Essaouira Nightlife

Bar Hafra is a relic from the French Colonial Occupation, in the tradition of Bar des Clochards (tramp's bar), modeled on similar establishments in 1920's Marseilles and Bordeaux. There are two alcoves beside the front entrance, where clientele are allowed to rest, after a boisterous drinking session, provided they cause no trouble or harass other drinkers.

Ostensibly, a place for local working men to drink, usually to oblivion, after their day's work, it also offers all services, Tapas of fried fish, hot beans in sauce and bread, a wide-screen satellite TV suspended from the ceiling for football addicts and loud Arab pop music blaring out from the in-house sound system. Salesmen arrive from time to time with large trays stocked with nuts, paper tissues and other miscellaneous essentials, and there is one resident blind cigarette salesman, who manoeuvres expertly around the bar , supplying clientele. Kif pipes are smoked "de riguer" as are hashish cigarettes.
The noisy lively atmosphere, especially at weekends after 9pm can appear intimidating to foreign tourists, but this is how Moroccan men relax with a drink or ten. Itinerant local musicians arrive to entertain with traditional Berber music played on wood instruments, and a tambour drum. After the musicians' rendition, the drum is passed around to collect small tips from an appreciative audience (five dirhams will suffice.) A formidable "gorilla" bouncer sits on his sentinel seat in the approach alleyway to the bar and filters out any undesirables, also dealing with any "situations" in the bar itself, which require his physical capabilities and expertise!

There are three covert video clips taken inside the bar, uploaded in error to my profile page, which can be viewed there, to reveal a more interesting visual presentation of the bar.........

I was a regular people watcher here in April 2012, every evening on my ten-day stay, my favourite Essaouira "watering hole"!

Dress Code: Absolutely anything goes!