Since it opened in 1958 to feed Casablanca’s hard-working, hard-living French sailors, the “Dolphin Tavern” has been the city’s seafood restaurant of choice. Madame Besniard has since passed on, but her two grandsons, Jean-Claude and Marcel, are still on hand every night, ready for a chat and to recommend the day’s freshest catch. Popular dishes include a filet of John Dory grilled in a lemon-and-butter meunière and served with sautéed mushrooms, and a half-dozen 000-class (the highest quality possible) Oualidia oysters.
Diners can choose to eat alfresco (enclosed and heated during winter) or in the more refined air-conditioned restaurant in the back with a separate entrance. In between the two is a lively bar that serves up a nice cold beer with free seafood tapas. A selective wine menu includes a good choice of both local and imported reds and whites.