RICK’S CAFE

How about that. It isn’t quite Rick’s Cafe Americain, but it is   RICK’S CAFE and it is in Casablanca.

Opening in 2004, RICK’S CAFE came to life because former American diplomat Kathy Kriger saw an opportunity to recreate the classic cafe from “Casablanca”. (Kathy had been stationed in Morocco).

 

 

You’ll see the grand doors, potted palms, beaded table lamps – and of course a piano (baby grand, not upright?)
The film is played on a loop ( silently, with subtitles.)

RICK’S CAFE  is located at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid, Place du Jardin Public, Casablanca. Their website is  www.rickscafe.ma.

 

Kathy Kriger (1946-2018) chronicled her story of creating Rick’s Cafe. She was known as ‘Madame Rick’.

Kathy Kriger

 

Visitors to the Cafe have included the daughters of Paul Henreid and Claude Rains.

• The  current manager ( and pianist), Issam Chabaa, said: “People don’t come for the food – they come for the dream”.
• L.A Times writer, Bob Drogin, in  2018 described Rick’s Cafe as “…the re-creation of something that never was.”