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Abyssin
Like Lindsay Lohan at a garden party, you and your entourage can score your own plush, private pavilion at the Palais Rhoul. To get to your seat, you'll have to strut the runway in the middle of the reflecting pool. This may prove more difficult as the evening wears on and bottles of wine and champagne are drained - but you must walk this way to reach the bathroom, which has been thoughtfully padded with white leather from floor to ceiling.
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Actor's
Black, white, and always ready to make a scene, Actor's was recently launched at the Marrakesh International Film Festival to give crowds a place to bask in reflected red-carpet glory. The wall-sized black-and-white photos of pale models with enormous sunglasses, Sofia Loren hats and red lipstick set a kitschy '80s vibe. Midweek it's you and the DJ, but on weekends clubbers descend from Casablanca to revive the last days of disco.
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Afric'n Chic
This easygoing 'Afro-Brazilian Moroccan' hot spot run by a Brazilian-French couple draws local crowds for the happy hour. By the time the live samba and bossa nova kicks in, you'll be feeling the vibe, if not buying the odd 'Afro-Brazilian Moroccan' tapas standbys as baked Camembert, salmon tartare and Thai salad. Say what? Stick with the fun international crowd and Moroccan mint caipirinhas at the bar, and drink those borders away.
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Bar du Soleil
Wild raves for the Mamounia's gardens are a credit to its legions of gardeners but also the bartender at Bar du Soleil, who pours drinks extra strong on the patio at sunset to set that idyllic Mamounia mood. This occasion calls for a cognac or a top-shelf Mamounia cocktail of Grand Marnier, rum, juice and champagne, which, at around DH240 , gives a double meaning to the term stiff drink.
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Bô Zin
Ostensibly a restaurant with Thai touches, Bô Zin's real appeal is eye candy, Asian-Moroccan architectural razzle-dazzle, and break-out performances by diners including the likes of Salma Hayek. Go late and on weekends, when it's packed; otherwise, this enormous place is a party desperately waiting to happen. It's not that far from Pacha Marrakesh if you really want to make a night/morning of it.
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Bougainvillea
No matter how your souq bargaining sessions went today, good cheer is at hand in this upbeat purple riad practically wallpapered with whimsical abstract paintings of the Medina. Unwind with tea, coffee or soft drinks in the garden near the wall-o-water fountain, or in cosy bhous (seating nooks). The sandwiches are serviceable and the service is friendly, if not fast.
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Café Arabe
Gloat over souq purchases with cocktails on the roof or alongside the Zen- zellij (mosaic) courtyard fountain. Wine prices here are down to earth for such a stylish place, and you can order half-bottles of better Moroccan wines such as the peppery red Siroua S. The food is bland but the company isn't - artists and designers flock here - so grab a bite and join the conversation.
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Café Argana
One of the few cafés where you'll compete with locals for elbow room and a spectacular view of the Djemaa at sunset, when the restaurant stalls set up shop and the belly dancers begin to wriggle.
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Café Des Épices
Grab a prime spot above the healers and potion-dealers of the Rahba Qedima and watch the magic happen as you sip a reviving caffeinated beverage. The young Marrakshi staff are hip and easygoing, there's free wifi, and if you linger over mint tea long enough, the rooftop terrace offers a sunset view of the souqs. Salads and sandwiches are fresh but bland - all the more reason to skip to the sweets.
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Café Des Négociants
Cafés are usually the domain of older men in Morocco, but hipsters and headscarf-clad moms mingle with the old-timers here. The regulars have seen it all before: royalty, rebel rockers, supermodels, grandmothers and after a certain type of négociant (businessman) in clingy Dolce & Gabbana working the Café Atlas across the street. Enjoy the show for the around DH10 price of a truly eye-opening coffee; no alcohol.
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Café Du Grand Balcon
The best spot to catch all the action in the Djemaa, with permanent crowds on the front patio to prove it. Older gents hang out inside to avoid the patio jostling and panhandling on the patio, but only families and clandestine lovers actually go upstairs to the quiet 'grand balcon', where service is erratic at best. The OJ here is not freshly squeezed, but there are mean espressos, frothy cappuccinos, and proper tea with mint or steamed milk.
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Café du Livre
Where the literati of Marrakesh meet and flirt shamelessly over heated poetry discussions and killer chocolate cake. Join in the fray or casually eavesdrop (everyone does) as you tuck into a salad or take advantage of the wifi. Wall-to-wall bookshelves of new and used titles will never leave you wanting for riad reading material, and be sure to check the door downstairs for announcements of readings and other fabulous arty events.
