Many guests got lost in the streets of Tangier. The city’s rabbit-hole design, a fine mix of charm and confusion, has attracted a diverse coterie of newcomers for millennia. This includes many notable literary types, including a renowned Moroccan writer Mohamed Choukritogether with international guests, including Paul Bowles, William BurroughsAND Jack Kerouacjust to name a few. The city’s musical heritage has similarly inspired generations of jazz, folk and time-honored Gnawa performers such as Abdellah El Gurd, Marcel Botboland Jajouka Master Musicians (favorite Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones), as well as Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and respected folk singer-songwriter Nick Drakewho, developing his distinctive style, drew from the intricate polyphonic sounds of this place. All of these characters and countless others have, from time to time, sought refuge and refreshment in the city’s many great cafés, staring into the void for inspiration. There was a lot to draw from.
For nostalgia hunters, many of the antique places still exist. Cafes immortalized in books and magazines have aged gracefully, retaining sentimentality for those willing to afford it. I, too, followed in the footsteps of my favorite beat writers and musicians, wandering through the souks and wondering if Paul Bowles had ever stood in this exact spot.
The stories of these great men still circulate in the arches and alleys, culminating in after-hours conversations at the Tangerinn (a bar that William Burroughs frequented). At Cafe Metropole or Bab Al Fahs you can sometimes see memorabilia from a bygone era, telling stories that locals have heard for decades. There is a ritual to honor the distinguished, and every visit to Tangier should include the laying of symbolic flowers on these sacred floors. For lovers of literature, music, art, culture and, of course, cafés, Tangier’s historic cafés offer an unparalleled connection to the past.
Metropole Cafe
“Then, when I went somewhere else, I immediately wanted to go back to Tangier.” – Paul Bowles
Boulevard Pasteur runs from Sour Meêgazine to the Librairie des Colonnes, a street that turns into a ghost after sunset. In the middle is Cafe Metropole. Red awnings stretching across the ground floor of a disused building have welcomed writers, residents, musicians and travelers for decades. Waiters dressed in immaculate black trousers, vests and powder white shirts maneuver the room in age-old turns, collecting empty cups, taking orders and serving drinks. Muscle memory allows them to navigate through crowded tables with ease.
The room itself is a stained beige lung. Decades of cigarette smoke stained the walls and a parade of glasses of sizzling tea marked the tables with a halo. The sign above the door reads “Salon du The”. Cafe Metropole is notable for its mint tea. Large Rancilio The coffee machine stands on the counter and serves the so-called “American” – a playful Americano.
Previously a meeting place for consular staff, diplomats and local writers, Metropole is a café brimming with history. Rumor has it that this is where Paul Bowles tirelessly transcribed Mohamed Mrabetdictations on paper. This is an extremely valuable stop on the Tangier route.
At Cafe Ting
Petit Socco is the true heart of Tangier. Think of it as a cross between Grand Socco, Kasbah and the coast. There are cafes along three sides: Grand Cafe Central, Cafe Al Manara and the urban heart of Tingis. A narrow seating area provides an excellent vantage point for people watching. Take a look and you’ll see down behind the Bistro de Socco, to worshipers returning from the Grand Mosque, on the left a path leads to the Kasbah, and on the right a hill rises towards the Cinema Rif.
These chairs have been inhabited by countless writers. From the notable Bowles and Burroughs to the newer group of journalists who commute between Tangier and the British enclave of Gibraltar during Ramadan. Chances are you’ll come into contact with people who have lived in Tangier for decades and know a story or two. Inside is a huge tiled room where locals watch football and smoke furiously. The waiters don black vests and pressed trousers, adding a formal touch to the very casual cafe. For recent arrivals, there is no better initiation into Tangier life than ordering a “Café au lait” and sitting outside, watching life revolve around you.
