Cuisine:

• African
• Mediterranean
• Lounge, club, bar
• Contemporary

Casablanca Description:
Upscale Middle Eastern spot near the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square.
A brunch menu is available on Saturdays.
Validated parking is available at University Place.
At this famous nightspot in Harvard Square where Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick once drank and smoldered, a legendary mural of Humphrey Bogart fills one wall, and the Cantabrigian intelligentsia fill the booths. The low-lit back barroom has always been a choice spot for a late-night tipple, but the diners have it better than many realize. Chef Camillo Diaz, formerly of Oleana (home, in turn, of former Casablanca chef Ana Sortun), introduces the aromatic cooking of the eastern and southern Mediterranean to contemporary cuisine, with more-often-than-not successful results, such as the signature meze platter with walnut dip and carrot salad, or fusion-y finds like butternut squash soup gone exotic with coconut milk and goat-cheese fritters. As for entrées, vegetarian creations are especially well-thought-out; actually, we sometimes skip mains for an assortment of meatless sides like good grilled escarole and almonds roasted with sea salt. Bold, colorful flavors like these are especially welcome come autumn and winter (but then, so is the vibe of the cozy hideaway the whole place emits).


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