I visited the historic bar in Tangier
The Tangerinn is known for its historic literary clientele. A favourite haunt of William S. Burroughs, who lived in the neighbouring Hotel El Muniria, it was also frequented by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Paul Bowles. There is no doubt, the Tangerinn is a landmark on the literary map of Tangier: But is it worth visiting?
During my trip to Tangier, I stayed only a few steps away from the famous bar and made it my duty to call in no matter how exhausted I was after sightseeing all day. Usually I do a lot of research about a place before I go. I like to know the history, know what to expect and if it’s worth visiting in the first place. With the Tangerinn I broke all my rules: I heard the siren call of music from my room and ventured in blindly around 10:30 PM (It opens at 10:00 PM).
This is a real functioning and cool bar- not a museum.
It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It had a modern interior and the music ventured from techno to remixes of Cardi B later in the night. Its a modern bar for locals and foreigners with a nice tribute of murals and quotes from the bars beatnik clientele.
If you are looking for a nice bar, you’ve come to the right place. It was a really nice atmosphere with a mix of local young Moroccans and foreigners who like me presumably came to say they had a beer in the footsteps of beatnik history. The music was great but it definitely was not the ambiance for discussing “Naked Lunch” or “On The Road”.
How about the drinks?
You can’t talk a bar without at least mentioning the drinks! They had a range of spirits available and beer was bottled. It was 30 dirham (3 euro) for a small local beer and 35 dirham ( 3.50 euro) for a small Heineken which from my experience in Morocco so far is a pretty good price! There were no beers on tap.
Is it worth a visit?- Yes!
Sure, it’s not a perfectly preserved museum to the beatniks of Tangier. But is that what the the beats would have wanted? I don’t think so. It hasn’t remained stagnant and dusty as some sort of tribute to a previous generation. The bar has changed and has as much life as ever they even have events such as a Halloween party throughout the year!
Whether you’re on a literary tour or just want a cold beer, the Tangerinn should be on your radar. Of course the Tangerinn has changed since Burrough’s called it his local but if you’re in the neighbourhood or a beatnik fan it’s worth a visit. The bar itself is good and although the quotes are a bit cheesy to me, signed photos of the beats will delight any fan.
Is the Tangerinn worth visiting?- Yes. Its a good bar and although it has changed in many ways it still plays homage to its historic clientele that still attracts tourists and literary fans to this day.
If you go for a drink at the Tangerinn share your photos with me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
Until next time!
-The Student Explorer
