Petanque Social Club

Behind the Art Deco facade of a former cinema on Boulevard El Mansour Eddahbi in Gueliz, the Petanque Social Club occupies a garden courtyard that has retained the bones of its 1930s history while becoming something entirely contemporary. The petanque court is original, laid out in the proportions of the old Gueliz social clubs that preceded the city's current dining scene. The rest of the space has been rethought around it: low tables, outdoor seating, plants, and a bar that makes the most of the setting without overexplaining it. The cocktail program operates under the Soulshakers label, a serious mixology operation that treats its drinks as the primary product. The list moves through classics and original compositions with equal confidence, and the quality of execution is consistent. This is one of the few addresses in Marrakech where the cocktail is not an accompaniment to dinner but the main event in its own right. The Mediterranean kitchen produces sharing plates that are designed to work alongside the drinks rather than replace them. The PSC, as regulars call it, draws a Gueliz crowd that spans the city's creative and professional classes. The courtyard fills from aperitif time and stays active late into the night. On weekends, the energy tips toward something louder. During the week, the petanque court comes into use and the garden has a more relaxed pace. It is the kind of place that works equally well on a quiet Tuesday and a packed Friday, which is not a common achievement in Marrakech's bar scene.