Hafa Cafe
“Tangier is a city that slowly seduces you and then never lets you go.” – Mohamed Choukri
There are few places as picturesque and culturally significant as Hafa Cafe. Situated on a cliff, with a blissful view of Andalusia, the chalk-white walls hide history and intrigue. Due to the marked change in atmosphere from the crowded medina, Cafe Hafa provided writers with the peace and still they needed to take a notebook and scribble all day long. written by William Burroughs During his stay in Tangier and in search of inspiration, he visited Cafe Hafa and Grand Cafe de Paris.
Walk step by step along the stone paths, navigate the balconies and awnings, choose a table with Moroccan tiles, order coffee and Harira soup, browse through your favorite book by Mohamed Choukri (he often visited Cafe Hafa) and get ready for a long morning. Homeless cats hunt for crumbs from tables, the wind chatters, and smiling staff tell stories they have heard from generation to generation. This is the true royal family of Tangier and is a must-visit during your stays.
A great cafe in Paris
The literary crossroads of Tangiers, where Ira Cohen and William Burroughs worked in obscure corners, frantically composing texts for GNAOUA Magazine. A place to introduce local writers to visiting friends, diplomats, spies and expatriates. Experiments in the Mylar chamber were processed in real time. Winding around the Place de France roundabout like an architectural boomerang, the packed tables offer vantage points from which to watch people. Inside, mirrored walls divide into rooms where privacy can be ensured for secret soirees. The very altar of the Beat movement. Every distinguished guest of the bent graduates paid their respects here.
Glasses for mint tea, chunky and overcast, coffee or cake, inside or out, “Garçon! S’il vous plaît.” To sit in these chairs is to experience fragments of what inspired the world’s greatest novels. Searching for words in the eternal ballroom, terraces shaded and hiding countless secrets, silenced by an incomprehensible language. If the walls could talk, the Gran Cafe’s mirrors would crack.
Baba Cafe
Essaouira, a seaside town on the southwestern coast of Morocco, was first made notable to the outside world by Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Murals still stand honoring the antique guard, visitors from a bygone era. Similarly, Tangier became a refuge for members of the Rolling Stones. Keith Richards hid here in the shadow of Kif’s smoke, fueled by the freedom and independence that Tangier’s status allowed. Brian Jones escaped to the Rif Mountains to record the album Master Musicians of Jajouka. There are still photos of The Rolling Stones in this cafe, nailed to the wall in faded frames.
From the windows you can see the roofs of the Kasbah, where Turkish coffee and questionable herbs still permeate. The atmosphere has never dimmed in the nostalgic themed café, it is still a daily meeting place for many Moroccans. Walk through the kasbah, climb the stairs, say hello to the lovely owner, order a coffee or tea, sit at one of the tables in front, open the window and watch the rooftops for the afternoon.
Rif Cinema
The celluloid revolution. A meeting place for rebellious minds and alternative souls. Rif CinemaIts influence cannot be overstated: during the inter-zone wars, it served as a refuge for emigrants, smugglers, local writers and foreign dignitaries. Huddled in the pews and watching by Billy Wilder, secret meetings could be held without prying eyes.
Today, the cinema has been beautifully restored and the café is a brilliant, inviting space for meeting over coffee. The walls still remind people of the past, and a giant poster of Mr. Hulot acted as a totemic icon instead of a crucifix. It’s a church of art, and Jacques Tati is the right priest. Hosted and curated by Tangier Cinemathe building retained its place as the beating heart of underground culture, with several improvements to save it from destruction.
Bab Al Fahs
This diminutive cafe hidden under the city walls is a real gathering of local tea and coffee lovers, smokers and thinkers. A tired room breathes in peace. If a tourist looks inside, there is a noticeable pause – checking who it is – before the conversation inevitably resumes.
One afternoon, while I was sipping mint tea, the next table made a gesture. I moved my chair and absorbed the stories about the man who (apparently) spent time with Keith Richards many decades ago. His age, fluency in English and insightful, detailed stories made me believe him. We sat at the table together, lost in nostalgia, united by our love for an English rock and roll band, until suddenly the lights dimmed and the call for Maghrib (sunset prayer) made feet stampede and I sat alone, clinging to the words spoken by someone who really lived it.
