Café
At cafés in The Rif, I can relax and enjoy the palm trees and the buzz of activity around me.
In my view, there are two types of cafés in Morocco: fancy and popular. If I were to generalise, this is the difference:
| Popular cafés | Fancy cafés | |
|---|---|---|
| Clientele | Men | Men, women, children |
| Football | Yes | No |
| Smoking | Definitely | No |
| Price | Cheap | Mid-range |
| Waiters | Dressed in black and white | Casual clothes |
| Interior | Interesting | Boring |
| Good tea | Usually | Usually |
It is mainly men who frequent popular cafés. They go there to smoke, watch football or play board games. They haven’t chosen the café because they like the view or the décor, or even for the taste of the coffee. They have chosen the café because their mates go there. The waiters and guests know each other well and chat like old friends.
Fancy cafés often have no television, and if they do, it shows adverts for the restaurant rather than football. Background music is usually played, such as Frank Sinatra or Fairuz. The staff wear black and white uniforms. They speak formally to the guests. Families and couples go there. Some dress up.
Tea at a popular café costs around seven dirhams and tea at a fancy café around 13 dirhams. The most I’ve ever paid is 20 dirhams for a cup of tea; that was at a hotel with a swimming pool.
I prefer popular cafés. When I sit in a popular café, I feel like I’m in Morocco. I can practise Rifiya and joke around with the staff. Sitting in a fancy café is like sitting in a chain café back home in Sweden.
Smoking
The main reason I go to fancy cafés is that I want to avoid smoking.
Smoking is permitted in popular cafés. If the café has plenty of outdoor seating, it’s less of a problem. But if the weather is cold and I want to sit indoors, or on a balcony facing the sea packed with other guests, the smell of smoke becomes unbearable.
There are also popular cafés that allow smoking of hashish. I’ve even been to a café in Al Hoceima where the waiter took a break and smoked hashish amongst the guests.
Smoking is generally not permitted in fancy cafés. But there’s no guarantee. Once I was at an expensive café in Al Hoceima that allowed guests to smoke despite there being no-smoking signs.
Cleanliness
Fancy cafés usually have neutral interiors, light-coloured walls and all the chairs have the same upholstery. Popular cafés can be cosy, with walls covered in patterned tiles. But more often they have simpler interiors, like plastic chairs. Worn tables and chairs and cracked tiles are more common in popular cafés.
Fancy cafés may seem cleaner and fresher. But whether this also applies to the drinks served, I cannot say.
In a café in Taza, I saw a cockroach crawling across the floor. The tea costed five dirhams and was delicious. In a café by the harbour in Al Hoceima, tea costs 19 dirhams. All the mint leaves that came with the tea were black around the edges.
Something to eat
Almost all cafés in The Rif serve breakfast. This applies to both down-to-earth and upmarket cafés.
Apart from breakfast, there isn’t usually much else to eat in cafés. Some cafés share premises with patisseries, but this is not the norm.
The selection of snacks at popular cafés is usually quite limited. Often, it consists mainly of industrially produced muffins in plastic packaging, or msemem from a nearby bakery. Vendors also often pop into the cafés, offering things like churros or roasted sunflower seeds.
In local cafés, it’s common for people to bring their own food. For example, a andwish from a nearby fast-food place. I often bring yoghurt and peanuts with me. The staff don’t mind; on the contrary, they give me a spoon and a plate to put the shells on.
Water
When you order coffee or tea, it’s common to be given a small bottle of water as well. In cheaper cafés, you’ll get a glass of tap water instead.
Test your language skill
Coffee and tea are words that everyone understands, regardless of their native language. But if you want to make going to a café a bit more fun, try ordering your drink in Rifiya or Darija.