home. Dar Dada is one of Casablanca‘s best restaurants, known for its classic Moroccan cuisine with a contemporary spin. It’s also situated in a renovated riad. I didn’t find out until yesterday that they have entertainment as well.

The restaurant was as beautiful as we imagined, and the food was delicious. And the entertainment? A violinist and belly dancers! Such fun.Read more