Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

October 2008.

I fell in love with the movie Casablanca when I first saw it as a teenager. Strangely, and quite unlike many of my favourite movies, I have often struggled to explain why I feel it’s such a magical picture. This is a bit pathetic when one considers I used to write about movies for a living. Perhaps it’s down to how director Michael Curtiz strikes such a delicate balance between the harsh realities of human conflict during World War II and a genuinely crowd-pleasing melodramatic love story.

Humphrey Bogart is a big part of the movie’s appeal, naturally. There’s just something mesmerising about Bogie swaggering around onscreen as Rick Blaine. That strange mixture of grizzly tough guy and vulnerable puppy. His unique, lispy, twisted accent that has a wedge of Transatlantic, a bit of New York City, a touch of some-other-planet.

Not that Casablanca is a one-man show. Ingrid Bergman is equally spellbinding, somehow simultaneously reserved and oozing sensuality as Ilsa Lund. Moreover, the supporting players put in world class performances that, upon my first viewing, had me looking them all up for further research.

The great Peter Lorre, for example, as petty crook Signore Ugarte. The masterful Sydney Greenstreet as underworld boss Ferrari and Paul Henreid as the dashing and daring resistance fighter Victor László . Claude Rains shines too as the slivery, corrupt prefect of police Captain Louis Renault. Oh, and let’s not forget Dooley Wilson, magnificently musical and loveable as the charismatic pianist, Sam.

Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

I also love how the entire movie is so ridiculously quotable from start to finish. From “Here’s looking at you, kid” and “We’ll always have Paris”, to “Round up the usual suspects” and “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, you’d be hard pushed to find a film with a more iconic script.

Yet another reason I love Casablanca is because of its brilliant set designs, all custom built at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. In fact, I have always found myself entranced by the look and feel of the movie, especially the scenes that unfold at Rick’s Cafe.

Smoky, shadowy, dimly-lit and bursting with intrigue, Rick’s is a nightclub like no other. It’s a place where espionage hides between the tables. Where people drown their sorrows with brandy and French 75. A joint in which you celebrate the good things in life with a singalong at the piano. A mystical space where, at any moment, you could find yourself either in love, or in handcuffs. Or both.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”

Consequently, try to imagine how feverishly excited I was when I read about a restaurant called Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca. An upscale eatery that… yes… has been meticulously modelled on Rick’s from the movie. This was the moment I knew that S and I had to spend some days in the city and have dinner at Rick’s.

Dressed up, and loaded with anticipation, we arrived in the early evening. A suited doorman was on hand to greet guests, before the maître d’ checked our reservation and led us to our table. Immediately, I could see what a staggering job they’d done staying true to the essence of the 1940s. We passed the sculpted bar and several towering columns, gazing up at the second floor balconies with their stencilled brass lighting and shadow-casting plants.

In a bit of a daydream, we took our seats and I couldn’t help but recall that first cafe scene in the film. The players were a bit different of course, no smoking soldiers, but otherwise it was as if I had just landed in the middle of Curtiz’s Oscar-winning masterpiece.

Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

Rick’s Cafe sprang from the mind of an American lady, Kathy Kriger. Born near Portland Oregon, she had lived a varied and rich life packed with adventure long before opening her own business in Casablanca. As a young woman she launched her own travel agency and explored the world. By the late 1990s Kathy had settled in the Moroccan city of Rabat where she worked as a diplomat for the U.S. government. Eventually, she decided to cash in her pension and go solo with the idea of opening a restaurant in tribute to one of her favourite movies.

Photo courtesy of Abdejalil Bounhar.

According to several online articles, getting Rick’s off the ground was a long and arduous process for Kathy. Indeed she described the venue, a courtyard mansion dating back to 1930, as “a wreck of a building” upon purchase.

In addition to her pension, Kathy had to secure a sizeable loan. Then, when that ran out, she turned to fundraising by establishing a company called The Usual Suspects. Finally, in March 2004, Rick’s Cafe opened its doors and Kathy, often seen keeping an eye on operations from a corner of the bar, became known as Madame Rick.

“She isn’t just any woman”. 

Having put so much on the line, Kathy made sure to craft a daily operations team that would strive to realise her vision. Which was basically outstanding food and top-notch service in an environment that is 110% faithful to the film and its era. Fittingly, I found our waiter smartly dressed, super polite and full of knowledgeable tips when it came to our order. Moreover, I was tickled to see that he seemed just as excited as us when I asked for a bottle of the house champagne.

While I didn’t actually see Kathy that evening, I did spot a man who was arguably the most crucial member of her team. His name is Issam Chabaam, a Moroccan from Rabat who was Kathy’s manager. Supervising a staff of 60, he also doubled up as the house pianist.

Of course nobody could replace the incomparable Dooley Wilson as Rick’s musical heart and soul. However, I felt that Issam definitely gave Sam a run for his money. Several nights a week he hits the piano to woo his guests. And yes, he can knock out a perfect rendition of As Time Goes By. Listening to him play that night, I felt an urge to say “Play It Again, Issam”. Not wanting to be cheesy, I resisted. Plus you know, that famous line actually goes unspoken in the film.

Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

Forgive me dear readers, but I got so caught up in the atmosphere that night I forgot to photograph our mains. Epic fail. This still haunts me, though I must say it’s the perfect reason to go back one day. Dusting off my patchy notes, I see that I had a T-bone Steak served with caramelised onions, smashed potatoes and stuffed mushrooms. Yes, it was good.

Oddly, I did remember to photograph one of our two dessert platters. There was a delightful assortment of bites, including cheesecake, chocolate mousse, creme brûlée squares and scattered fruit. Everything lightly drizzled with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon.

I’m so glad to see that Rick’s Cafe is still one of Casablanca’s premier restaurants despite the turbulent events of recent years. In 2018 the team was devastated by the news of Kathy’s sudden passing from a heart attack. “US-Moroccan relations have lost a champion”, tweeted the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. A restructuring of the management team followed, and then of course there was COVID.

Somehow, Rick’s has battled on, while a glance at their recent TripAdvisor reviews suggests their high standards have not slipped one millimetre.  Here’s Looking at You, Rick’s Cafe.

Like this? Then why not have a look at my other reports on Casablanca.

I’ve also written a bunch of reports from all around Morocco.

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