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Diamant Noir
For its rare gay-friendly clientele on weeknights and seedy charm on weekends, the gravitational pull of 'Le Dia' is undeniable. The dark dance floor thumps with hip hop and gleams with mirrors and bronzer on exposed skin, while closeted Casablanca playboys hold court at the tables and professionals lurk at the shady end of the upstairs bar. Cash only.
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Jad Mahal
Through the restaurant at the far end of the courtyard, the Jad Mahal's bar is a favourite local spot to linger over cocktails by the bronze elephant until staff crank up the volume on a catchy song, the house cover band arrives, or diners break into spontaneous dance moves over an '80s tune, whichever comes first.
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Kosybar
The Marrakesh-meets-Kyoto interiors are plenty fabulous, with 19th-century zellij (mosaic) bumping up against Shinto-shrine exposed beams, but skip the less-than-inspired sushi and head straight up to the roof terrace bar overlooking the Badi Palace. Here Moroccan wines are served with a side of samba, and storks give you the once-over from nearby nests.
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La Casa
Where else will you witness restaurant patrons deliver such a heart-rending, quasi-English rendition of an Usher R&B ballad, followed by double-jointed hip shaking to Jamaican dancehall and Egyptopop? Two-for-one specials on Red Bull and vodka from to get the dancing started before dinner ends, and give the neon Berber glyphs on the wall a hallucinatory glow.
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Lawrence Bar
One of two bars in the sprawling 350-room Sofitel, this advertises 'exclusive drinks' - meaning, what, your cocktail may be refused entry to your gullet if it's not properly attired? In reality this place is a freeloader's paradise, with access to a decent tapas buffet with a drink, and free bubbly if you cosy up to that diplomat splashing out the Dom Perignon rosé and don't mind the Cuban cigar smoke.
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Le Comptoir
More international advances are made within the candlelit red walls of this decadent Deco villa than in the receiving room of the royal palace down the street. Besotted Swiss bankers lock eyes with Rabati socialites over tapas, and Italian fashionistas bat eyelashes at Moroccan musicians and French rapper MC Solar while pretending to check out the merch at the Comptoir boutique.
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Le Paradise
The dance floor here doubles as a runway for Marrakesh's jet set, and it's taken such a relentless pounding over the years that it recently had to be redone. Now the redesigned two-story club has a snazzy new look, some trippy new light effects, and a 1st-floor bar called Le Before where you can summon some liquid courage before entering the fray.
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Le Théâtro
Before you even enter Le Théâtro, you'll feel its pulsating bass line tickle your toes. Don't bother schmoozing the bouncer for entry to the boring VIP area, because the dance floor is where the action is: packed, sweaty, carefree, fabulous. White nights do happen this close to the equator on Saturdays, when the crowd wears white and keeps going 'til dawn with a signature mix of house, techno, R&B and Moroc-pop.
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Les Terrasses De L'alhambra
Although there's a mosque right next door, somehow this place managed to procure a liquor license - though to respect local sensibilities, enjoy your beer inside or on the upper terrace, where you can watch the storytellers pull in the crowds at sunset. By day, the tasteful Moroccan-modern décor is a sight for souq-sore eyes, and Italian Illy espresso served under terrace tent awnings will sharpen your wits for bargaining.
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Mamounia Casino
As if drinking OJ from re-used glasses in the Djemaa el-Fna weren't enough of a gamble, just down the street is the Mamounia Casino. There are many places in Marrakesh that look like a Vegas version of Morocco, but the casino makes good on the comparison with blackjack, poker, baccarat, roulette and slot machines. Dress to pass the doorman's once-over - sorry, even high rollers don't get by in jeans.
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Pacha Marrakesh
Pacha Ibiza was the prototype for this enormous disco, but Marrakesh has smashed that mould with its own international DJ line-up playing to huge weekend influxes Casablanca hipsters and raging Rabatis. The complex includes two restaurants, the very cool Chill-Out lounge bar, and a pool where you can lounge in the afternoon (daytime entry around DH150 ) until the party starts.
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Restaurant/Bar Du Grand Hotel Tazi
For those who object to an around DH40 bottle of beer as a matter of proletarian principle, this place serves the cheapest in town at around DH25 to throngs of like-minded travellers and Marrakshis just off work in the souqs. The tales take a turn for the outrageous as the evening wears on, but then some of us enjoy that kind of thing.
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Soukara
To kill time in style while waiting for a performance at the nearby Théâtre Royal - or train or Supratour bus around the corner - enjoy mint tea on the patio or a little something stiffer on the terrace. The combination of trendy Moroccan Zen décor and better prices than most Nouvelle Ville bars lures in the young Marrakshi set, who slyly check each other out at afternoon meetings of thinly disguised 'study groups' and make their moves over happy hour.
